Wakea
Encyclopedia
In Hawaiian mythology
, Wākea is the eldest son of Kahiko (Ancient One), and lives in Olalowaia. Wākea is the ancestor of the aristocracy, the ali‘i. The priests and common people come from his brothers. In another legend, Wākea lives in Hihiku and marries Pāpā
, also called Pāpā-nui or Pāpā-nui-hanau-moku, who is a princess of Olalo-i-mehani and a granddaughter of Princess Kaoupe-alii. The Hawaiian Islands
were created by Wākea and Pāpā. Wākea had sexual relations with Hina
and she gave birth to the island of Moloka‘i
. In the genealogies, Wākea and Pāpā are 37th in the Kumuhonua genealogy, and 28th in the Kumu‘uli. Kumuhonua the ancestor of the Kumuhonua genealogy was believe to be the first man in one tradition. In one tradition, the first person on Earth was the woman La‘ila‘i. She and her husband Keali‘iwahilani are the parents of Kahiko, the father of Wākea. Wākea made the land and sea from the calabash
or gourd (‘ipu) of Pāpā. He threw it up high, and it became the heavens. He made the rain from its juice and from the seeds he made the sun, moon, and stars (Tregear 1891:28–29, 392).
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
, Wākea is the eldest son of Kahiko (Ancient One), and lives in Olalowaia. Wākea is the ancestor of the aristocracy, the ali‘i. The priests and common people come from his brothers. In another legend, Wākea lives in Hihiku and marries Pāpā
Papa
Papa or PAPA may refer to:*P, in the ICAO spelling alphabet*Papa class submarine*Pāpa, in Hinduism, the Sanskrit word for the concept of sin* Papa is a word used in many languages as an affectionate term for fatherPeople:...
, also called Pāpā-nui or Pāpā-nui-hanau-moku, who is a princess of Olalo-i-mehani and a granddaughter of Princess Kaoupe-alii. The Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
were created by Wākea and Pāpā. Wākea had sexual relations with Hina
Hina (goddess)
Hina is the name of several different goddesses and women in Polynesian mythology. In some traditions, the trickster and culture hero Maui has a wife named Hina, as do the gods Tane and Tangaroa. Hina is often associated with the moon....
and she gave birth to the island of Moloka‘i
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
. In the genealogies, Wākea and Pāpā are 37th in the Kumuhonua genealogy, and 28th in the Kumu‘uli. Kumuhonua the ancestor of the Kumuhonua genealogy was believe to be the first man in one tradition. In one tradition, the first person on Earth was the woman La‘ila‘i. She and her husband Keali‘iwahilani are the parents of Kahiko, the father of Wākea. Wākea made the land and sea from the calabash
Calabash
Lagenaria siceraria , bottle gourd, opo squash or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd...
or gourd (‘ipu) of Pāpā. He threw it up high, and it became the heavens. He made the rain from its juice and from the seeds he made the sun, moon, and stars (Tregear 1891:28–29, 392).
See also
- AteaAtea-Atea :In the mythology of the Marquesas Islands, Atea is the giver of light. In one legend Atea and Tane are brothers, the sons of Toho. Another tradition relates that Atea evolved himself, and then brought forth Ono...
, Marquesan god of light - VateaVateaIn the mythology of Mangaia, Cook Islands, Vatea is father to gods and men. His mother is Varima-te-takere, who lives deep in Avaiki, the underworld. She plucks off a piece from her right side and it becomes Vatea or Avatea. A beautiful woman visits Vatea in his dreams, and he is certain that she...
, a god from MangaiaMangaiaMangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
in the Cook IslandsCook IslandsThe Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand... - Rangi and PapaRangi and PapaIn Māori mythology the primal couple Rangi and Papa appear in a creation myth explaining the origin of the world. In some South Island dialects, Rangi is called Raki or Rakinui.-Union and separation:...
, primordial parents in Māori traditionMaori mythologyMāori mythology and Māori traditions are the two major categories into which the legends of the Māori of New Zealand may usefully be divided...