Hawaiian Mythology

For the early Hawaiians Ku and Hina—a man and a woman—were the supreme ancestors of heaven and earth. They represented all of humanity's generations both present and future as well as the fruitfulness of life.The Hawaiian gods were like great chiefs from distant regions who came to live among the people sometimes appearing as people or animals and other times relocating inside a stone or wooden idol. As the years went by the families of gods expanded and included fiery Pele of the volcano and mischievous Maui who captured the sun.