Polynesian Pantheon
Poliahu
Also known as Poli'ahu, Cloaked-in-beauty
- snow
- ice
- cold
- Mauna Kea
The Hawaiian goddess of snow and ice, resident of Mauna Kea. Poliahu is Pele's rival, and their conflict represents the opposition of ice and fire on Hawaii's highest mountain.
About Poliahu
Goddess of the Snow
Poliahu is the goddess of snow and ice, making her home on Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii. She represents a different kind of power than her rival Pele - cool, serene, and majestic rather than fiery and tempestuous.
The Snow Maidens
Poliahu is one of four snow goddesses (sometimes called snow maidens) who dwell on the high peaks of Hawaii: Poliahu herself, Lilinoe (goddess of mist), Waiau (goddess of Lake Waiau on Mauna Kea), and Kahoupokane (goddess of hupu flowers). Together they represent the alpine environment of Hawaii's highest mountains.
Rivalry with Pele
Poliahu and Pele are eternal rivals. In many stories, they compete for the same lovers, with disastrous results. In one famous tale, they competed in holua sledding, with Pele's fires battling Poliahu's snow for dominance of the mountain slopes.
Cool Beauty
Poliahu is described as beautiful beyond mortal description, dressed in shimmering white kapa cloth like snow. Unlike the tempestuous Pele, Poliahu is calm and regal.
Origin story
Poliahu has always been associated with Mauna Kea, making her home on its snowy summit since ancient times. She may have arrived in Hawaii before Pele, or may represent the island's original snow deity whom Pele's arrival placed in opposition.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Poliahu's in other traditions.
NorseSkadiIllustrationBoth are goddesses associated with snow and high mountains
Compare Poliahu and Skadi side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Poliahu
The snow goddess of the summit. Access is the rite: cold, height, and later conflict with observatories. No beach-side temple.
Sacred sites
- Mauna Kea snow; the mountain is the sanctuary
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 Tradition
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.
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Genealogy
Family tree
Poliahu's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.