Moʻo (example: Kihawahine)

Moʻo (example: Kihawahine)

Ancientfolk-consensusHawaiianMaui (Mokuʻula/Mokuhinia)
Origin

According to the supplied account, Kihawahine Mokuhinia Kalamaʻula Kalāʻaiheana was the daughter of the sixteenth-century ruling chief of Maui, Piʻilani, and his wife Lāʻieloheloheikawai. When she died, the source states that her bones were deified, transforming her into the goddess called Kihawahine (Wikipedia: Kihawahine).

Appearance

The supplied source identifies moʻo as lizard deities and explicitly calls Kihawahine a shapeshifting lizard goddess (moʻo). The provided texts do not give further physical description (size, color, or iconographic detail).

Abilities

The only powers attested in the supplied material are shapeshifting (the source describes Kihawahine as a shapeshifting lizard goddess) and the fact of her deification from the bones of a chiefly daughter (the source states her bones were deified, transforming her into the goddess). No other abilities or behaviors are described in the provided excerpts.

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Community Record

Sources
  1. [1]
    Kihawahine. Wikipedia, article 'Kihawahine' (excerpt supplied).wiki
  2. [2]
    Kona - Traditions of Oʻahu - Kapiʻolani CC Library LibGuides. Kapiʻolani Community College library guide (listed among supplied sources; excerpt did not add factual details about moʻo).other
  3. [3]
    Episode 91: Pele — Spirits (podcast listing). Podcast episode listing provided among supplied sources (excerpt did not add factual details about moʻo).other
folk-consensus