These 9 Fascinating Stories Of Hawaiian Mythology Will Leave You Shaking Your Head In Awe
By Megan Shute|Updated on February 02, 2024(Originally published July 10, 2023)
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
Like many indigenous peoples, the ancient Hawaiians felt a deep connection to the aina (land), and used stories of their gods and goddesses to explain everything from lava flows to the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian folklore is full of passion, betrayal, love, and death, and it is sure to astonish you. Which parts of Hawaii mythology fascinate you the most?
Pele, the volcano goddess, can be found in many Hawaiian legends. It is said that if you meet a young, beautiful woman in red, or an older lady with white hair, you must greet her with aloha and offer her help. If you refuse to help, death or heartbreak will fall upon your family. To truly be in her good graces, however, you must visit Halema’uma’u crater and give her offerings of flowers, food, and gin.
In Hawaiian mythology, there were two main goddesses worshipped in the temples: Kihawahine and Haumea. When it was time for Haumea to marry, she took the chief of Oahu, Puna, as her husband. She wasn’t aware, however, that Kihawahine wanted chief Puna to be her husband. One day, Puna was lured out to sea by Kihawahine while looking for the perfect surf spot. Puna was taken to Molokai, where the "couple" lived together in a cave for quite some time, before he discovered that she was, in fact, a dragon goddess with a cruel temper. Eventually, Puna was able to escape with the help of his brother-in-law, Hinole, and made his way back to his wife, Haumea, though Kihawahine never stopped looking for him.
In Hawaiian mythology, Ohia and Lehua were young lovers, but one day, Pele met Ohia and decided that she wanted him for herself. When he rejected her, she turned him into an ugly, twisted tree. Pele ignored Lehua’s pleas to change him back, and the other gods, feeling sorry for the young girl, turned her into a beautiful red flower and placed her on the tree so the lovers never had to be apart again. Legend says that as long as the flowers remain on the tree, the weather is sunny and fair, but when a flower is plucked from the tree, rain falls like tears as Lehua cannot handle being separated from her love, Ohia.
Menehune are dwarf-like creatures that reside in lush forests, far from civilization. These two-foot-tall creatures are portrayed as mysterious, but also have excellent craftsmanship, constructing anything they desire. They are credited with building the Menehune Fish Pond on Kauai – in just one night.
One of the most common modern legends in Hawaii warns against Pele’s curse, which states that anyone who takes rock or sand away from the Hawaiian islands will suffer bad luck until the items are returned. Whether this myth is the result of Pele, or merely a disgruntled park worker is unknown, but each year, hundreds of visitors send packages full of rocks and sand back to the island to relieve their bad luck.
Kama Pua’a was both a powerful chief and a destructive monster, a hog god with superhuman powers. According to legend, he could shape-shift and command the rain and waters to obey him. One day, Kama Pua’a made his way to the island of Hawaii, to Kalua Pele – the pit of pele – where the fire goddess lived with her people. Pele and Kama Pua’a were married, but not for long as Pele could not handle Kama Pua’a’s hog insticts and habits. The two had great fights; Pele sent streams of flowing lava, and Kama Pua’a called for the ocean waters to rise. Pele eventually called upon the gods of the underworld for help, and Kama Pua’a was forced to surrender and turned himself into a fish. The fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua’a, has a thick skin to withstand the boiling waves through which it must swim to reach the depths of the sea. Hawaiian legend says that the fish can make a noise like the grunting of a hog.
It is said that Pele and the demigod Kamapua’a – a half man, half pig – had a bad breakup and agreed to never see each other again. The myth explains that you cannot take pork over the Pali Highway, which separates the Windward side of Oahu from Honolulu, because it means that you are symbolically taking Kamapua’a from one side of the island to the other. The legend says that if you try to bring pork across, your car will stop at some point along the journey, and an old woman with a dog will appear. To continue on your way, you must feed the pork to the dog.
Found along the beaches and in the mountains, the naupaka is one of the most common plants in Hawaii, and the flowers look as though they have been torn in half. According to legend, Naupaka was a beautiful princess who fell in love with Kaui, a commoner. The lovers could never marry, so Naupaka vowed to stay in the mountains, and Kaui remained near the ocean. Before leaving each other for the final time, Naupaka took the flower from her hair and gave half of it to Kaui. The nearby plants were so upset that the next day, they began to bloom only half flowers in honor of the star-crossed and separated lovers.
The Huaka’ipo, also known as the Night Marchers, are the spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors who have been cursed to march the islands for eternity. The Night Marchers are said to march in a single line, often carrying torches and weapons while chanting and playing drums. To protect yourself, you must lie on the ground face down in respect. Otherwise, the Night Marchers will kill you. Or so they say.
Isn’t Hawaii mythology absolutely fascinating? We dare you to find another state with as many incredible myths and legends as Hawaii! Which Hawaii myths are your favorites? Tell us about them in the comments.
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Hawaii Mythology
Tori Jane|July 12, 2022
What are some spooky stories in Hawaiian folklore?
Hawaii is, like any amazing place, filled to the brim with intriguing (and often eerie) folklore that you won’t soon forget. One of the most prominent stories in Hawaiian folklore is that of the Night Marchers, said to be the restless spirits of Hawaiian warriors long past. You’ll know of their arrival by the sounds of marching, drumming, and trumpeting conch shells. Don’t stick around: if you make eye contact, you risk being whisked away to the underworld with them. To show respect – if you can’t get away, that is – you'll want to lie face-down on the ground and remain there until they’ve passed.
What are some fun, interesting Hawaii myths to learn about?
One cannot discuss the folklore of Hawaii without mentioning the beautiful and powerful Pele, Goddess of Fire and Volcanoes herself:
They say you cannot remove sand, rocks, or other souvenirs from the volcanoes of Hawaii because this will displease her, and she’ll send you into a plague of bad luck until you return the artifacts you took. When she is angered, she causes eruptions and fire, and when she is pleased, there are times of prosperity and luck on the islands. Sometimes, she even takes human forms, often being sighted in the form of an elderly woman with white hair who hitches rides near the volcanoes. Should you turn around to look at her in your backseat, though – she'll be gone
Where are the spookiest places in Hawaii?
Hawaii is a stunningly beautiful place, but it’s not without it spooky spots! Some of the spookiest places in Hawaii are shrouded in dark myths and folklore, including beings like ghosts, gods, ghouls, and more.
On Oahu, you’ll find spooks like the ones wandering the grounds of Iolani Place, which was built back in 1882 and is said to be haunted to this day by the woman it was built for, Queen Lili’uokalani.
The Volcano House Hotel on the Big Island is another famous haunted location in Hawaii, and they say it may even be haunted sometimes by Pele herself! Sometimes, she’s even sighted on the grounds.
