Pele and Hiiaka: A Myth from Hawaii

Pele and Hiiaka are Hawaii's most spectacular female deities, and this story of their conflict over the mortal Lohi'au stands at the fountainhead of Hawaiian myth, oral tradition, and dance. For centuries, however, it was a varied collection of disparate versions told by widely scattered Hawaiian poets, raconteurs, and dancers.

Author, Dr. Nathaniel Emerson spent years traveling, talking to Hawaiians, and compiling notes in an attempt to organize and preserve its text. The result of his e…