Pele, Akua of Hawai'i

Where did Pele and her 'ohana come from before they came to Hawai'i?

• Kahiki/Tahiti

• Another Hawai'i island

• Sāmoa

• Aotearoa

Who is Pele?

Where can you find Pele?

• Mauna Kea

• Haleakala on Maui

• Kīlauea on the slopes of Maunaloa

• The Ko'olau on O'ahu

What does Pele do?

How do people interact with Pele?

• Ask permission to travel her lands

• Give her gifts

• Ask to see the fantastic show of her fires

• All of these answers are the correct ways to respectfully interact with Pele!

Mai hahaki ‘oe i ka ‘ōhelo o punia ‘oe i ka ua noe.

Do not pluck the ʻōhelo berries lest we be surrounded by rain and fog.

A warning not to do anything that would result in trouble. It is kapu to pluck ʻōhelo berries on the way to the crater of Kīlauea. To do so would cause the rain and fog to come and one would lose his way. It is permissible to pick them at the crater if the first ʻōhelo is tossed into the fire of Pele. Then, on the homeward way, one may pick as he pleases.

Should you pick 'ōhelo berries before visiting Pele?

How will you know Pele when you see her?

• She will be made of lava like Te Ka in "Moana"

• She hides from people

• She can appear as a beautiful young woman or an old lady. She may also appear as a ball of fire on the mountain. She may come in dreams where she appears in the form of a woman in the prime of life, dressed in white.

• She's a volcano!

There are many moʻolelo about Pele. These moʻolelo inform us of Pele’s genealogy, telling us who her family is. They also tell us about her adventures and deeds. Which mo'olelo do you remember?

No ʻAilāʻau – regarding ʻAilāʻau

No ka huakaʻi a Hiʻiaka – regarding Hiʻiaka’s quest

No kona makuakāne ʻo Kānehoalani – regarding her father, Kānehoalani

No Nāmakaokahaʻi - regarding her sister Nāmakaokahaʻi

Pick one of these ‘ōlelo no‘eau to draw after you are finished this quiz.

(write your name & the date as well as which ‘ōlelo no‘eau you are drawing on your paper)

• Akua lehe ʻoi (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #102)

  Sharp-lipped goddess.

  An epithet for Pele, who devours even the rocks and trees.

• Ka pali kapu o Kamohoaliʻi (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #1530)

  The sacred cliff of Kamohoaliʻi

  This cliff, at the crater of Kīlauea, is sacred to Kamohoaliʻi, brother of Pele. Smoke from the pit never sweeps over this cliff, even when the wind blows against it. Instead, the smoke rises directly upward due to the great respect Pele has for this beloved brother.

• Ka wahine ʻai lāʻau o Puna (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #1640)

  The tree-eating woman of Puna.

  Pele.