In
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian religion refers to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of native Hawaiians, also known as the kapu system. Hawaiian religion is based largely on the tapu religion common in Polynesia and likely originated among the Tahitians ...
, Kamapuaa ("hog child") is a
hog-man
fertility
Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...
superhuman
The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...
associated with
Lono
In Hawaiian religion, the god Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. In one of the many Hawaiian stories of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. In agricultu ...
, the god of agriculture. The son of
Hina
Hina may refer to:
People and deities
* Hina (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Hina (chiefess), a name given to several noble ladies who lived in ancient Hawaii
* Hina (goddess), the name assigned to ...
and Kahikiula, the chief of
Oahu
Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...
, Kamapuaʻa was particularly connected with the island of
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
.
A ''
kupua
In Hawaiian mythology, the Kupua are a group of supernatural entities which might be considered gods or spirits (see also ''Atua'').
Hawaiian myths and legends abound with such characters. They are traditionally described as monsters having the ...
'' (
demigod
A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...
), Kamapuaa is best known for his romantic pursuit of the fire goddess
Pele, with whom he shared a turbulent relationship. Despite Pele's power, Kamapuaa's persistence allows him to turn her lava rock into fertile soil.
He is linked with the ''
humuhumunukunukuāpua'a'' (reef triggerfish), the
state fish
This is a list of official and unofficial U.S. state fishes:
__TOC__
Table
See also
* Lists of U.S. state insignia
* Lists of U.S. state animals
Notes
References
Netstate.com state fish tables
External links
{{state insignia
.State ...
of Hawaiʻi.
Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa
Lilikalā K. Kameʻeleihiwa is a Hawaiian historian, filmmaker, and senior professor at the University of Hawaii's Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. Her earliest work was published under the name of Lilikalā L. Dorton.
With a PhD. ...
describes him as "defiant of all authority, bold and untamed," and states that he "recalls the pig nature that is dormant in most people . . . .
Treacherous and tender, he thirsts after the good things in life—
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
,
love
Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...
, and
sensual pleasure
A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the world through the detection of stimuli. (For example, in the human body, the brain which is part of the central nervous system re ...
. . . .
Early life
Kamapua’a was born to human parents, Kahikiula and Hina, on Oahu. He is recorded as having one brother, Kahikihonuakele.
There are also many stories involving his grandmother, whom he seems to be very close to. There is not a lot of information on his childhood.
Growing up, Kamapuaʻa was never accepted by his step father Olopana. This hurt Kamapuaʻa because he wanted his father to love him and be proud of him, but Olopana never showed any love and mocked instead. Kamapuaʻa grew with anger and let rage take over his soul. This led to his reputation of being mischievous and rascal.
Adult life
Kamapuaʻa grows up to be a handsome, talented man. His talents made Olopana very angry. Wounded at Olopanaʻs disapproval, Kamapuaʻa leaves for the hills to calm himself, where he spends time scavenging and growing stronger. Later he engages in many battles with Olopana and Pele, eventually killing Olopana brutally.
Mythology
In
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
the ''kukui'' is a symbol of enlightenment, protection and peace. It was said that Kamapua'a could transform into a ''
kukui
''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering plant, flowering tree in the Euphorbia, spurge Family (biology), family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah ker ...
'' tree. One of the legends told of Kamapua'a: one day, a man beat his wife to death and buried her beneath Kamapua'a while he was in tree form. Because he saw that the woman had been a good person, he raised her to new life, but damned her husband to death.
One well known myth involves Olopana and some birds. Being the Trickster that he was, one day Kamapua’a stole some chickens from Olopana, who was enraged at the theft. Olopana sent his warriors after Kamapua’a, who, along with his own followers, fought back, until it became clear they could not win. Kamapua’a took his followers and fled until they came up against a
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
where they were seemingly cornered. It was at this point that Kamapua’a shifted into a hog which his followers used to climb to the next level of the falls and to freedom. His pig-form dammed up the water of Kaliuwa‘a where they were. Olopana's men pursued. As they trekked up Kaliuwa‘a, Kamapua‘a released the water killing all but Olopana. Olopana flees to Wai‘anae where he ultimately loses to Kamapua‘a.
Kamapua’a and Pele
There are contradictory stories depicting the relationship between Kamapua’a and Pele. In some versions they are described as enemies (Hawaiian Romance), in others they are depicted as lovers or husband and wife (Hawaiian folk tales). One story of how Pele and Kamapua’a met starts off with Kamapua’a on a journey to Pele's home. Kamapua’a tried to impress Pele and her sisters by looking like a handsome man. He impressed her sisters but Pele is not impressed, instead she insults Kamapua’a by calling him a pig. This upsets Kamapua’a, which then turned their conversation into an argument of insults to each other. Kamapua’a tried to get closer to Pele but Pele sent her flames to him leaving him in a pit of fire. Kamapua’a strikes back by summoning his sister Makahanaloa; she puts out the fire with fog and rain, and hogs run all over the place. All that is left are the fire sticks; Pele accepts her defeat. Kamapua’a takes the sticks and divides the districts giving Pele the districts overrun with lava flows; he takes the Windward districts with the most rain. Kamapua’a leaves Hawaii and starts a family in the ocean where he belongs; Pele now loves Kamapua’a and tries to get him back with a love chant. As Kamapua’a lives his life in the ocean, he still watches over his side of the island. He ventures through the ocean in his new form the humu-humu-nuku-nuku apua’a. He never steps foot on the island again because he doesn't want to run into Pele. Kamapuaʹa later returned to the island as a handsome man and made love with Pele. Their union produced a baby girl whom Pele named Kaʹowakaikalani.
[Lilikalā K. Kameʹeleihiwa, ''The Legendary Tradition of Kamapuaʹa, The Hawaiian Pig-God'', (Honolulu: Bishop Museum, 1996), 116.]
Notes
References
* Kame'eleihiwa, Lilikala (1996) ''A Legendary Tradition of Kamapua'a, The Hawaiian Pig-God'', Bishop Museum Press,
* Alameida, Roy (1997) ''Stories of Old Hawaii'', Bess Press, {{ISBN, 978-1-57306-026-4.
* Martha Beckwith, ''Hawaiian Mythology'' (University of Hawaii Press, 1940), 205–206.
* “The Legend of Kamapua’a,” LBD Coffee Winter Newsletter, http://www.coffeetimes.com/kamapuaa.htm, 2006, retrieved on 16 November 2016.
*Lilikalā K. Kameʹeleihiwa, ''The Legendary Tradition of Kamapuaʹa, The Hawaiian Pig-God,'' (Honolulu: Bishop Museum, 1996), 103,112,116.
Hawaiian gods
Animal gods
Fertility gods
Mythological pigs