Kilauea is the abode of Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance, and volcanoes. Known also as “the woman who devours the land”, Pele lives in the Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Because of her fiery and passionate temperament, Hawaii’s volcanic eruptions are all attributed to Pele.
Pele is one of six daughters and seven sons born to Haumea, the ancient Earth goddess, and Kane Milohai, the creator of the sky, earth, and upper heavens. The mythology of Pele counts no more than 16 sisters, 13 sisters caring the same name, Hiiaka. Maybe out of lack of imagination?
We tried to find traces of Pele and hiked the Kilauea Iki Trail that skirts the crater on one side and continued the hike on the bottom of the crater. Pele was born in Tahiti and ended up in Hawaii in various ways according to various legends, fighting her sisters in most of them. She landed in Kauai and from there was chased by her sister to Oahu where she dug fire pits, including the crater today called Diamond Head. The same she did in Maui where she dug Haleakala Volcano ending up transformed as a goddess in Hawaii and finding its final residence in Helamaumau Crater in Kilauea.
We continued the hike towards the Lava Tubes, a long tunnel created by the once-molten lava. When the lava flow stops, the still-hot lava inside still pours downhill leaving a cave behind. The high ceiling interior of the lava tubes is lit by electric lights.
The road inside the Volcano National Park has many overlooks and signs of recent eruptions, fields of lava, and numerous craters peppering the side of the road.
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