Pele and the 'Ohia Tree

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After last week's Fun Fact about Pele's little sister, Hi'iaka, my hula sister Kepola (who, in 'ukulele class is known as plain old Debbie) suggested I share the story of the 'ohia tree and the lehua blossom. As you may recall, Hi'iaka enjoyed dancing the hula in a grove of 'ohia trees and she wore the red lehua blossom strung in a lei.

Wouldn't you know, Pele had something to do with the origin of the tree and the flower.

Kepola sent me the story, which I shared with hula class last night.

For reference, here are some photos I took on Hawai'i Island in February.

The top photo shows the steam billowing from the caldera of Kilauea, said to be the home of Pele, goddess of volcanoes. In the lower left corner is a twisted little 'ohia tree adorned with the red lehua blossoms.

Here is a closeup of the lehua blossom. And here's the story:

One day Pele met a handsome warrior named 'Ohia. Being a fiery lass, she immediately found herself burning with desire for him. She wanted him, then and forever. She announced that she planned to marry him.

'Ohia was surely flattered that such a powerful goddess had fallen for him. But it was too late. He had already fallen for the beautiful maiden, Lehua. 'Ohia had pledged his love to Lehua and nothing Pele could say or do would change the feelings of his heart.

He was probably as diplomatic as possible when he explained this to Pele. No one really knows because within an instant he was a twisted tree. You just don't say no to Pele without serious consequences.

Alas! Poor Lehua. Her boyfriend now was a crummy little tree. And he used to be so handsome! Lehua cried and cried. Hanging out with him just wasn't the same. And when she kissed him, she got bark in her teeth.

The gods took pity on her and told her she would never have to be parted from 'Ohia again. Zap! She was the pretty flower on 'Ohia's branches. Be careful what you wish for. Maybe Lehua should have asked for a new boyfriend, a non-tree one. But the lovers are still together. And it's said that when someone picks a lehua blossom from the 'ohia tree, the sky will weep because the lovers have been separated.

Pele, who caused all this misery, still pretty much gets whatever she wants. All along the crater at Kilauea we saw fruit set out as offerings to her. Our Hawaiian guide, Jeff DePonte, told us that the Japanese always leave fruit. The Hawaiians, who apparently know Pele better, leave booze. Gin seems to be Pele's favorite. It's mother's milk to her.

Pictured above is an offering of gin left for Pele along the rim of the volcano's crater. And if I'm not mistaken, it's nestled in an 'ohia tree. The lovers' triangle lives on!

Hi'iaka

We've been learning a new dance in hula class, a kahiko (ancient) hula called Makani O Kona (Kona Wind). One of the lines of the mele is, "'Ike ia a Hi'iaka au i ke kai." (We see Hi'iaka who travels the seas.)

Hi'iaka, it turns out, is the little sister of Pele, the volcano goddess who resides in the crater of Kilauea, the currently active volcano on Hawai'i island.

Legend has it that Pele left Tahiti with the other Polynesians who were seeking a new home and eventually settled on the Hawaiian Islands. She carried with her an egg bearing her little sis. Once they were safe in their new home, Hi'iaka was hatched.

Although another one of Pele's sisters, Laka, is considered the goddess of hula, all three sisters were patronesses of the hula and Hi'iaka loved to dance with her best friend, Hopoe, in a grove of 'ohia trees near the beaches of Puna on Hawai'i Island.

The flower of the 'ohia tree is the 'ohia lehua, the red flower pictured in the illustration above growing on the trees and worn on Pele's head.

One day Pele's spirit left her body and traveled to Kaua'i, where she met and fell in love with the handsome young chief, Lohi'au. After making love with him for days (phew!), she had to leave him and return to her body, back on Hawai'i. But she asked her little sister to go fetch Lohi'au and bring him back to her so they could pick up where they left off, this time with Pele fully in her body. But poor Lohi'au missed out on that treat. When Hi'iaka arrived on Kaua'i she learned that Lohi'au had died of grief shortly after Pele left him. But with time and great effort, Hi'iaka managed to bring him back to life.

Meanwhile, temperamental Pele assumed that because Hi'iaka was taking so darn long, her sister had betrayed her and was doing the old 'I'm the better sister' thang, by demonstrating her charms with Pele's man. Unfortunately, Pele was the type to get mad and ask questions later. So she flew into a rage and caused hot lava to flow over Hi'iaka's beloved 'ohia grove. Oops! Seems she zapped her sister's best friend, too. Poor Hopoe had been hanging out in the grove, waiting her her hula pal to return.

I love the fact that the Hawaiians imbue their gods and goddesses with mortal traits and flaws. In fact, with three sisters of my own, I identify strongly with the story of Pele and her sisters.

I, of course, am the good one.