Long ago, before the islands of Hawai‘i had taken their final form, the skies held whispers and the land was alive with the steps of gods and goddesses. Among them walked Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, whose temper could shatter mountains and whose beauty rivaled the rising sun. Her footsteps carved molten paths through the earth, giving birth to land where none had stood before.
But Pele was not alone in her power. Far in the northern skies lived Poliahu, the Snow Sister, serene and regal, the goddess of snow, ice, and silence. Where Pele burned, Poliahu cooled. Where Pele shouted, Poliahu listened. Though sisters, they were as different as lava and frost.
Pele and Snow Sister meets
It is said they first crossed paths on Mauna Kea, a sacred mountain that touched both the clouds and the sea. Pele, eager to claim the peak for herself, had cloaked the mountain in glowing embers. She danced across the ridge, her flaming skirt trailing sparks that scorched the sky. But Poliahu had long called that mountain home. She arrived in silence, wrapped in a robe of snow, her pale arms outstretched, soft flakes drifting from her fingertips.
“Sister,” Poliahu said, her voice like the hush of falling snow, “why do you come to a place not yours?”
Pele’s eyes flared like twin suns. “The world is mine to shape. This mountain is wild. I have come to tame it with fire.”
Poliahu did not flinch. “Then we must see whose will is stronger.”
The sisters’ war
The mountain trembled beneath their feet.
Pele raised her arms and called upon the fire spirits. Lava rushed up the mountainside, red rivers bubbling over the snow. Trees cracked and steamed. Birds cried out and fled. But Poliahu stood still. With one breath, she summoned an icy wind that rolled down the slopes, freezing the flow midstream, turning fire into black stone.
The sisters battled through night and day. Pele’s lava roared like a dragon’s heart, but Poliahu’s snows fell heavier with every strike, blanketing the ground in thick silence. Neither could gain full control. Wherever Pele melted the snow, Poliahu would refreeze the land. Wherever Poliahu laid her frost, Pele would set it ablaze.
In time, their fight changed the shape of the land itself. Valleys were carved where lava cooled too quickly. Peaks were shaped where snow piled high and hardened. Steam vents whispered of the ancient battle, rising from cracks where fire still fought beneath frozen earth.
Finally, exhausted, Poliahu raised her hand. “Enough, sister,” she said. “Let the mountain belong to neither of us alone.”
Pele’s flames flickered low, then dimmed. Though she burned with pride, she knew her sister’s power was not easily undone. She nodded once. “Let it be so.”
And so it is said that Mauna Kea belongs to both fire and ice. At its base, Pele’s warmth still stirs the earth, while at its summit, Poliahu’s snow rests undisturbed. The mountain stands not as a symbol of one goddess’s strength, but of their uneasy peace.
Even now, when heavy snows fall upon the peaks of Hawai‘i, the people remember Poliahu’s calm strength. And when the volcanoes rumble and the lava flows once more, they honor Pele’s fierce spirit. The island, caught between flame and frost, tells their story with every breath of steam and whisper of wind.
Moral of the Tale:
This story reminds us that even opposing forces, when balanced, can create something beautiful. Fire and ice, pride and patience, destruction and peace these can coexist when respect is greater than rivalry. The Hawaiian landscape itself teaches us that harmony is born not from conquering, but from learning when to yield.
Knowledge Check
- What is the moral of the folktale “Pele and the Snow Sister”?
The story teaches a lesson about balance and respect, showing how even opposing powers can coexist and shape the world in harmony. - Why did Pele try to claim Mauna Kea?
In the tale, Pele tried to claim Mauna Kea out of pride and her desire to shape the land with her fire, which sets the conflict in motion. - How does the folktale “Pele and the Snow Sister” explain Mauna Kea’s natural features?
The story offers a traditional explanation for why Mauna Kea has both volcanic heat and icy snow because of the eternal balance between Pele’s fire and Poliahu’s frost. - What cultural group does the tale “Pele and the Snow Sister” come from?
This folktale originates from the Hawaiian tradition in Oceania. - Is “Pele and the Snow Sister” considered a trickster tale, ghost story, or moral fable?
“Pele and the Snow Sister” is a moral fable that reflects the values of harmony, strength, and respect found in Hawaiian culture. - How is this folktale relevant to modern readers?
The message of “Pele and the Snow Sister” remains relevant as it teaches timeless truths about balance, humility, and finding peace even among differences.
Origin: This folktale comes from the oral tradition of the Hawaiian people of Oceania.
