In the Hawaiian religion, Wākea, the

Sky father In comparative mythology, sky father is a term for a recurring concept in polytheistic religions of a sky god who is addressed as a "father", often the father of a pantheon and is often either a reigning or former King of the Gods. The conc ...

weds Papahānaumoku, the earth mother. The two are considered the parent couple of the ruling chiefs of Hawaii. ''Wākea'' was the eldest son of Kahiko ("Ancient One"), who lived in Olalowaia. He is the ancestor of the ''

aliʻi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. Cognates of the word ''aliʻi'' have a similar meaning in other Polynesian languages; in Māori it is pronoun ...

'' (

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

of Hawaii), the

ruling class In sociology, the ruling class of a society is the social class who set and decide the political and economic agenda of society. In Marxist philosophy, the ruling class are the class who own the means of production in a given society and apply ...

that make up the

aristocracy Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...

known as the ''noho ali‘i o Hawai‘i'' (ruling chiefs of Hawai‘i). Wākea is the grandson of Welaahilaninui. The priests and common people come from his brothers, one of whom was called Makuʻu. Wākea means expansive space, zenith, or heaven and Papa means foundation or surface; together, they create a symbol of land and sky or heaven and earth. Departed souls were believed to travel to the home of Wākea. If they proved themselves pure, they would remain in his realm's comfort, but if otherwise they were sent to Lua-o-Milu. Wākea's first high priest was called Komoawa. When Wākea was on Earth in ancient times, he was a High Chief.

Consorts

In one legend, Wākea lives in Hihiku and marries Papahānaumoku, who is a princess of Olalo-i-mehani and a granddaughter of Princess Kaoupe-alii. The

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

were created by Wākea and Papahānaumoku. Their daughter was Hoʻohokukalani, who was a mother of Haloa by Wākea.

Family

In the genealogies, Wākea and Papahānaumoku are 37th in the Kumuhonua genealogy, and 28th in the Kumuʻuli. Kumuhonua, the ancestor of the Kumuhonua genealogy, was believed to be the first man in one tradition. Together, Papahānaumoku and Wākea created

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

, and Ho’ohokukalani. After Wākea committed incest with his daughter, Ho’ohokukalani, she gave birth to Haloa-naka-lau-kapalili, meaning trembling long stalk. It was a stillborn baby, which they later planted and became the first kalo or taro, a staple of the Hawaiian diet. After Haloa-naka, Ho’ohokukalani gave birth to another child named Haloa, meaning long stalk, and he became the first kanaka or Hawaiian person. The relationship between Haloa-naka and Haloa describes the balance of relationships between the land and the people that live in it. Haloa-naka, as the elder sibling, is responsible for the well-being of their younger siblings, that of which being Haloa. As Kalo, Haloa-naka upholds this by providing sustainance for the people, while the people take care of their older sibling by ensuring the life of the Kalo. Likewise, it is also inappropriate to argue in front of Kalo at any time as well as it is not allowed to argue in front of your older siblings, nor elders. Wākea also had an affair with Goddesses Hina and Ka'ula while Papa was in Kahiki to create the islands of

Molokai Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...

and Lāna'i. Papa later returned and was aware of Wākea's affair, so she gained revenge by sleeping with Lua to create the island of O'ahu. Later on, Wākea reunites with Papahānaumoku and they create Kaua'i, Ni'ihau, Lehua, and

Kaʻula Kaʻula Island, also called Kaʻula Rock, is a small, crescent-shaped island in the Hawaiian Islands. Mythology In the legend of Papahānaumoku, Papa and Wākea, Kaula is the seventh-born child. Geography It is located west-southwest of Kawai ...

. In one tradition, the first person on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

was the woman Laʻilaʻi. She and her husband Kealiʻiwahilani are the parents of Kahiko, the father of Wākea. Wākea made the land and sea from the calabash or gourd (''‘ipu'') of Papahānaumoku. He threw it up high, and it became the heavens. He made the rain from its juice and from the seeds he made the sun, moon, and stars.

Gender roles

Wanting to sleep with his daughter, Wākea made a bargain with his high priest, Komo’awa, to make Papahānaumoku go away for four nights. In her seclusion, it was '' kapu'' or restricted for her to eat certain foods; a tradition known as ''ʻaikapu'', which was a sacred eating arrangement established by Wākea. The purpose of the ''ʻaikapu'' was to separate the women from the men. In traditional Hawaiian society, men were responsible for cooking. Examples of some foods that Hawaiian women could not eat:Malcolm Nāea Chun, ''No Na Mamo : Traditional and Contemporary Hawaiian Beliefs and Practices'' (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2011), 289-293. *Pigs *Coconuts *Bananas *Red colored fish *Certain seafood

References

Citations

General and cited references