Of all the gods of ancient Hawaii, only Pele, the volcano goddess, still lives in the hearts of many Hawaiian and even non-Hawaiian residents of the islands. To some, she is a powerful and very real presence, especially in the Volcano region of the Big Island. To believers, this is her present home after having resided during past ages on other islands in the Hawaiian chain. To many in Hawaii she is the subject of colorful legends with which to beguile wide-eyed visitors. To a geologist, her story is seen as the ancient Hawaiian’s way of explaining the unknown natural forces that periodically devastated the land with lava flows or put on spectacular fiery displays of what must have seemed supernatural powers. But to all who live in the Hawaiian Islands—believer or cynic—Pele is an aspect of the Hawaii of old that is constantly alive.
Learn more about this fiery deity through the legends; the descriptions documented by exploring naturalists; accounts by missionaries, travelers, and scientists; her encounters with Hawaiian alii; and the awe-inspiring eruptions that continue to this day.