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What Role Does Pele Play In Hawaiian Mythology

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Recommended: Understanding pele's role in Hawaiian mythology

Samantha Johnson
Dr. Cleworth
ENH 251
28 June, 2016
Pele: The Unsurmountable Goddess of Fire, Lava, and Volcanoes
Our book, World Myth, discusses Polynesian Myth briefly in Chapter 13, touching on small aspects of Hawaiian mythology. However, I found it to be incredibly interesting that in the section about Hawaiian mythology, there is hardly any mention of Kane’s children, especially Pele, the Hawaiian Volcano Goddess. My family and I have visited the island of Kauai for vacation three times now, and we have seen Pele’s impact on Hawaiian culture firsthand. I wanted to further explore this Hawaiian Goddess, and I was able to seek out a story about how the famous Hawaiian goddess first came to the islands of Hawaii. In W.D. Westervelt’s book, …show more content…

Primarily, this myth contains a religious function. This would be because the Hawaiian people believe volcanoes to be spiritual sites in which they can reconnect to Pele, the Goddess of Fire and Lava. Gifts are even brought to the volcanoes to honor Pele and thank her for continuing to spew lava from the volcanoes and expand upon the Hawaiian Islands. Pele’s myth is also Expressive – Hawaiians continue to tell stories about Pele and her creation of the volcanoes as a way of connecting to their culture and spirituality. The myth reads very much like a story, so it is easy for people to verbally pass on the myth. This myth has inspired so many different aspects of Hawaiian culture such as songs, art, culture, and dance because of Pele and the Hawaiian people’s devotion to serving her. In Arlo H. Nimmo’s book, Pele, Ancient Goddess of Contemporary Hawaii, he talks about an interesting myth in modern Hawaiian culture about the volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and the presence of Pele. Nimmo states, “When a volcano erupts on the island of Hawaii, stories invariably begin to circulate about persons who have seen a Hawaiian woman who displayed behavior mysterious enough to convince them she was Pele (Nimmo). This is just one example of many ways that Pele and her presence continues to influence the culture of Hawaii. Pele’s myth is clearly a manifest myth, as it easily explains the purpose within the story without having to add in any hidden context or meanings. There are no hidden meanings or hidden symbols in this story; everything is laid out in front of

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