Hawaiian Flood Story
In the earliest times in Hawaii, there was no sea, nor even fresh water. Pele (Goddess of fire and
volcanoes) came to Hawaii because she was displeased over her husband having been enticed
from her. Her parents gave her the sea so she could bring her canoes. At Kanaloa, she poured the
sea from her head. It rose until it covered the high ground, leaving only a few mountains not
entirely submerged. She later caused it to recede to what we see today. This sea was named after
the mother of Pele, Kahinalii, because the sea belonged to her; Pele simply brought it.
The people of Hawaii had turned to evil, so Kane (one of four Gods-God of human creation)
punished their sin with a flood.
Nu’u was of the thirteenth generation from the first man. The gods commanded Nu’u to build an
ark called the Great-Canoe, a large canoe roofed over like a house. He was to carry on it his wife
(Lilinoe), three sons and their wives, and males and females of all breathing things. Waters came
and covered the earth.
The waters came up as a wicked brother-in-law of Nu'u was behaving badly. He ran to enter the
ark, but his calls were unheard by those inside. He prayed to the god Lono in the name of his
sister but did not escape.
The waters subsided to leave the ark on a mountain called Mauna Kea which overlooked a
beautiful valley. The gods entered the ark and told Nu’u to go forth with all the life it carried. In
gratitude for his deliverance, Nu’u offered a sacrifice of pig, coconuts, and awa (plant) to the
moon, which he thought was the god Kane. Kane descended on a rainbow to reproach Nu’u for
his mistake but left the rainbow as a perpetual sign of his forgiveness.