Kamapuaa

The Hog God

The demi-god, Kamapuaa, was both a handsome chief and a brutal monster.  At times he would take the form of a hog to act out his destructive desires or to hide.  He was born on Oahu and it is said that he traveled from island to island in a canoe that became a small shell that he could tuck into his loincloth and carry with him.

Kamapuaa was visiting the different islands in this manner and came to the southeastern point of Hawaii.  He crossed fields of recently erupted lava and hiked through forests, before coming upon the home of Pele, the Fire-goddess.  He stood upon the hill called Akani-kolea and gazed down into the pit of Pele.

Pele and her sisters danced upon a lake of fire, causing it to churn with waves of fire and boiling bubbles.  Suddenly, the clouds surrounding the crater lifted to reveal the cliffs clearly.  There stood the magnificent Kamapuaa.  He played a hand drum as he danced gracefully along the hilltop.

Pele sent streams of lava and sulfuric clouds to overcome Kamapuaa, but he used his powers to push the clouds aside and stop the eruptions.  Pele's sisters beseeched her to send for this powerful man, which she eventually did, and they reconciled.

They lived as husband and wife in various areas of the Puna district.   They had a son, Opelu-haa-lii, who lived only a little while.  It is said that he became the fish, opelu.

Kamapuaa did not suit Pele for long, with his hog-like habits, and he tired of her fiery temper and sharp tongue.  They flew into rages, hurling bitter insults back and forth.

At last, Pele sought to utterly destroy Kamapuaa.  She stamped upon the ground causing it to crack open.  Clouds of smoke and steam rose around Kamapuaa and as Pele called up streams of flowing lava, he called upon the waters of the ocean to quench the fire.  Pele was driven inland to her home in the pit of Kilauea.

Kamapuaa hurled water into the crater causing massive earthquakes and explosions.   Pele's fires turned the water into steam and lava rose in lakes.  She opened the earth and sent fountains of lava at the Hog-god, but he quickly countered each attack with water. The battle of the elements went on until Kamapuaa drove Pele into the deepest depths of her crater.  He then called upon roiling black storm clouds to unleash their might over the crater until it overflowed and Pele's fire was thought to be destroyed.

However, Pele gathered strength from the gods of the underworld and launched an attack that Kamapuaa could not bear.  The pit of Pele erupted and was filled with fire once more.  As streams of lava poured forth, Kamapuaa changed his body into a type of grass called Ku-kae-puaa and filled up a large field, turning the lava aside.  Pele again got support form the gods of the underworld and sent more lava against the grass which eventually began to burn.  In agony, Kamapuaa changed back into a man and the front of his body was seen to be scorched.  Legends say that from that time on, hogs have had little hair on the stomach.

Kamapuaa fled to the ocean as Pele rushed to surround him.  He finally dived into the boiling waves as great masses of lava were flung into the water around him.

Defeated, Kamapuaa changed into a fish called Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-puaa.  It's skin was thick enough to protect him from the high temperature of the waters around him as he made his way to the ocean's depths.  It is said that this fish can make grunting noises as that of a small hog.

Kamapuaa and Pele never again reconciled, but they divided up the islands into two domains and took an oath of divine solemnity which to this day remains unbroken.

Kamapuaa - The Hog God
By Genesis