In the Pele–Hiʻiaka cycle, Lohiʻau appears as the mortal beloved whose presence and fate motivate divine action. In accounts cited (including Emerson's retelling of the Pele and Hiʻiaka myth), Pele desires Lohiʻau so strongly that she sends her sister Hiʻiaka to fetch him and bring him to Kīlauea. Versions of the cycle vary in emphasis—some present Lohiʻau primarily as Hiʻiaka's beloved whom she must retrieve, while other tellings stress Pele's longing and commissioning of Hiʻiaka—so his role is consistently that of the human figure whose retrieval sets the quest in motion.
The provided sources do not give a consistent or detailed physical description of Lohiʻau. In the cited fragments he is referenced as a beloved or paramour without sustained descriptive detail; some fuller tellings of the Pele–Hiʻiaka cycle (beyond the supplied excerpts) at times portray him in human social terms, but the materials here supply no reliable, consistent account of his appearance.
The sources examined do not ascribe supernatural powers to Lohiʻau. He is treated as a mortal whose narrative function is to motivate divine characters—Pele and Hiʻiaka—and their actions. Narrative episodes connected to him in wider tellings of the cycle (summarized in the cited Project Gutenberg introduction) include being the person Hiʻiaka is sent to retrieve and, in some versions of the broader tradition (not detailed in the supplied excerpts), experiencing death or near-death and revival; however, within the provided materials he has no documented supernatural abilities.
Ascalapha odorata (Hawaiian)
A nocturnal moth associated with death or misfortune in Hawaiian tradition, possibly tied to Central and South American folklore. (Note: - Summary should note that Ascalapha odorata's association with death/misfortune is found in Central and South American folklore, not explicitly mentioned in Hawaiian tradition. - Power tier: Primordi)
Hawaiian hawk (ʻio)
The Hawaiian hawk, called ʻio (Buteo solitarius), is an endemic raptor of Hawaiʻi and a culturally significant bird mentioned in the Kumulipo and used as a royal emblem ('ʻiolani'). Sources treat it as a native animal species with symbolic importance rather than as an explicitly supernatural being.
Hina
Hina is an onomastic category in Polynesian traditions naming a number of related female divine figures—often sovereign goddesses or queens—who are variously associated with domains such as the moon and, in specific local tales, natural forces like rain or fire. Rather than a single pan‑Polynesian personage, Hina functions as a flexible role filled by distinct local figures (e.g., Sina, Hanaiakamalama).
Hoʻohōkūkalani
Hoʻohōkūkalani (also attested as Kahoʻohokuokalani-i-kau-i-kaheahea) is named in the cited sources as a Hawaiian goddess mentioned in ancient chants; she is described in those brief accounts as a beautiful woman who became a consort to her own father. The available sources are concise and do not provide extended narrative, ritual, or iconographic detail.
Hāloa
An ancestral figure in Hawaiian mythology and cosmology, considered the ancestor of the Hawaiian people. (Note: 1. Power tier: Should be Primordial (as an ancestral figure, Hāloa's role is more cosmic in nature). 2. Sensory cues: Unknown is acceptable, but consider adding a note to indicate that no information )
Kamapuaʻa
Kamapuaʻa is a Hawaiian kupua — a powerful shape‑changing fertility superhuman associated with Lono and especially linked to the island of Maui. Portrayed as a bold, untamed trickster and lover, he shifts between human, hog, tree and fish forms and figures in contests and negotiations with the fire goddess Pele.
Kapo
Kapo is a figure in Hawaiian mythology identified as a goddess associated with fertility, birth, and sorcery/witchcraft. She is attested with the epithet Kapo-ʻula-kīnaʻu (noting red clothing with black spots) and in some folklore summaries is described in narratives featuring a detachable or 'flying' sexual organ.
Kinilau
In Hawaiian mythology, Kinilau is a figure described as the son of Menehune and Luanu'u, with significance related to ancestry. (Note: * Power tier: Primordial (Kinilau being a significant figure in Hawaiian genealogy and having multiple sons suggests he is at a higher power tier) * Sensory cues, wards, weaknesses: Not mentioned in s)
Kupulupulu
Kupulupulu is a Hawaiian patron of canoe builders and seafaring craft attested in multiple ritual and mythic lists. Named among a roster of canoe patrons, Kupulupulu is invoked with offerings and prayers during canoe-building rites and when ritual music announces a canoe's passage.
Laka
A 'popular hero' in Hawaiian mythology, associated with heroic qualities. (Note: * Power tier should be revised to Greater or Ancient since it's referred to as a "popular hero" and is associated with heroic qualities, suggesting a higher power level. * Appearance should state that)
Menehune
Menehune are a Hawaiian tradition of very small, secretive forest- and valley‑dwelling people credited in folklore with exceptional night‑time craftsmanship (fishponds, heiau, roads, etc.). Scholarly sources debate whether they reflect an earlier population, a social category (Tahitian manahune), or a post‑contact myth fused with European small‑folk motifs.
Moʻo (example: Kihawahine)
Moʻo are identified in the supplied sources as Hawaiian lizard deities; the supplied material gives Kihawahine as an exemplar, described as a shapeshifting lizard goddess whose deification originated when the bones of a chiefly daughter were deified and whose home was the wetland pond Mokuhinia on Mokuʻula.
Community Record
- [1]Pele and Hiiaka: A Myth From Hawaii by Nathaniel Bright Emerson (Project Gutenberg). "The chapter sets the stage for Hiiaka's eventual mission to retrieve her beloved Lohiau, showcasing the themes of loyalty and the trials that will follow in their mythical journey..." (Project Gutenberg: Pele and Hiiaka)literary
- [2]Goddess Gallery - Volcano Goddess Pele. "She missed him so much that she sent her sister, Hiiaka to bring him to Kilauea..." (Goddess Gallery - Volcano Goddess Pele)other
- [3]Hiʻiaka (Wikipedia). "In Hawaiian religion, Hiʻiaka is a daughter of Haumea and Kāne." (Wikipedia: Hiʻiaka)wiki
- [4]Pele (deity) (Wikipedia). "In Hawaiian religion, Pele ... is the goddess of volcanoes and fire and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands. Often referred to as 'Madame Pele' or 'Tūtū Pele' ..." (Wikipedia: Pele)wiki
- [5]Goddess and myth summaries and commentary (collected excerpts). Collected academic and archival materials referencing the Pele–Hiʻiaka cycle and its characters (excerpted in research notes).academic