Mythology Basics
A collection of stories telling our beliefs and our history.
What is mythology?
A fanciful story or tale, usually fiction.
What is Kaʻao?
A genealogical chant showing the moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) of the kanaka maoli.
What is the Kumulipo?
Known by some as the first Gods.
Who are Kū and Hina?
The mediators between the human and the divine.
What is the Mōʻi?
Stories from current Eastern and Western religions such as Christianity and Hinduism.
What is Sacred Myths?
Personal gods, or family members deified, who might assume the shape of an animal and offer protection to their family.
What are ʻAumākua?
Papa and Wākea's first human daughter.
Who is Hoʻohōkūkalani?
The “many forms taken by a supernatural body,” meaning that the Hawaiian Akua can manifest in different forms.
What are Kinolau?
The Hawaiian translation of Ka wā mamua.
What is the time in front or before?
This type of story is often told only within a limited geographical area.
What are folktales?
The child of a god born into a human family whose power is usually limited to the districts to which it belongs.
What is a kupua?
It divides ancient Hawaiian history into 16 time periods, with eight being about the time in the darkness and eight in the light.
What are wā?
The priesthood of Kū.
What is Kanalu?
When the child's Father is nīʻaupiʻo, and the Mother is a close relative.
What is Wohi?
Stories that explain the relationships between various deities and creatures within mythology.
What are Theistic Myths?
The egg, seed or result, effect. The call to adventure starts.
What is hua?
The system that separates men and women in the act of eating with men being laʻa (sacred) and women haumia (defiling) due to menstruation
What is the ‘Aikapu System?
The heiau of Kū.
What is the luakini heiau?
The two paths to power in ancient Hawaiʻi.
What is Kū and Lono?
There is a mythology in every group—our family, our religion, our profession, our ethnic group, our city, our school, etc.
What is modern mythology?
Omens or predictions within a story.
What is hōʻailona?
The corm of the kalo is called this.
What is the ʻohā?
The highest class of Kū Gods that was invoked during a national crisis and the personal god of Kamehameha the Great.
Who is Kūkaʻilimoku?
Those who knew how to locate sites.
What is Papa Kuhikuhi Puʻuone?