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The Legend of Pele

Pele is the most well known legend and goddess in the Islands of Hawaii. She is known as Pele-honua-mea, Pele of the sacred land. (But most just call her the Fire Goddess Pele.) Pele is the ruler of the volcanoes of Hawaii, and lives in her home on Mauna Loa. In legend she can appear as a beautiful young woman, or an old and wrinkled woman sometimes waking with a white dog. There are many tales that involve Pele and her rage, but I will only tell a few. In the sections below, I will explain both what the myth tells us and what science tells us, along with some facts. You will be the one to chose which one you believe.

The Curse of Pele

It is well known to locals on the island of Hawaii, that there is a curse upon those who take one of Pele’s lava rocks. It is said that he who takes a lava rock, is taking something from Pele and shall receive bad luck because of it. In the old days people were said to die from the curse, but now you only receive bad luck. If you were to spite or irritate Pele in any way, you would be cursed with a bad omen.

The Real Stories

There are tons of rocks that are mailed back to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a year. They are used to getting five or six rocks a day, along with black sand, conch shells, Pele’s tears, all enclosed in packages.

One woman wrote to the Volcanoes Park about a heart-shaped rock that she took with her to the Mainland: “I am returning it to you so you can put it back where it belongs. I have had more grief and problems in the last year than I ever have in my life. I don’t know if having this rock has anything to do with it but … returning it is at least a symbol to me that I am doing something to change the direction of my luck and life.”

Many other people have written back as well, explaining some of the tragedies they’ve had in their life. And the bad bachi (’luck’ in Japanese), they’ve encountered after taking one of the precious lava rocks.

The same website states: “It is an old legend that taking lava rocks from Hawaii results in being followed by bad luck. Lava rocks that have wrongfully been taken from Hawaii should be returned by the person who took it. If you can’t bring them back in person and you would like to mail lava rock back to Hawaii you can mail them to us:

Mail your lava rocks to:
Rainbow Moon
Attn: Lava Rock Return
P.O. Box 699, Volcano, HI 96785″

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The Legend of Pele