The Legend of the Sisters' Dance: How Rain Falls on the Big Island
Long ago, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, the gods and goddesses of nature lived in harmony, but
not without their quarrels. At the heart of the island stood Kīlauea, the fiery volcano where Pele,
the Goddess of Fire, ruled with an unyielding and passionate spirit. Pele's molten lava flowed
freely, sculpting the land with fierce beauty and power. She was a creator, a destroyer, and above
all, a goddess whose flames could not be extinguished.
But Pele’s fiery temperament was often tested by Nāmaka, the goddess of the sea, who was
jealous of the flames that danced on the earth. Nāmaka, with her vast oceanic domain, could not
bear to see the earth burn and longed to douse the flames with the cold, endless water of the
ocean. She would send great waves to crash upon Pele’s volcano, seeking to snuff out the fire
that so boldly lit the night sky.
Yet, Pele’s fire was not so easily quelled. Her spirit was fierce, and her heart burned hotter than
the sea’s deepest trenches. Each time Nāmaka sent her waves, Pele responded with lava so hot
that it melted stone, and the ocean’s attempts were met with fiery rebukes. Thus, a mighty
struggle continued between the two sisters—one of water, one of fire.
But Pele had another sister, one who balanced her wild, fiery nature: Poliʻahu, the goddess of
snow. Poliʻahu lived at the peaks of Mauna Kea, where the world was cold and still. Her ice and
snow were a world apart from the volcano’s heat, yet she and Pele were bound by the same
blood.
One fateful day, as the quarrels between Pele and Nāmaka grew fiercer, the two sisters were
called together by the great Mauna Kea that lay between them. Poliʻahu came down from her
snowy peaks, her form surrounded by a gentle mist that cooled the burning earth. She spoke to
Pele, saying, “Sister, I understand the fire in your heart, but our world is in need of balance. Your
flames scorch the land, and Nāmaka’s waves seek only to drown us. Together, we can find
peace.”
Pele, her fiery spirit never truly at rest, considered her sister’s words. “But Nāmaka will not rest
until my flames are no more,” she replied, her voice like the rumble of the earth.
“Then let us work together,” Poliʻahu proposed, “For I have a gift that may cool your fury, just as
I have the power to bring life to the land.”
Reluctantly, Pele agreed. The two sisters, one born of fire and the other of snow, stood side by
side at the mouth of Kīlauea. Poliʻahu called forth a soft snowstorm, her icy breath cooling the
air, and Nāmaka, seeing her opportunity, joined the dance. With a great wave, the sea goddess
sent a surge of water into the heart of Pele’s volcano.
But Pele was no mere goddess of destruction—she was also a goddess of creation. As the water
met her lava, it sizzled and steamed, turning into mist. This mist rose high into the sky, where it
swirled and danced with the wind. It was in this moment that the sisters saw the beauty of their
collaboration.“See,” said Poliʻahu, “The fire of your heart, sister, and the coolness of my breath, combined
with the touch of the sea, will bring life to the earth.”
As the mist rose, it traveled over the land, carried by Pele’s mighty breath, the exhalation of the
goddess who lived within the volcano. And as the mist touched the air, the clouds above began to
form, heavy with moisture. Soon, the sky opened up, and rain began to fall upon the Big Island.
It was the rain that nourished the land, the mist born of fire, ice, and sea.
Thus, from that day forward, whenever the clouds gathered over Kīlauea, the people knew that
the balance between the fire of Pele, the sea of Nāmaka, and the snow of Poliʻahu had been
restored. And so it was that rain fell on the Big Island, a blessing from the three powerful sisters
who had learned to dance together in harmony—each respecting the other’s strength, each
playing their part in the cycle of life.
And when the rain fell, the people would whisper in awe: "This is the gift of the sisters—the
fire, the sea, and the snow."
This was story was created for this piece of Art only.
