Haumea ( Haumea ) - Hawaiian goddess of fertility hails from Nuumeyalani , the sacred land of the gods. [1] Sister Cana and Canaloa [2] ; in other myths - the wife of the god Kane. [1] She had a large offspring: she was the mother of Pele , the goddess of volcanoes, the god of war, Kekaouaca , the patron goddess of the island of Hawaii, and the hula dance Hiiak . [1] [2] According to other legends, Haumea was identified with the goddess Pope , wife of Vakea , who was considered the progenitor of the Hawaiian aristocracy - Aliya . Together they were honored as the progenitors of all Hawaiians . [2] Was considered one of the most revered deities of the Hawaiian Islands .
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There are many legends dedicated to the goddess. According to them, Haumea had the ability to rejuvenate: when she grew old, she turned into a young girl every time to marry one of her sons or grandchildren and, thus, to continue the human race (there were six such reincarnations). [1] [3] But once Hawaiians learned about its origin, and angry, Haumea forever ceased to live with their human offspring. [2]
Haumea was also the patroness of childbearing. One of the legends tells how Muleiula, the daughter of a Hawaiian leader, got pregnant one day. After hearing her strong moans during childbirth, Haumea learned that mortal people can give birth to children only through a caesarean section (her children were born from different parts of the body [3] ). She made a special analgesic potion from ambarella tree flowers and gave it to Muleiule for a drink. Then Haumea helped her to give birth to a child in a natural way. Since then, women have given birth through the cervical canal and vagina . [2]
According to the ideas of the ancient Hawaiians, Haumea was never deprived of food, as she owned a magical makali stick, which caught fish. [2] In addition, she owned a garden in which magical trees grew, giving their masters everything they wanted. She transferred a part of these trees to her terrestrial children, for example, a fish tree, the fruits of which, falling into the ocean, turned into living fish. [3] One of the physical forms of the goddess incarnation was the breadfruit . [4] In addition, Haumea could hide in the trees. So, one day, she hid in a tree with her husband Vakea , who was chased by the inhabitants, in order to then sacrifice him to the gods. [3] [5]
Although Haumea is a predominantly creative goddess, she also brought destruction. [1] So, in one of the legends, she causes terrible hunger on earth, and her daughter Pele destroys everything in her path.
On September 17, 2008, the International Astronomical Union named after the goddess a dwarf planet in the solar system . [6] Her companions, Namaka and Hiiak , were named after the children of the goddess.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Robert D. Craig. Dictionary of Polynesian mythology. - Greenwood Publishing Group, 1989. - p. 53. - 409 p. - ISBN 0313258902 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robert D. Craig. Handbook of Polynesian mythology. - ABC-CLIO, 2004. - p. 128. - 353 p. - ISBN 1576078949 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Patricia Turner, Charles Russell Coulter. Dictionary of ancient deities. - Oxford University Press, 2001. - p. 207. - 608 p. - ISBN 0195145046 .
- ↑ Noenoe K. Silva. Aloha betrayed: native Hawaiian resistance to American colonialism. - Duke University Press, 2004. - p. 102. - 260 p. - ISBN 082233349X .
- ↑ Patricia Monaghan. Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines. - ABC-CLIO, 2009. - p. 252. - 664 p. - ISBN 0313349894 .
- ↑ IAU names fifth dwarf planet Haumea (Eng.) . The International Astronomical Union (September 17, 2008). The appeal date is April 7, 2010. Archived April 22, 2012.
See also
- Khaumiya-tiketik - Maori goddess of fertility.