Tag Archives: Hawaiian Islands

May 15, 2016 · 8:41 pm

THE FINALE OF PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII

HawaiianislandsBalladeer’s Blog concludes its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-EIGHT

As the previous installment ended Pele was furiously proclaiming that she would kill Prince Lohiau and destroy her sister Hi’iaka for falling in love (ish) while Hi’iaka was escorting the prince to the Big Island to become Pele’s husband. Hi’iaka had spitefully consummated her love for Prince Lohiau right at the base of Pele’s home atop Mount Kilauea. She had done this to punish the fire and volcano goddess for her savage slaying of Hopoe, the goddess whom Hi’iaka had placed in charge of her beloved forests of lehua trees.

Pele’s explosive temper was unleashed at the sight of her younger sister and her intended husband coupling publicly. As she caused a flood of lava to flow down the mountain and encircle Lohiau and Hi’iaka she had cried to all the gods in the Hawaiian pantheon that any of them who sided with Hi’iaka would be declaring themselves an enemy of Pele and would risk destruction or banishment.   Continue reading →

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May 11, 2016 · 1:01 am

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-SEVEN

Pele and Hi'iakaBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-SEVEN

And so, as Hi’iaka’s revenge on her sister Pele, the volcano and fire goddess, she made sure that her first coupling with Prince Lohiau, the man both goddesses loved, took place right within Pele’s sight at the base of Mount Kilauea. All of Pele’s other sisters had gathered around her to see the beautiful man named Lohiau. The fern goddess Pa’u’o’pala’e and the mortal woman Wahine, whom Hi’iaka had sent on ahead, entered Pele’s tempestuous presence. 

Pele raged at the two women, demanding to know why the quest to reach and return from Lohiau’s home of Kauai had taken so long. Pa’u’o’pala’e, as a sister goddess, replied to Pele that no matter what had caused the delay Lohiau had arrived and was at the foot of Mount Kilauea with Hi’iaka.   Continue reading →

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May 8, 2016 · 3:57 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-SIX

MolokaiBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-SIX

The ship carrying Hi’iaka, Prince Lohiau and Wahine arrived at Iloli on the island of Molokai. The generally barren nature of the area prompted the trio to remain with the ship’s crew when they soon put off for Maui. Continue reading →

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May 1, 2016 · 4:53 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-FIVE

OahuBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-FIVE

With the conclusion of the hours of romantic jockeying during the kilu competition, Hi’iaka and Prince Lohiau’s growing passion for each other was evident to all. Princess Pele’ula, one of Lohiau’s former flames, was inwardly seething at her failed attempt to reclaim his heart.  

This might have caused trouble for Hi’iaka, the Prince and the mortal woman Wahine if not for Hi’iaka’s quick thinking. The goddess used her divine power to transport herself and her two mortal traveling companions far away from Pele’ula’s realm in what is now Honolulu. In their place she left three images of herself, Lohiau and Wahine, fooling the Princess and her subjects into thinking they were still there at the kilu festival until the illusions evaporated nearly an hour later.   Continue reading →

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April 13, 2016 · 4:43 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-THREE

OahuBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-THREE

Following Hi’iaka’s triumph over the renegade shark gods named Kua and Kahole’a she decided that since she was already far up Mount Pohakea she would go all the way to the top and soak in the monumental view. In the waters below she saw the double-canoe in which Prince Lohiau and Hi’iaka’s mortal female friend Wahine were sailing along.

In some versions of the story Wahine – like Pele and Hi’iaka – is beginning to fall prey to Lohiau’s charms and begins rubbing noses with him. Causing her voice to be heard far below Hi’iaka warns the pair to cease and desist, since the prince is, after all, the intended husband of Hi’iaka’s sister Pele. Wahine and Lohiau separate and Hi’iaka uses her divine powers to extend her gaze all the way back to the Big Island. What she sees there fills her with alarm, dread and anger.    Continue reading →

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April 3, 2016 · 4:58 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-ONE

Kauai 2Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-ONE 

Hi’iaka, her mortal friend Wahine and the freshly-resurrected Prince Lohiau soaked in the praise of the throng surrounding them on the beach beneath the cliffs overlooking Haena. That crowd of Lohiau’s family and subjects felt a certain bittersweet elation. They knew that, though their prince had been restored to life they were about to figuratively lose him again when he moved away to the Big Island to become the mate of the volcano and fire goddess Pele. 

Eventually Hi’iaka led Prince Lohiau and the mortal woman Wahine through the rejoicing mob so that they could refresh themselves with the feel of the ocean waves. The trio froliced in the water for a time, then Lohiau could restrain himself no longer. He grabbed the first available surfboard and paddled out to enjoy some surfing. (Many figures in Hawaiian myths surf – even the deities.) 
Continue reading →

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March 23, 2016 · 11:17 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART EIGHTEEN

Kauai

KAUAI

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART EIGHTEEN

On the island of Kauai the goddess Hi’iaka and her female mortal companion Wahine prepared to launch their assault on the cavern lair of the evil sorceresses named Kilioe and Kalanamainu’u. The entrance to that cavern was nearly inaccessible, since it was basically just a large hole on the side of a steep mountain hundreds of feet up.

Hi’iaka and Wahine needed to reach the cave to free the corpse of Prince Lohiau from the clutches of the sorceresses so that it (the corpse) could be reunited with its wandering spirit, thus restoring life to Lohiau, the chosen mate of Hi’iaka’s sister Pele, the fire and volcano goddess. (Meanwhile, Megan’s love for Stan is still unrequited since he is obsessed with his sexy new neighbor Samantha, not realizing she is his mother’s murderer Sam after a sex-change operation …)   

When our two heroines began to climb the sheer cliff wall the sorceresses used their dark magic to create winds strong enough to knock them back to the ground. After repeatedly being hindered by this maneuver Hi’iaka used her divine powers to make Kilioe and Kalanamainu’u so sensitive to sunlight that they had to retreat to the furthest reaches of their cave to avoid the burning pain.  Continue reading →

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March 9, 2016 · 4:32 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART FOURTEEN

Kaliuwa'a Valley

Kaliuwa’a Valley

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART FOURTEEN

Hi’iaka and her mortal companion Wahine continued crossing the island of Oahu as their quest to reach Kauai resumed after their battle with the gigantic lizard-monster Mokoli’i. The ladies arrived at Kaliuwa’a Valley where Hi’iaka encountered another of the gods who had originally arrived in the Hawaiian Islands with the goddess Pele long ago. 

Kauhi was the name of this ancient deity who ruled the rocky mountain peak that shared his name. Long ago Pele had assigned – some would say condemned – Kauhi to remain behind here serving as a sentry. The peak was often called “the watchtower of the heavens” and served as both home and prison to Kauhi.  Continue reading →

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February 24, 2016 · 11:09 pm

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TEN

Maui mapBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TEN

Hi’iaka and the mortal woman Wahine resumed their quest to reach Kaua’i by following the northern coastline of the island of Maui. As they walked they found themselves in a kaha – an area devoid of crops or animal life and in which the residents had to depend on fishing and on deliveries of food from long distances to survive. 

Wahine was famished and tried begging some food from the inhabitants of the dry, stony area but they all curtly refused. The woman asked her traveling companion Hi’iaka to intercede for her with the recalcitrant villagers. Hi’iaka made the attempt but even her entreaties were rudely rejected. The goddess demanded to know why these people refused to grant any food to strangers traveling through their land. Continue reading →

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February 6, 2016 · 5:51 am

PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART FIVE

Pele and Hi'iaka valleyBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART FIVE

The morning after their battle with Pana-Ea and its legion of monsters Hi’iaka, Pa’u’o’pala’e and Wahine resumed their journey. Around mid-day the path they were following suddenly ended at a precipice. Wahine suggested they all descend the cliffside to reach the base, where the waves pounded the jagged stones and from there swim across to the other side. Continue reading →

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