Ina (goddess)
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Hina is the name assigned to a number of Polynesian deities. The name Hina usually relates to a powerful female force (typically a
goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
or
queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
) who has dominion over a specific entity. Some variations of the name Hina include Sina, Hanaiakamalama, and Ina. Even within a single culture, Hina could refer to multiple goddesses and the distinction between the different identities are not always clear. In Hawaiian mythology, the name is usually paired with words which explain or identify the goddess and her power such as Hina-puku-iʻa (Hina-gathering-seafood) the goddess of fishermen, and Hina-ʻopu-hala-koʻa who gave birth to all reef life. Hina continues to be a figure in many of the Polynesian religionsStokes, J. F. G., Heiau of Molokai. 1909 in MS. ''The Ancient Worship of the Hawaiian Islanders'', edited by W. T. Bringham. Archives, B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. and her stories serve as traditions that unite Polynesia, specifically the Hawaiian Islands.


New Zealand

Among the of New Zealand, Hina is usually considered to be either the elder sister or the wife of
Māui Māui or Maui is the great culture hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. Very rarely was Māui actually worshipped, being less of a deity ( demigod) and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main expl ...
. The most common story that presents Hina as the wife of Māui tells of Te Tunaroa, the father of all
eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
s, who one day visited the pool where Hina bathed. One day, as Hina was bathing, the eel-god rubbed against her. This occurred over a number of visits until Te Tunaroa grew bold enough to rub against Hina's genitals, molesting her. When Māui heard of this act he went and attacked Te Tunaroa cutting his body into bits, the tail landed in the sea and became the
conger eel ''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during the day in parts of ...
, whereas the other end landed in the swamps as the fresh water eels. Smaller pieces became lamprey and hagfish. A number of stories are told about Hina as the elder sister of Māui. Some say that it was Hina who taught Māui to plait the ropes needed to capture the sun, using a strand of her own sacred hair to give the ropes supernatural strength. This legend recognizes important ritual status that elder sisters held in traditional
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
society. Hina was associated with phases of the moon under the names (Fair Hina) and (Dark Hina). The moon is also known by the name . Initially Hinatea (Fair Hina) was married to a man named
Irawaru In Māori mythology, Irawaru is the origin of the dog. He is the husband of Hinauri, the sister of Māui. Māui becomes annoyed with Irawaru and stretches out his limbs, turning him into a dog. When Hinauri asks Māui if he has seen her husband, ...
. During a fishing trip Irawaru antagonized Māui who had failed to catch any large fish. In revenge Māui assaulted Irawaru when they returned to shore, pushing his brother-in-law under the keel of their canoe, breaking his back and other bones. Irawaru was turned into a dog (kurī) one breed of which was known as . When Hina heard what Māui had done she threw herself into the sea, but did not die and was instead carried across the waves to Motutapu (Sacred Isle). Her name was changed to due to her darker mood. Eventually Hinauri would be welcomed by the people of Motutapu and was taken to the house of Chief
Tinirau In Polynesian mythology, stories about Tinirau are found throughout the islands of Polynesia. He is a guardian of fish. Many themes recur in the various versions. Often he travels to another land in search of his wife, or his wife travels to anot ...
god of fishes, becoming his new wife. The existing wives were jealous and tried to assault Hinauri, but using her supernatural power Hinauri killed the other wives of Tinirau and so became the senior wife. Hina was the mother of Tuhuruhuru, for whom the ritual initiation ritual was performed by the Kae. After this is done, Tinirau lends Kae his pet whale to take him home. In spite of strict instructions to the contrary, Kae forces the whale, Tutunui, into shallow water, where it becomes stranded and is killed, roasted and eaten by Kae and his people. When he learns of this Tinirau is furious and sends Hinauri with a party of women (often they are Tinirau's sisters) to capture Kae. The sisters perform indecent dances to make him laugh so they can see his crooked teeth. Then the women sing a magic song which puts Kae into a deep sleep, and carry him back to Motutapu. When Kae wakes from his sleep he is in Tinirau's house. Tinirau taunts him for his treachery, and kills him (Grey 1970:69, Tregear 1891:110).


Mangaia

A girl named Hina-moe-aitu ("Hina-sleeping-with-a-god") liked to bathe in a pool that housed many eels. One day, as Hina was bathing, one of the eels transformed into a young man. Hina took him as her lover. His name was Tuna. After they had been together for a while, one day
Tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...
told Hina that there would be a great downpour the next day. He would be washed up onto the threshold of her house in his eel-form. When that happened, Tuna said, Hina must cut off his head and bury it, and then regularly visit the place where the head had been buried. Hina obeyed Tuna, returning faithfully to watch the place where she had buried his head. After many days, she saw a shoot sprout from the spot. Another shoot appeared, and the two shoots grew into a pair of
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
trees—the first coconut trees known to man. In
Mangaia Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popul ...
n tradition, the coconut's white flesh is called "Tuna’s brains", and it is said that one can see a face when one looks at the shell of a coconut.


Tuamotu and Tahiti

For a time, the goddess Hina lived as the wife of Te Tuna, the god of eels. But she grew tired of him and decided to seek love elsewhere. Telling Tuna that she was going to get him some delicious food, Hina left him and went onto land. Hina went from place to place, seeking a lover. But all the men she met were afraid to take Tuna's wife, fearing the eel-god's vengeance. Finally she met
Māui Māui or Maui is the great culture hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. Very rarely was Māui actually worshipped, being less of a deity ( demigod) and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main expl ...
, whose mother Taranga urged him to take the goddess as his wife. When the people round about learned that Māui had taken Hina as his wife, they went to tell Tuna. At first, Tuna didn't care, but the people annoyed him about it so much that he eventually vowed to win back his wife from Māui. Along with four companions, Tuna rushed toward Māui's home, carried by a huge wave. But Māui's power turned back the wave and left Tuna and his companions beached on the reefs. Māui killed three of Tuna's companions, while one escaped with a broken leg. Tuna himself Māui spared. Tuna actually lived in peace in Māui's home for some time. But one day, Tuna challenged Māui to a duel. Each would take a turn leaping into the others’ body and trying to kill him. If Tuna killed Māui, then Tuna would take his wife back. Tuna's turn came first: he made himself small and entered Māui's body. When he came back out, Māui was intact. Now it was Māui's turn: Māui made himself small and entered Tuna's body, tearing it apart. Māui cut off Tuna's head and, at his mother's suggestion, buried it in a corner of his house. In time, a shoot sprouted from Tuna's buried head and grew into a coconut tree. That was how humankind acquired coconuts.


Hawaii

Even within Hawaiian mythology, Hina could refer to multiple different goddesses. Differentiating between these deities can be ambiguous and is highly debated. However, there are three specific Hawaiian deities named Hina who are widely known and can be distinguished from each other. Hina of Hilo is best known as the mother of Hawaiian hero,
Māui Māui or Maui is the great culture hero and trickster in Polynesian mythology. Very rarely was Māui actually worshipped, being less of a deity ( demigod) and more of a folk hero. His origins vary from culture to culture, but many of his main expl ...
. Hina, the wife of Akalana, is known as the goddess of the moon. ''Mahina'', the Hawaiian word for moon, is derived from the goddess' name. Lady
Hina-au-kekele Hina-au-kekele (also known as Hina-au-aku, Hinauapu or simply Hina) was a Hawaiian noble Alii nui of Hawaii, lady and Chiefess of the Island of Hawaii (island), Hawaii (Big Island). She was the sister-wife of the High Chief Pilikaaiea of Hawaii, ...
was also named after Hina, and the full name of Lady Hineuki was Hinakeʻuki. The consorts of Hina include Chief ʻ Aikanaka, Sky Father
Wākea In the Hawaiian religion, Wākea, the Sky father weds Papahānaumoku, the earth mother. The two are considered the parent couple of the ruling chiefs of Hawaii. ''Wākea'' was the eldest son of Kahiko ("Ancient One"), who lived in Olalowa ...
and/or Akalana with whom she gave birth to several children including Māui. The worship of Hina marks a long tradition of the Hawaiian people across multiple islands. Archaeologists have discovered remnants of a
heiau A ''heiau'' () is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick (''heia ...
dedicated to Hina in
Kalaupapa National Historical Park Kalaupapa National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, on the island of Molokai. Coterminous with the boundaries of Kalawao County and primarily on Kalaupapa peninsula, it was establish ...
, on the Hawaiian Island of
Moloka'i Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...
. In some of the Hawaiian legends, the goddess lived on Kauiki, a foothill of the dormant volcano
Haleakalā Haleakalā (; Hawaiian: ), or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive, active shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by another volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, als ...
on the southeast coast of the Island
Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...
. Another claim suggests Hina's legends were brought to the Hilo coast with ancient immigrants but the stories are so old that the Hawaiians have forgotten her original lands and see Hilo as her only home. William Drake Westervelt described the legend:


Legends of Hina and Māui

Many stories about the goddess Hina, especially in connection with the moon, can be found in chapter 15 (“Hina Myths”) of
Martha Beckwith Martha Warren Beckwith (January 19, 1871 – January 28, 1959) was an American folklorist and ethnographer who was the first chair in folklore at any university or college in the U.S. Early life and education Beckwith was born in Wellesley Heig ...
’s ''Hawaiian Mythology''.Beckwith, pp. 214-25 The legendary birth of Hina's son, Māui, is described as a supernatural conception after Hina wore a red loincloth she found on the ocean shore. After birth, Hina wrapped locks of her hair around her infant son and set him on a bed of limu kala supported by jellyfish in the sea. Māui then traveled to Kuaihelani where he acquired his famous powers. Legend says when he returned, Māui performed incredible acts such as slowing the sun to make the days longer for Hina's work. The story of Hina and her ascent to the moon can be found within the stories of many Polynesian groups, including those of Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga, Hervey Islands, Fate Islands, Nauru, and other Pacific Island groups such as the Maluku Islands in Melanesia. There is debate over which Hina the story refers to but certain stories suggest this legend is about Hina the wife of a chief called Aikanaka rather than to Hina the wife of Akalana, the father of Māui.


Samoa

In Samoa, the equivalent the name ''Sina'' referred to in many different stories in mythology. One example is the legend
Sina and the Eel Sina and the Eel is a myth of origins in Samoan mythology, which explains the origins of the first coconut tree. In the Samoan language the legend is called ''Sina ma le Tuna.'' ''Tuna'' is the Samoan word for 'eel'. The story is also well kn ...
which is associated with the
Mata o le Alelo Mata o le Alelo is a village pool in Samoa associated with the Polynesian legend Sina and the Eel Sina and the Eel is a myth of origins in Samoan mythology, which explains the origins of the first coconut tree. In the Samoan language the le ...
pool on the island of Savai'i.


Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

In
Rapa Nui mythology Rapa Nui mythology, also known as Pascuense mythology or Easter Island mythology, refers to the native myths, legends, and beliefs of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island in the south eastern Pacific Ocean. Origin myth According to Rapa Nui ...
, Hina takes the form of Hina-Oio, a goddess of sea animals who was married to Atua-Metua.


Hina in literature

Richard Adams Richard George Adams (10 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist. He is best known for his debut novel ''Watership Down'' which achieved international acclaim. His other works included ''Maia'', '' Shardik'' and '' The Plague Do ...
wrote a poem retelling the
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...
an story of Hina and Māui, published as a book, '' The Legend of Te Tuna''. Also, in his popular book ''
The Seven Daughters of Eve ''The Seven Daughters of Eve'' is a 2001 semi-fictional book by Bryan Sykes that presents the science of human origin in Africa and their dispersion to a general audience. Sykes explains the principles of genetics and human evolution, the par ...
'',
Bryan Sykes Bryan Clifford Sykes (9 September 1947 – 10 December 2020) was a British geneticist and science writer who was a Fellow of Wolfson College and Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford. Sykes published the first repor ...
used Hina's name, (spelled therein "Ina") to denote the clan matriarch of
mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the DNA contained in ...
haplogroup B.


Hina in popular music

David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Known for his wild and energetic stage persona, he was the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen for three stints: from 1974 to 1985, during 1996, and from 2006 to when ...
recorded a song called "Hina", contained on the 1988 hard rock album ''
Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
''.
Technical death metal Technical death metal (also known as tech death) is a musical subgenre of death metal with particular focus on instrumental skill and complex songwriting. Technical and progressive experimentation in death metal began in the late 1980s and early ...
band Gorod included a song called "Hina" on their 2018 album ''Æthra''.


See also

* Dema deity *
List of lunar deities A lunar deity is a deity who represents the Moon, or an aspect of it. Lunar deities and Moon worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The following is a list of lunar deities: African American Aztec mythology * ...


Citations


General and cited references

* Adams, Richard. ''The Legend of Te Tuna''. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1986. * Alpers, Anthony. ''Legends of the South Sea''. London: John Murray, 1970. *
Martha Warren Beckwith Martha Warren Beckwith (January 19, 1871 – January 28, 1959) was an American folklorist and ethnographer who was the first chair in folklore at any university or college in the U.S. Early life and education Beckwith was born in Wellesley Hei ...
. ''Hawaiian Mythology''. New Haven: Yale UP, 1940. * Campbell, Joseph. ''The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology''. New York: Viking, 1970. * Luquet, G. H. “Oceanic Mythology”. ''New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology'' (ed. Felix Guirand, trans. Richard Aldington and Delano Ames, London: Hamlyn, 1968), pp. 449–72. * Reed, A. W. ''Myths and Legends of Maoriland''. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed, 1961. * Sykes, B. ''The Seven Daughters of Eve'' New York, London: W. W. Norton, 2001. * Wilkinson, Philip. ''Illustrated Dictionary of Mythology''. New York: DK, 1998. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hina (Goddess) Lunar goddesses Origin myths Polynesian goddesses