"Hawaiian Mythology”
by: Unknown Author(s)

From Polynesia the ancient Hawaiians also brought with them a polytheistic world view and tailored it to fit their new situation. They believed the world was created and controlled by 40,000 gods and goddesses (akua), each one responsible for some aspect of existence, each one accessible through offerings and supplications.

Among the most important deities were Kane, the creator of all the other akua , the ancestor of chiefs and commoners alike; Ku or Kukailimoku, the god of war; Lono god of peace, prosperity, agriculture and medicine; and Kanaloa, the god of the ocean and of voyaging. 

Haumea was goddess of the earth, Hina was the coral goddess, Laka was the goddess of the hula, and the fiery, hot-tempered Pele was goddess of the volcano. 

The early Hawaiians practiced a religion called aikapu which served as the foundation for all laws until the religion was abandoned in the early 1800s. One of its basic tenets held that men should do only those activities which were in the domain of male gods, and women should only work in areas governed by female gods. This meant that men did all the cooking. Food to be eaten by men was to be cooked in one oven, while food for women was to be cooked in another. Men and women could neither eat together nor worship together. Only men could be sacrificed, but women were forbidden to eat coconuts, bananas, pig and red fish. 

All Hawaiians considered themselves to be descendants of the gods, but the descendants of “major” lineages were considered royalty (or ali’I nui) while commoners were descendants of lesser akua. Commoners had to answer to their kings, chefs, and elders and be mindful of the many kapus, or things that were forbidden, that those in authority mandated. For instance, stepping on an ali’I’s shadow was punishable by death. The ali’I, in turn, had to seek out and heed the advice of the religious leaders, or kahunas, who in turn carefully endeavored to discern the will and advice of the gods. It was a delicate balance; all parts of Hawaiian society strived to achieve and maintain Pono – perfect harmony with the universe.