![]() Lono – brother of Kāne and Kū – is the Hawaiian god of agriculture and healing and is associated with fertility, peace, music and the weather. Well before Charles Darwin had written his The Origin of Species in 1859, the Hawaiian religion promoted the idea that life came from nothing and that evolution had brought the world to the present. It was Kāne who added white clay to form the head of man. Finally, red clay was gathered from the four corners of the Earth, from which they created man in their own likeness. The three brothers next created the Earth to be their home. ![]() ![]() Between them, they went on to create the lesser gods, then the Menehune – the lesser spirits who operated as their servants and messengers. Kāne then created light to push back the darkness, Lono brought sound, and Kū brought substance to the universe. Offerings to Kāne were usually in the form of prayers, kapa cloth (a patterned textile made from the fibers of certain plants) and mild intoxicants.Īccording to the myth of creation, before life there was only dark, endless chaos – Po – until Kāne pulled himself free of Po, inspiring his brothers – Kū and Lono – to free themselves too. Kāne is the chief among the gods and is worshiped as the creator and the god of the sky and of light.Īs the patron of creators, Kāne’s blessing was sought when new buildings or canoes were constructed, and sometimes even as new life entered the world during childbirth. ![]() Who are the Hawaiian gods and goddesses? Kāne: Creator God The religion was well-embedded when the influx of Polynesian settlers arrived in Hawaii around the 4th century. More specifically, the conqueror and priest Pa’ao, a Samoan from Tahiti, may have brought these beliefs to Hawaiian shores between 1,100 and 1,200 AD. These religious beliefs spread across Polynesia with the conquering and settling of new islands – something which was important in the Polynesian tradition of wayfinding.Īlthough the date that the four major gods reached Hawaii is disputed, many sources agree that it was Tahitian settlers that brought these ideas to Hawaii sometime between 500 and 1,300 AD. Where did the ancient Hawaiian religion come from? The Hawaiian religion is still practiced by many inhabitants of Hawaii today. The crystal ocean, lush forests, snow-topped summits, and patches of desert in Hawaii have been protected for thousands of years by these spiritual beliefs. Mankind, myth, and nature are intertwined in the ancient Hawaiian mythology – something which is very fitting given the ecological diversity of the Hawaiian islands. The ancient Hawaiian religion is polytheistic, with four major gods – Kāne, Kū, Lono, and Kanaloa – and thousands of lesser deities.įor Hawaiians, all aspects of nature, from animals and objects to natural elements like the waves, volcanoes, and the sky, were associated with a god or goddess (a type of spiritual belief which is called animism). Who are the Hawaiian gods and goddesses?.Where did the ancient Hawaiian religion come from?.What did the Hawaiian gods fall out about and what were the consequences of these cosmic bickerings for mankind? How do Englishmen Charles Darwin and Captain Cook fit into the story? How did the unique natural conditions of the Hawaiian islands inspire Hawaiian mythology? Some gods and goddesses reigned over extensive realms of utmost importance to native Hawaiian culture, from their relationship with nature to warfare, while others were responsible for parts of everyday life, from farming to the family.Īs well as introducing some of the thousands of Hawaiian gods and goddesses, we will answer many of the big questions about the native Hawaiian religion:Īmongst the thousands of ancient Hawaiian gods, which were the most important? Among the thousands of Hawaiian gods and goddesses there is huge variety, from the powerful and terrifying to the peaceful and beneficent. Beyond the shape-shifting trickster Māui (of Disney’s Moana fame), many people know very little about the fascinating Hawaiian mythology. ![]()
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