Polynesian Pantheon
Pele
Also known as Pelehonuamea (She who shapes the sacred land), Ka wahine ai honua (The woman who devours the land)
- volcanoes
- fire
- lightning
- dance
- creation
The Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, fire, and lightning. Pele is a fierce and passionate deity who creates new land through volcanic eruptions and whose temper is as volatile as the lava she commands.
About Pele
Goddess of the Living Earth
Pele is the most revered deity in Hawaiian mythology, an akua (goddess) whose power is visible in every eruption of Kilauea. She embodies both creation and destruction, as her lava destroys what exists while simultaneously creating new land. She represents the untameable forces of nature and the passionate spirit of Hawaii itself.
Journey to Hawaii
Pele was born in Kahiki (Tahiti) to Haumea, the earth mother, and Ku-waha-ilo, a man-eating deity. Driven from her homeland by her elder sister Namaka, goddess of the sea, Pele voyaged across the Pacific in her magical canoe, accompanied by her sister Hi'iaka and other siblings. At each island she dug a fire pit, only for Namaka's waves to extinguish it.
Finding Her Home
Pele finally found a home in the Halemaumau crater atop Kilauea on the Big Island, where she dwells to this day. Here her fire was strong enough to resist Namaka's waters. The two sisters battled one final time, and though Pele's physical body was broken, her spirit remained, becoming the eternal goddess of the volcano.
The Tempestuous Goddess
Pele is famous for her jealousy and quick temper. Many stories tell of mortals who angered her by taking lava rocks (which are part of her body) or by romantic betrayals. She has had many lovers, both mortal and divine, and her affairs often end in volcanic fury.
Pele and Hi'iaka
The greatest cycle of Pele myths involves her sister Hi'iaka, whom she sent to fetch a mortal lover named Lohiau. The journey took so long that Pele, in jealous rage, destroyed Hi'iaka's beloved ohia forests. The story of the sisters' conflict and reconciliation is one of the most elaborate in Hawaiian tradition.
Living Goddess
Unlike many mythological figures, Pele is still actively worshipped and experienced. Hawaiians report seeing her as an old woman or a beautiful young one, often before eruptions. Her presence is felt in every lava flow, and offerings are still made to her at the crater's edge. She is not a figure of the past but a living power.
Origin story
Pele was born in Kahiki (Tahiti) to Haumea and Ku-waha-ilo. Her fiery nature and affairs angered her sister Namaka, the sea goddess, who drove her from her homeland. Pele traveled across the Pacific, seeking a home for her fires, finally settling in Kilauea volcano on Hawaii, where she remains the living goddess of volcanic creation.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Pele's in other traditions.
GreekHephaestusIllustrationBoth are deities of volcanic fire and forges
Compare Pele and Hephaestus side by side
RomanVulcanIllustrationBoth are associated with volcanic fire and its creative-destructive power
Compare Pele and Vulcan side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Pele
The volcano is the temple. People still stack ho'okupu at the crater. She is jealousy, fire, and new land. Christian centuries did not empty the pit. Treat living practice as practice, not as folklore leftover.
Sacred sites
- Halemaumau crater at Kilauea, her living house
- Other volcanic sites on Hawai'i Island
Festivals
- Offerings of gin, berries, and ohelo; hula for Pele
Family
In the atlas
Where Pele appears
Stories
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 Chant
About this entry
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. 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
Pele's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.