Since early childhood days, our teachers have taught us about Hawaiian mythology and in particular the legend of Pele, the goddess of fire, lighting, dance and volcanoes. Pele’s home is believed to be in Halema‘uma‘u Crater here in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
One legend tells of the ‘Ohi‘a tree:
The mountain slopes of Pele’s domain are forested by the ‘ohi‘a tree. The tree is named ‘ohi‘a and its blossom is named lehua. They were once a man and a woman. The young man, ‘Ohi‘a, and his beautiful companion, Lehua, were inseparable lovers. Pele became attracted to ‘Ohi‘a and tried to woo him, but he had no time for her, as his attention was devoted entirely to Lehua. Pele’s envy grew into rage and she turned ‘Ohi‘a’s body into a tree and Lehua’s body into the flower of that tree. That is why the rough-barked ‘ohi‘a tree is of masculine appearance, whereas the feathery lehua blossom, which flowers upon the tree, seems soft and feminine. In this way, the two lovers have become inseparable for eternity.
Today, the ‘ohi‘a tree can be found especially where lava has once flown, as the ‘ohi‘a tree is the first plant to grow on lava. The best place to view the ‘ohi‘a tree for yourself is near Pele’s home here on the Big Island!
