Pele and Hiiaka: A Myth From Hawaii is a retelling of a central Hawaiian myth, centered on the volcano goddess Pele and her sister Hiiaka. Compiled by Nathaniel B. Emerson from oral accounts and newspapers, it offers a window into Hawaiian oral literature and belief. Listeners interested in world mythology and fantasy will find it a rich, atmospheric narrative.
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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
Original Title Page. N. B. Emerson. Signature: N. B. Emerson. PELE AND HIIAKA A Myth From Hawaii Ву
NATHANIEL B. EMERSON, A. M., M. D. HONOLULU, HAWAII Author of The Long Voyages of the Ancient Hawaiians, and of Unwritten Literature of Hawaii, Translator of David Malo’s Hawaiian Antiquities PRINTED BY Honolulu Star-Bulletin Limited 1915 Copyright, 1915, by N. B. EMERSON.
Published March, 1915.
TO
HER MAJESTY LILIUOKALANI
AND
HER BELOVED HAWAIIAN
PEOPLE
PREFACE
The story of Pele and her sister Hiiaka stands at the fountain-head of
Hawaiian myth and is the matrix from which the unwritten literature of
Hawaii drew its life-blood. The material for the elaboration of this story has, in part, been found in serial contributions to the Hawaiian newspapers during the last few decades; in part, gathered by interviews with the men and women of the older regime, in whose memory it has been stored and, again, in part, it has been supplied by papers solicited from intelligent Hawaiians. The information contained in the notes has been extracted by viva voce appeal to
Hawaiians themselves. These last two sources of information will soon be no longer available.
Merely as a story, this myth of Pele and her kindred may be deemed to have no compelling merit that should attract one to its reading. The cycle of worldmyth already gathered from the rising to the setting of the sun, from the north pole to the south pole, is quite vast enough, and far in excess of the power of
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