THE TRUE STORY OF PELF.
King Kalakaua recovered from the traditions handed down for many generations the true story of Pele, and has presented it in his book under the heading of The Apotheosis of Pele. It seems that there was a large family, five brothers and nine sisters, emi grating from Tahiti during the reign of Kamiole the usurper about A. D. 1175. Their names are given by Ellis as follows: Kamolioarii ; Tapohaita hiora (the explosion in the place of life) ; Teuaatepo (the rain of night ; Tanehetiri (husband of thunder or thundering Tane) and Teoahitamatana (fire-thrusting child of war). These were all brothers, two of them like Vulcan being humpbacked. The sisters were Pele, the principal goddess; Ma korewawahiwa (fiery-eyed canoe breaker) ; Hiataholani (heaven rending cloud holder) ; Hiatanoholani (heaven-dwelling cloud holder) ; Hiatata aravamata (quick-glancing-eyed cloud holder, or the cloud holder whose eyes turn quickly and look frequently over her shoulders) ; Hiatahoiteporiopele (the cloud holder embrac ing or kissing the bosom of Pele) ; Hiatatabuenaena (the red-hot mountain holding or lifting clouds) ; Hiatatareia (the weather garland-encircled cloud holder) ; and Hiataopio (young cloud holder).
This family with many others in their train settled about Kilauea. Pele was a valiant warrior. Kamapuaa was attracted by the merits of Pele, visiting Kilauea, and made proposals to become her guest and suitor. In many of the annals he is repre
sented as half human and half hog—but Kalakaua explains that he was simply a rough, stalwart man with coarse black bristly hair of unprepossessing appearance, and called a half hog in derision. Pele rejected his proposals with contempt, calling him a hog and the son of a hog. A combat ensued, and the Pele family were worsted, and retreated to one of the long volcanic tunnels marking the course of an earlier lava flow ,and the entrance was closed. The party consisted of two men and eighteen women and children. Kamapuaa finally discovered the retreat and dug down into it from above. Just then there came a flow of lava which drove away the besiegers, who believed the people within the cave had been destroyed. Because of this timely eruption it was believed that Pele had the power of calling up the fire, and she became apotheosized as a goddess. As time went on the vari ous eruptions were ascribed to some of Pele's movements. The whole island was considered bound to pay tribute ; and if the proper offerings were not given to her votaries the caldera would be filled with lava and made to follow the delinquents.