Hawaiian Mythology: Hawn Mythology Paper

Hawaiian Mythology: Hawn Mythology Paper

by Martha Warren Beckwith (Author)

Synopsis

Ku and Hina-man andwoman-were the great ancestral gods of heaven and earth for the ancientHawaiians. They were life's fruitfulness and all the generations of mankind, both those who are to come and those already born.

The Hawaiian gods werelike great chiefs from far lands who visited among the people, entering their dailylives sometimes as humans or animals, sometimes taking residence in a stone orwooden idol. As years passed, the families of gods grew and included thetrickster Maui, who snared the sun, and fiery Pele of the volcano.

Ancient Hawaiian lived bythe animistic philosophy that assigned living souls to animals, trees, stones, stars, and clouds, as well as to humans. Religion and mythology were interwovenin Hawaiian culture; and local legends and genealogies were preserved in song, chant, and narrative.

Martha Beckwith was thefirst scholar to chart a path through the hundreds of books, articles, andlittle-known manuscripts that recorded the oral narratives of the Hawaiianpeople. Her book has become a classic work of folklore and ethnology, and thedefinitive treatment of Hawaiian mythology.

With an introduction by Katherine Luomala.

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Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 604
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Published: 30 Apr 1986

ISBN 10: 0824805143
ISBN 13: 9780824805142

Media Reviews
Invaluable for all those whose interest lies with the myths, legends, traditions, and folktales of the Hawaiian peoples ... a classic of Hawaiian ethnography and folklore.-- Mankind Quarterly