Miscellaneous Myths: Pele

The concept of a "god" is nowhere near universal, and it's a fundamental error of anthropology to ascribe familiar labels to unfamiliar concepts - though it makes it easier for us to breach cultural barriers, it produces the illusion of understanding by erasing the unique traits of the unfamiliar in the process of likening it to the familiar. As such, it is important to understand that Pele is a kupua, not a god - except when she IS a god, because nobody can agree.

A huge thank-you to Flora Zhu for helping me with my research!!

I can draw lava now! How exciting!

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[ItsAPandaWorld]

My mom's side of the family is from Hawaii, most of them still live on the islands. In 2018, when the volcano was wrecking havoc, I happened to be on Oahu visiting. My grandma's suggested solution to the eruptions was "Toss a bottle of whiskey in the volcano for Pele, the bitch'll calm down"

[kyledilbert]

“What personality would you give a volcano god?”

I’d give them a cool and calm temper for the sheer irony of it.

[DuchDude]

Red : "they are not exactly god maybe human + +"

Me : "VOLCANO FAIRY"

[RiceyBeeBee]

dude. the meaning of the lava song from pixar just totally changed for me.

"send me someone to lava" sounds very much like a pele war cry

[alphaxtitania]

"After they come to the conclusion that they can totally kill each other, they decide to totally make out instead." This is basically what happens when two tsundere fall in love, and exactly the kind of shit I'd write.

[toasterstrooder]

"W-want to take this outside"

"We are outside."

I love the writing in these so much.

[themandownstairs]

"after coming to the conclusion that they could totally kill each other, they decide to make out instead"

ah, so it was Hawaiian mythology that started inciting shipping wars

[Draiocht]

"What kind of personality would you give a volcano god?"
Honestly, I'd make them super calm and cool with just about everything, but either every so often or due to certain hyperspecific triggers they have massive explosive temper tantrums. Like you can do absolutely anything in their presence and they won't even look at you but if you dare have a party without sending them a prayer they will throw an entire lake of lava at your house for being inconsiderate.

[AGuyNamedRobin]

Fun fact:
This is the first and (to my knowledge) only time Red has drawn an actual kiss in one of her Summary videos

[gormauslander]

Anyone else find Hawaiian language oddly soothing? It's like petting a smooth rock

[ogshurkin]

So old ladies get free booze and smokes?
This was probably the story every grandma told their kids

[dominickdibart]

I love how modern day Pele has confined herself to mooching off of islanders and summoning volcanoes whenever she wants to speak with the manager

[callum]

Give an old lady alcohol and smokes cause she's secretly a lava goddess
Yea seems legit

[themageofcontext]

For context, Ai’laau ran away because female kupua are actually more powerful than male kupua *Edit* I got this info from my elementary school teacher, who might not have known anything, or he had heard a fragmentary version of the myths that followed this frame, so take this with a grain of salt.
EDIT MK II: I suppose the idea is less female kupua are more powerful than male, and more Pele was simply older and more powerful than Ai'laau

[itskitty]

As someone from Hawaii, you did a wonderful job at explaining the folklore of Pele. You even went out of your way to mention what will happen when someone shows Pele (or Madame Pele as we locals sometimes refer to her as) kindness....and what happens when someone doesn't. There have been reports of locals having encounters with Pele, which either happens in broad daylight or very late at night/very early in the morning. Many who encountered her said she appeared as either a beautiful young Hawaiian woman or an old Hawaiian lady. Best to offer her booze, food or smoke. I grew up listening to her stories. Thank you for sharing this with the world.

[kupaakaleo]

Well in Hawai'i you wouldn't really call Pele or any of the other deities "kupua" but instead "akua". The only few times you'd use kupua if they were just shapeshifters and demigods or people with magical powers. Akua are the elemental gods of Hawai'i and Polynesia. Pele is the volcano, so she's an akua. Kamapua'a is a shapeshifter ( a *boar*, a man, plants, or humuhumunukunukuapua'a fish) so he's a kupua. Namakaokaha'i is the sea so she's an akua. Kamohoali'i is the king of bad example. But it does take a lot of mana to be an akua. It really just depends. It's not an exact science. Just remember, Pele and her family are akua and shapeshifters, demigods, and magic people are kupua. Mahalo!

[Deka_cards]

Who in Hawaii didn’t give Pele her beer and cigarettes

[taylorwright]

I swear Pele and Ai'laau's story just makes me think;
People: You drew/scared away Ai'laau! Thank you so much! We're saved!
Pele: Ooooh, I wouldn't say saved. More like under new management.

[thirteenfury]

No mention of Pele cursing tourists who dare remove pieces of lava rock from her volcano as a souvenir?

[RLybarger]

So someone didnt give Pele her booze and smokes....