► A Canoe for Pele

 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, November 27, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

    Father Ku kept his word and provided Pele with a large sea-going double canoe. It was large enough for the big family and contained enough food to last for months.

     The one who prepared the canoe was Ka-moho-alii, King of the Sharks, and Pele's eldest brother. Kamohoalii put his relatives in charge of the canoe.They were Kane - the Whirlwind, Ke-aumiki (The Strong Current) and Keauka (The Moving Seas).

     Pele first visited Bora Bora in the Society Islands and then spent a lot of time visiting mysterious ancestral Islands and finally came to Niihau.

     It is because she came to the Hawaiian Islands that you read that Pele brought the ocean to Hawaii.

     The real truth is that Namaka kept up her quarrel with Pele and followed where ever she went. It was in reality Namaka who brought the ocean to Hawaii. Since Namaka was Queen of the Seas, the ocean naturally followed where she traveled.

     Pele kept in the canoe her magic digging tool, Pa-oa. During her travels, Pele used Pa-oa to dig holes in the sandy beaches. She hoped to dig a home for herself and family. But, Pele was always disappointed. Every time she dug a hole, she would find Namaka filling the hole with water and putting out Pele's fires.

     Pele was well received and lavishly entertained on the Island of Niihau - but she found the Island small and quickly passed over to Kauai.

     It was on this Island in Haena she met the first of her famous lovers. He was a mortal named Lohiau. Pele transformed herself into a maiden and was married to Lohiau. However, she was not satisfied with her mortal life because she could not dig a fire-hole at Haena to make a home.

     Legends from Kauai about Pele differ from the popular legends coming from the Big Island.

     Kauai people say that Pele was the daughter of Kanehoalani and Hina. Others say Kane-hao-lani was her brother and Hina was the goddess who created the great tidal wave on which Pele arrived from her south Sea home.

     It really doesn't matter, because those names mean nothing today. The older legends which gave Ku as Pele's father follow the pattern which makes the great god Ku progenitor of mortals.

     The Kauai folks make matters more confusing by saying that Pele spent much time searching the Islands of the South sea for her stolen husband.

     Our story of Pele is a condensation of the Pele stories run in Hoku-o-ka-(P)pikapika (Star of the Pacific) in 1861 and Ke Kuokoa in 1864 and 1865.

For personal interest, I've highlighted a part of the text. As a previous long time resident of Kauai, I've learned the same version of this mo'olelo from Kauai kupuna.

► Pele's Family Gods

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Thursday, November 26, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

     If you are fortunate, you may see Pele and her Hiiaka sisters when visiting Kilauea Iki. There are seven Hiiaka sisters, all younger than Pele and devoted to her as good alii sisters should be.

     Each Hiiaka has a name that distinguishes her from the others. The name indicates her personality.

     The first is Hiiaka-Kapu-Ena-Ena (Hiiaka of theburning tabu) If she is called Hiiaka-Pu-Ena-Ena, the name means "Hiiaka of the burning hills."

     The second sister is Hiiaka-Wawahi-lani (Hiiaka breaking the heavens for the heavey rain to fall.)

     The third is Hiiakanoholani (Hiiaka-dwelling in the skies).

     The fourth is Hiiaka-makole-wawahi-waa (Hiiaka the fire-eyed canoe breaker).

     The fifth: Hiiaka-kaa-lawa-maka (Hiiaka with the quick glancing eyes).

     The sixth: Hiiaka-ka-lei-ia (Hiiaka encircled by garlands of smoke clouds).

     The seventh and youngest Hiiaka is the best known of the sisters. She is Hiiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele (Hiiaka in-the-bosom-of-Pele).

     These girls were born long, long ago to Haumea, the goddess known as Earth's pali. Their father was the great god Ku. They lived far, far away in the South Seas on a beautiful Island.

     The Hiiakas had two elder sisters, Namaka-o-ka-hai, Queen of the Ocean, and Pele, the fire goddess.

     These two sisters were always quarreling. Their quarrels were the eternal battle between fire and water.

     Pele aggravated Namaka by building fires and littering the nice sandy beaches of their Island home.

     Pele was angered when Namaka swept away the fires she had built.    

     The row between Namaka and Pele became intense when Namaka caught Pele flirting with her husband.

INTENSE
     The row was so intense that Pele decided she would have to leave home.

     So, Pele called in her brothers and sisters and announced she was seized with wanderlust and she asked her father for a sea-going canoe which would carry her and her brothers and sisters to foreign lands.

     "What will you do with your little egg sister?" asked Ku.

     Pele took the egg, wrapped it in her skirt to keep it warm, and said the egg would always remain near. This is how the youngest of the Hiiakas received her name Hiiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele (Hiiaka-in-the-bossm-of-Pele.)


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