COURTESY KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS

How Pele came
to Hawai’i

Long ago Pele lived with her family on an island of Far Kahiki. She quarreled with her powerful sister, Namaka, a goddess of the sea, and Namaka sent tidal waves to overflow Pele's lands and destroy her houses. Helped by her family, Pele fought the sea goddess, but was defeated.

One of her brothers, the shark god, provided a canoe, and brothers and sisters sailed with Pele over the many-colored sea. Whenever they found an island, Pele tried to make a home, but always Namaka followed and drove the family away.

At last they reached the island we call Kaua'i. There Pele dug with her sacred digging stick, throwing up lava to form the hill still called Pu'uopele, The Hill of Pele. In the fire pit she had made, she and her brothers and sisters lived contentedly.

Alas! Namaka climbed to a high mountain top and, as she searched the sky, saw the glow of fire reflected on the clouds. "She lives! Pele lives!" the angry goddess shouted and rushed to the attack. Though brothers and sisters gathered about Pele and all fought bravely, they were defeated and fled before Namaka.

Pele and her family reached O'ahu and once more Pele dug. She made a fire pit as she had done before, but salt water rose in it and drowned her fire. Today we call the pit she dug Salt Lake.

At Le'ahi, which we call Diamond Head, Pele dug a fine crater, but once more water put out her fire. Again and again Pele tried -- on Moloka'i and West Maui. No better luck! Always salt water flowed in, and the fire was destroyed.

Finally, on the top of Haleakala on Maui, a splendid pit was dug. Here the family lived, satisfied that they had a lasting home.

But again, from her lookout, Namaka saw smoke and glowing clouds. Once more she rushed to the attack. But Pele had grown strong and confident. This time she fought single-handedly with her powerful sister. Long the battle raged, but at last Namaka won. She left the family mourning over Pele's death and returned to her own island in triumph. "Pele is no more!" she cried. "Her power is destroyed!"

Once again, from her point of lookout, Namaka searched the sky. What did she see? Over Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawai'i, dark smoke hung. The clouds above glowed red, and plainly the sea goddess saw among the clouds the form of a beautiful woman.

"Pele lives!" she muttered. "She has become a goddess whom I can never kill."

The brothers and sisters also saw the lovely form among the clouds. "Pele lives!" they cried joyfully and joined Pele in her new home, the fire pit of Kilauea. There the brothers tend her fires, and the sisters dance the hula or string lehua lei.