Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii is also one of its most revered. Mauna Kea, standing high above the Big Island’s landscape, is an important cultural site for the Hawaiian people. The grandiosity and beauty of the White Mountain has long attracted human beings to its sacred summit. Towering 13,803 feet above sea level, the mountain encompasses roughly 23% of the Big Island’s landmass and can be seen from shore to shore. The quiet power of the dormant volcano is still perceptible, though the last eruption occurred an estimated 4,500 years ago. Mauna Kea Origin Story Mauna Kea, the White Mountain is also known as Mauna a Wakea, or Mountain of the Sky Father, and named after Wakea, the Polynesian god of the sky. Legend tells that Wakea married Papahanaumoku, the Earth Mother, and together they are the parents from whom the ruling chiefs of Hawaii are thought to have descended. The mountain is therefore thought of as the origin spot or Piko (the Hawaiian word for the navel) where life begins. Because of the connection between heaven and earth, Mauna Kea is also seen as a place of great spiritual power, bridging the two realms. In ancient times, only chiefs and priests of the highest status were permitted to visit the summit of the sky father and it was kapu (forbidden) to all others. Under special circumstances, Hawaiian Ali’i (royalty) were sometimes allowed to make the trek to the top. Queen Emma was the last to do so in 1881 to visit the sacred Lake Waiau. Poli’ahu, the Snow Goddess of Mauna Kea The sky father isn’t the only deity with connections to the sacred summit of Mauna Kea. When snow falls on the mountain, it’s said that Poli’ahu, the snow goddess of Mauna Kea, descends to sit on the cliffs overlooking the Hamakua Coast. She is sister and rival to Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, who resides on Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Both display their power throughout the year, with Pele offering fire and lava and Poli’ahu giving snow and ice in the distance.
Hawaiian Culture and Connection to Mauna Kea
