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The hawaiian culture and heritage are passed on to the new generations through an elaborate collection of stories. These myths tell the stories of the Hawaiian gods and the history of the Island. Knowing these stories will add an extra layer to your knowledge about the island, and thus make your stay even more memorable!
In this section we will summarize some of the more important myths and gods of Hawaiian mythology. If you are interested and want to find out more, we recommend you to have a look at the books of the local artist and storyteller Carol Loebel-Fried. |
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There is an interesting Hawaiian legend tied to the ohia tree and its flower, the lehua blossom. The legend is tied to the volcano goddess, Pele. The legend says that one day Pele met a handsome warrior named Ohia and she asked him to marry her. Ohia, however, had already pledged his love to Lehua. Pele was furious when Ohia turned down her marriage proposal, so she turned Ohia into a twisted tree. Lehua was heartbroken, of course. The gods took pity on Lehua and decided it was an injustice to have Ohia and Lehua separated. So, they turned Lehua into a flower on the Ohia tree so that the two lovers would be forever joined together. Now, hawaiians say that if you pick the Lehua flower, you seperate the lovers and the sky will start to cry (rain). |
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Legend has it that two deities — the volcano goddess Pele and the demi-god Kamapua'a (the latter of whom could control the weather) — struck a deal to make the vast Big Island of Hawaii's west side so dry, and its east side so wet. The story's short version is that, after a battle, the pair divided the island in two, with Pele taking the western half and Kamapua'a, the eastern. |
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