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Mythos Atlas

Polynesian Pantheon

Hi'iaka

Also known as Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele, Hi'iaka-in-the-bosom-of-Pele

Illustration of Hi'iaka, a deity of the Polynesian Pantheon
Illustrative imageIllustration of Hi'iaka. Generated with an AI image model; not a historical artifact. About our images
  • hula
  • healing
  • sorcery
  • lightning
  • ohia trees

The youngest and most beloved sister of Pele. Hi'iaka is the patron goddess of hula dancers and the protagonist of one of the longest epic narratives in Hawaiian mythology, her journey to fetch Pele's lover Lohiau.

About Hi'iaka

Beloved Sister of Pele

Hi'iaka is Pele's favorite sister, born as an egg that Pele carried in her bosom during the great migration from Kahiki to Hawaii. She grew to become one of the most important goddesses in Hawaiian tradition, patroness of hula and protagonist of the greatest Hawaiian epic.

Birth and Childhood

Unlike her older siblings, Hi'iaka was not born in Kahiki but hatched from an egg during the family's voyage across the Pacific. Pele kept the egg warm in her armpit (or bosom), and when Hi'iaka emerged, she was the baby of the family, beloved by all, especially Pele.

The Journey for Lohiau

The great saga of Hi'iaka begins when Pele, in a dream, falls in love with a mortal chief named Lohiau on Kauai. She sends Hi'iaka to fetch him, giving her magical powers and a deadline of forty days. The journey takes far longer, as Hi'iaka must battle monsters, help those in need, and overcome countless obstacles.

Patroness of Hula

Hi'iaka is the goddess most associated with hula, the sacred dance of Hawaii. Her journey provides much of the source material for hula performances, and dancers invoke her blessing.

Origin story

Hi'iaka was born as an egg during the great voyage from Kahiki to Hawaii. Pele carried the egg in her bosom, keeping it warm, and from it hatched the youngest of the family. Raised with special care by Pele, Hi'iaka grew into a powerful goddess in her own right.

Across traditions

Parallel figures

Figures who play a role like Hi'iaka's in other traditions.

Worship and cult

Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Hi'iaka

The epic of Hi'iakaikapoliopele is danced. Chant and forest travel are the cult. She heals and she wrecks; the hula keeps both.

Sacred sites

  • Hula lineages; Pele's younger sister in Hawai'i

Festivals

  • Hula as the working liturgy

Family

Questions about Hi'iaka's family
Who are Hi'iaka's siblings?
Siblings of Hi'iaka recorded in the atlas: Pele.

In the atlas

Where Hi'iaka appears

Sources and further reading

Source notes

These references are recorded in the catalog. Their passage wording and translation have not been checked, so quotations are not displayed here.

  • Hawaiian Epic of Pele and Hi'iaka

    Catalog date: Traditional

About this entry

By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. . Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.

Parallels are editorial comparisons across traditions: a shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.

Family relationships come from the atlas's kinship records. Ancient sources often disagree on divine genealogy.

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Genealogy

Family tree

Hi'iaka's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.

Open the full tree