ハワイ旅行･ホテル･ショッピング･グルメ･求人

Pele: The Volcano Goddess

April 19, 2007

One of the most famous of the Hawaiian gods and still reverenced today, is the Volcano Goddess Pele.
On the big island of Hawaii, many tourist visit Mount Kilauea every year to witness one of nature’s most awesome spectacles. Today we want to talk about the superstitions behind the volcano goddess Pele.
The story of Pele has been passed down through the generations by Hawaiians, describing her as taking many forms including an old woman, a young woman, and a small child. It has been said that she walks the roads of Hawaii by herself in one of the many forms.
We talked to an local elder, and he said one night at Mount Kilauea, just after dark, he was driving alone and he saw an old woman , dressed in white, walking by herself along the road.
As soon as he saw the woman, he knew it must be Pele, he asked “Where are you going? If you like, I could give you a ride.” When he did this the woman thanked him for his kindness and they departed. When he dropped her off, she told him, “Prepare the tea leaves so they are ready.”
That night the elder did as Pele had told him and he put tea leafs on the floor of his house. That evening Mount Kilauea had a massive eruption, but the elder's house was the only house that was untouched by the lava.
It is said that before an eruption Pele appears to people to give warning. So if you see a woman walking alone, let’s humbly help her.
When people visit Mount Kilauea, sometimes they like to take back a piece of rock from the lave flow as a souvenir, but let’s not do this. The goddess Pele hates when her body is separated from itself. The Hawaiians believe that the rocks are Pele’s fingers and toes. People that do take samples of rocks seem to run into misfortune, but after the rock is returned the person’s misfortune disappears, and the person is fine.

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