Who's Who: Hawaiian Deities Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fire

Vesta was the Roman spirit of the hearth and fire. An eternal fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, burned in her temple in the Roman forum. Also connected to the family and home, Vesta was an important guardian of the Roman people.

In the Hawaiian religion, Pele is not only a fire goddess; she is also goddess of lightning and volcanoes. Still relevant today, as volcanic eruptions are always a possibility in the Hawaiian islands, lava is believed to the the physical manifestation of the goddess. Many believe that it is disrespectful to the goddess to disturb the lava in any way, and some say that they can see her as the lava flows. In fact, visitors are told that removing any lava rock from the islands will result in misfortune and bad luck.

Answer: Moon

Originally a moon god in ancient Egypt, Thoth's connection with the moon eventually led to a dominion over other areas because the cycles of the moon were so important there in determining times of ritual. The ancients credited him with the invention of writing and believed that he was the assistant to Ra, the sun god.

In Hawaiian religious belief, Hina (also Mahina or Lona) is the wife of her brother, Maui, who is the sun god. It is said that Hina is very beautiful, and, consequently, is bothered by numerous suitors. She eventually travels to the moon, thinking that she will find peace and quiet there. When Maui rescues Hina from one of her suitors, Tetuna, the eel god, he turns Tetuna into a coconut tree. Today the word for moon in the Hawaiian language is "mahina".

Answer: Fertility

Ishtar, the Akkadian name for Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of fertility, was worshiped by many of the different peoples who inhabited the ancient land of Mesopotamia. The Chaldean king, Nebuchadnezzar, built the famous Ishtar Gate as one of the entrances to his reconstructed capital, Babylon (originally built by the Amorites), to honor the goddess.

While Istar was the goddess of fertility and war, Kapo is the goddess of fertility and the dark arts. There are conflicting myths about the goddess; in one she is said to be the sister of Pele and the mother of Laka, who is credited with inventing the Hula dance. Kapo's proficiency in the dark arts is said to have led to the introduction of the use of herbal medicines in Hawaii.

Answer: Earth Goddess

Little is known about the true function of the Mother Goddess, so named by Sir Arthur Evans who found the statues in the ruins of Knossos on the island of Crete. The fact that the women depicted in the statues have bared breasts and are shown with snakes, believed to represent the worship of nature, led scholars to conclude that the Minoan statues represented a Mother Goddess.

Within the pantheon of Hawaiian deities Papahanaumoku is worshiped as the primordial earth mother/creator goddess. She and her husband, Wākea, are the ancestors of all the Kanaka Maoli (native Hawaiians); some sources say that they were the ancestors of all humans.

Answer: Snow

In Greek mythology, Chione was the daughter of the god of the north wind, Boreas, and goddess of snow. She was one of the consorts of Poseidon, and gave birth to his son, Eumolpus.

Poli'ahu is just one of four snow goddesses in Hawaiian mythology. It is believed that she bested the fire goddess Pele in a race, causing the lava flows on the northern end of the island of Hawaii to harden after she threw snow on them. Poli'ahu is believed to reside on Mauna Kea and the people believe that she is responsible for the formation of the island's Hamakua Coast.

Answer: Sky

Sabazios was the sky god of the ancient Phrygians and Thracians. He was typically shown riding on horseback and carrying his staff of power. The ancient Greeks and Romans likened him to both their Zeus and Jupiter.

Wakea, which means expanse or zenith, was the husband of Papahānaumoku, the Earth Mother, whose name means surface or foundation. In Hawaiian myth the two together formed the earth and sky. In addition, Wakea is considered to be the ancestor of the ruling class of Hawaii.

Answer: Wind

Originally a member of the Sumerian pantheon in ancient Mesopotamia, Enlil, the wind god, was worshiped by other groups who eventually made the area their home, including the Amorites and Assyrians. According to the myths, Enlil was so strong and powerful that even the other deities were not allowed to look at him.

Followers of the Hawaiian religion believe that Pakaa is not only the god of the wind, but he is also credited with inventing the sail in order to help humans better transport themselves by sea. It is believed that he carried the winds with him at all times in a gourd so that they were at hand when needed.

Answer: Underworld

In Greek mythology, Hades was the god of the underworld and master of Cerberus, who was called the "hound of Hades". Cerberus guarded the entrance to the underworld in order to keep the dead from leaving.

Also the god of sorcery, Kaho'ali'i is represented at certain festivals by a naked man, believed to be possessed by the god's spirit, who presides over ceremonies. In the past, one ceremony in particular involved the ingesting of the eyes of victims of human sacrifice. Some scholars believe that the eating of the eyeballs would then in turn increase the power and self-awareness of Kaho'ali'i; others believe it could have represented the symbolic eating of the entire victim. This practice was apparently common in many of the Pacific islands.

Answer: Boars

The patron of boar hunters and warriors, Moccus was associated with the Celtic Lingones who lived on the European continent. The wild boar or hog was a sacred animal to the Celts and was also associated with fertility and especially connected with agriculture.

Kamapua'a is sometimes depicted as having the body of a man and the head of a boar. Like his Celtic counterpart, he is also associated with agriculture. Said to be very handsome in appearance, he can use his snout to find water or dig edible roots. When he becomes a warrior, however, his appearance - especially his snout - becomes more hoglike and his behavior is uncontrollable. Kamapua'a is believed to have eventually married the fire goddess, Pele.

Answer: Music

In Aztec mythology Huehuecoyotl was the god of music, dance and mischief. Many times he was pictured as a dancing coyote.

Lono has a wide range of responsibilities in Hawaiian mythology. He is not only the god of music, but also agriculture, peace, and rainfall. It is believed that he, along with his brothers Ku and Kane, participated in the making of humans. When Captain James Cook arrived at the Hawaiian Islands, many of the native people believed that he was the human incarnation of the god Lono; in fact, some historians believe this might have been part of the reason Cook was killed on his third voyage.