The Love of Poliʻahu and Kūkahauʻula

Goddess of the Lake Waiau atop Mauna Kea, Waiau is sister to Poliahu, Lilinoe & Kahoupokane. She bathes Poliahu in her beautiful lake. artwork courtesy of Linda Rowell Stevens

In 1931, Emma Ahuʻena Taylor (Ahuʻena), a Hawaiian historian of royal lineage, published an account of the gods Poliʻahu and Kūkahauʻula (Ahuena Taylor in Paradise of the Pacific, July 1931). Descended from the Hoapili-Beckley line (the chiefess Ahiakumaikalanikiʻekiʻe and Geo. Beckley), she had a direct genealogical relationship to the Waimea lands, that were nestled on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Indeed, while introducing her account, she tells readers of her youth and a beloved kahu hānai (guardian), who told her stories of ancient times (Ahuʻena 1931:13). In this particular narrative, Ahuʻena speaks of the sacred nature of Poliʻahu, and describes the various attributes of Waiau, Lilinoe, and Kūkahauʻula. She also reports that a moʻo (a deity of ponds, capable of taking human and other forms), named Moʻo-i-nanea, was placed at the pool of Waiau, by Kāne, as a guardian of Poliʻahu and Waiau.

Poliahu, the snow goddess of Mauna-kea, was reared and lived like the daughter of an ancient chief of Hawaii.

She was restricted to the mountain Mauna-kea by her godfather Kane. She had a nurse Lihau (the chilling rain) who never left her for a moment.

Kane created a silvery swimming pool for his daughter at the top of Mauna-kea. The pool was named Wai-au. The father placed a supernatural guard at that swimming pool so that Poliahu could play at leisure without danger of being see by a man… [Ahuena Taylor July 1931:13]

Ahuʻena tells us that the god Kū-ka-hau-ʻula (“the pink tinted snow god”) had been selected as a husband for Poliʻahu, and that he appeared:

…every morning with the rising of the sun and again every afternoon with the setting of the sun. He saw the secluded water pool Wai-au and the lovely Poliahu… Each day he became more fascinated and made every effort to reach her abode and win her for his bride.

Poliahuʻs attendants drove him away. Lili-noe (fine mist rain), Lihau (chilling frost) and Kipuʻupuʻu (the hail) drove him from the mountain… [Ahuena TaylorJuly 1931:13-14]

As the story continues, we learn that eventually Moʻo-i-nanea determined that Kūkahauʻulaʻs love was true, and she allowed the god-chief to embrace Poliʻahu. And to this day, “Ku-kahau-ula, the pink snow god, and Poliahu of the snow white bosom, may be seen embracing on Mauna-kea” (Ahuena Taylor July 1931:14-15).