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 Tahitian ...

, Kapo is a goddess of

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 ...

, sorcery and dark powers. Kapo is also known as Kapo-ʻula-kīnaʻu, where "the epithet ula-kinaʻu is used in allusion to the fact that her attire, red in color, is picked out with black spots. The name Kapo alone is the only by which she is usually known." "Kapo is said to have been born of Papa (or Haumea) while she was living up Kalihi valley on Oahu with Wakea, her husband. Some say that she was born from the eyes of Papa. She is of high rank and able to assume many shapes at will." She is the mother of

Laka In Hawaiian mythology, Laka is the name of two different popular heroes from Polynesian mythology. (In other parts of Polynesia they are known as Rātā, Rata, Lata, Ata, or Lasa). In one Hawaiian legend, Laka is the son of the '' Ali'i nui'' W ...

, although some versions have them as the same goddess. She is the sister of

Kāne Milohaʻi In Hawaiian mythology, is the brother of Kāmohoaliʻi, , , and (among others) by . He is a figure most prominently in the story of 's journey along the island chain to , and may be seen as a terrestrial counterpart to his brother, the shark-g ...

Kāmohoaliʻi In Hawaiian religion, Kamohoaliʻi is a shark god and a brother of Kāne Milohaʻi, Pele, Kapo, Nāmaka, and Hiʻiaka. He is also the father of Nanaue. Kamohoaliʻi swam in the area around the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe. When a ship was lo ...

, Pele,

Nāmaka In Hawaiian mythology, Nāmaka (or Nā-maka-o-Kahai, the eyes of Kahai) appears as a sea goddess in the Pele family. She is an older sister of Pele-honua-mea. She is the daughter of Ku-waha-ilo and Haumea, whose other children are Pele, the H ...

and

Hiʻiaka In Hawaiian religion, Hiʻiaka is a daughter of Haumea and Kāne. Attributes and history Hiiaka is the patron goddess of hula dancers, chant, sorcery, and medicine. Owls are her messengers and are sacred to her. Conceived in Tahiti, Hiiaka was c ...

. Kapo also had a detachable vagina, which she once used as a decoy to aid her sister Pele to flee the overzealous

Kamapuaʻa In Hawaiian mythology, Kamapuaa ("hog child") is a hog-man fertility superhuman associated with Lono, the god of agriculture. The son of Hina and Kahikiula, the chief of Oahu, Kamapuaʻa was particularly connected with the island of Maui. A ''k ...

Kapo in myth

She saved Pele from being raped by Kama-pua'a by sending her flying vagina (''kohe lele'') as a lure. Kama followed this to

Koko Head Koko Head is the headland that defines the eastern side of Maunalua Bay along the southeastern side of the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. On its western slope is the community of Portlock, a part of Hawaii Kai. Koko Head (at 642 ft or 196 m) is a ...

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 ...

, where it left an imprint. Later Kapo hid it in Kalihi Valley. * "When the Hawaiians dream of a woman without a vagina it is Kapo. ... unless a medium possessed by Kapo wears a ti leaf protection she is in danger of having this part of her body torn at." * "Kapo, sister of the poison-tree gods of Maunaloa and proficient in the arts of herb medicine and sorcery, teaches Ke-ao-melemele on the dancing field near Waolani in Nu'uanu valley until she can dance in the skies and over the sea." * "As Kapo’ulakina’u (Kapo-red-spotted) she was the Kapo invoked by ''

kahuna ''Kahuna'' is a Hawaiian language, Hawaiian word that refers to an expert in any field. Historically, it has been used to refer to doctors, surgeons and dentists, as well as priests, ministers, and sorcerers. Background A ''kahuna'' may be ver ...

'' when sending evil back upon someone."

Kapo in geography

*Kapolei, the Second City on

, is named after Kapo, meaning "Beloved Kapo". *"Kohelepelepe (Volcanic crater; O'ahu.) is named after the human body part "

Labia Minora The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', singular: ''labium minus'', 'smaller lip'), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated be ...

". It is an imprint said to have been left here by the flying vulva and vagina of Kapo ...; this name was ... changed—perhaps in missionary days—to the current name Koko ... "Blood" ...)". *"Koko Head Crater was Kohelepelepe. That's Hawaiian for 'fringed vulva'. The crater is the imprint of the vulva of Kapo... It was a flying vulva, and Kapo used it to lure the pig god here. It flew from here to Kalihi. ..." Lee Siegel : "Hawaii", p. 106. In :- John Leonard (ed.) : ''These United States''.

Nation Books Type Media Center (formerly The Nation Institute) is a nonprofit media organization that was previously associated with ''The Nation'' magazine. It sponsors fellows, hosts forums, publishes books and investigative reporting, and awards several an ...

, 2004. pp. 102-111

Notes

{{reflist Hawaiian goddesses Fertility goddesses