Māori

In Māori mythology

Polynesian mythology

Polynesian mythology is the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia, a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian triangle together with the scattered cultures known as the Polynesian outliers...

, hema is a son of Whaitiri

Whaitiri

In Māori mythology, Whaitiri is a female deity, a personification of thunder, and the grandmother of Tāwhaki and Karihi. Whaitiri is the granddaughter of Te Kanapu, and the great-granddaughter of Te Uira, both of whom are personified forms of lightning...

 and Kaitangata

Kaitangata (mythology)

In Māori mythology, Kaitangata is a mortal son of Maui and an industrious man who married the female supernatural being Whaitiri, or a son of star-god Rehua....

 and the father of Tāwhaki

Tāwhaki

In Māori mythology, Tāwhaki is a semi-supernatural being associated with lightning and thunder.-Genealogy:The genealogy of Tāwhaki varies somewhat in different accounts. In general, Tāwhaki is a grandson of Whaitiri, a cannibalistic goddess who marries the mortal Kaitangata , thinking that he...

 and Karihi

Karihi

In Māori mythology, Karihi is a brother or cousin of TāwhakiIn one story, Hema was killed by the Ponaturi, and Karihi, with his mother and his brother Tāwhaki, killed them all but two in revenge. They tricked the Ponaturi into entering a house, and then locked them in, claiming there was still time...

. In North Island stories, he was killed by the Ponaturi

Ponaturi

In Māori mythology, the Ponaturi are a group of hostile creatures who live in a land beneath the sea by day, returning to shore each evening to sleep. They dread daylight, which is fatal to them. They appear in a number of stories, including:...

, evil creatures who live by day in the water. Tāwhaki, Karihi and their mother trick the Ponaturi into entering a house, and then locked them in, claiming there was still time before the dawn. They then opened the door after sunrise, and the Ponaturi were killed by the exposure to sunlight (Tregear 1891:61, 496). The only survivor (in one account) was Tonga-Hiti and in another account kanae, the grey mullet.

Hawaii

In Hawaiian tradition, Hema and his brother Puna are sons of Aikanaka by Hinahanaiakamalama, according to the Ulu genealogy. His son was Kaha'i

Kaha'i

Kaha'i is a handsome Polynesian demigod whose exploits were popular in many Polynesian mythologies.-Hawaii:...

. Hina is disgusted by her children's dirtiness, and she goes to the moon. In some accounts, Hema sails to a far-off country, where he is killed by a people which habitually kills all strangers. Kaha'i goes on a journey to find him (Tregear 1891:61). Other accounts have Hema as a son of Mahina

Mahina

In Hawaiian mythology, Mahina is a lunar deity, mother of Hema. Mahina is also the word for Moon in Hawaiian.Mahina is also the Hindi word for month...

.