Hawaiian Mythology

The Gods and Spirits of Hawaii

PELE

Hawaiian Volcano Goddess ๐ŸŒ‹

Also known as Pelei, Pere

Picture of the Hawaiian Volcano Goddess Pele from our Hawaiian mythology image library. Illustration by Chas Saunders.

Volcano Goddess and the Creator and Devourer of Islands

No connection with the Brazilian soccer legend Pelรฉ. Unfortunately. This Pele is a Goddess of Fire. She makes her home in the crater Halemaumau on the summit of Kilauea, a rather active volcano. This is probably a place to be avoided unless youโ€™re into lava in a big way.

According to one legend, when she was young she wanted to travel. So her mother (who may have been Haumea) gave her a jar containing the ocean which she could pour out whenever she wanted to go on a cruise.

During her travels she dug holes to fill with ocean and also made craters in the rock to spread her volcanic fire. All this geological activity formed the very islands and landscapes of Hawaii that exists to this day.

Her younger sister is Hiiaka, who was definitely not into the whole lava deal as it interfered with her amorous intentions...

Pele Facts and Figures

Name: Pele
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Pelei, Pere

Gender: Female
Type: Goddess
Area or people: Hawaii
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role: ๐ŸŒ‹
In charge of: Volcanoes
Area of expertise: Volcano, Volcanoes

Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 16911

Copy this link to share with anyone:



Share this page on social media:


Link to this page:

HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the link below into your blog, web page or email.

BBCODE: To link to this page in a forum post or comment box, just copy and paste the link code below:

Cite this article

Here's the info you need to cite this page. Just copy the text in the box below.


Article last revised on April 30, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

Permissions page


Oh woe. Javascript is switched off in your browser.
Some bits of this website may not work unless you switch it on.