And an ERUPTING New Year!
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| Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano 1/15/25 |
A bit of FYI: I delayed the release of Let Me Know for six months, due to the 2018 eruption of Kilauea.
For those of you who have read the 'Weddings by C & C series, Book 5, Let Me Know, is the story of Aly and Harry, both native Hawaiians who are seeped in history. It also introduces you to an intriguing character named...simply 'her' who has a life-changing encounter with Aly, and a brief interaction with Harry. Both these incidents prove how one small act of kindness can change the path of many lives.
Now...we all know who 'her' is, yes?
She is Madame Pele, the great Hawaiian Goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance, and volcanoes. She lives on Mount Kilauea with her faithful companion and dog. Madame Pele doesn't necessarily see her eruptions as 'destruction' (and many native Islanders do not, either, as they consider her 'ohana', or family). She sees her eruptions as 'changing', a redecorating of sorts. And for those who honor her, she is usually kind. She is sacred and revered by those who are wise.
Known for a fast, fiery temper, Pele is fiercely protective of her dog and especially her mountain home (which, honestly, I identify completely with her on those!). It is considered extremely bad to take anything from her mountain. Every year, dozens of rocks are mailed back to Hawaii, from tourists who took them and have experienced nothing but evil luck since!
Madame Pele has an intriguing, and sad, story.
Her parents were Earth Mother and Sky Father, descendants of supreme beings. She has dozens of siblings. She was chased from her home by her sister and finally had to settle on the one spot no one else had claimed: Halemaʻumaʻu , the summit caldera fire pit of Mount Kilauea, where she then built the Hawaiian Islands. The entire 'Big Island' of Hawaii is considered her domain.
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| One version of Madame Pele |
That is one of her many stories. What great Goddess doesn't have many, many tales of her?
In addition, Pele is the Goddess of dance, especially the hula which she played a significant part in creating and maintaining. Many of the movements of hula are attributed to her passionate, fiery nature. Hula does, of course, tell a story through each movement.
Although called jealous and destructive, Pele also can be appeased by those who truly honor her. Many will dance an ancient hula when eruptions threaten homes and villages as well as leaving gifts of fruit and alcohol. Pele also has a bit of a prankish spirit: She can appear as a dog, an old woman, or a beautiful maiden, to test those she meets to see if they are kind or mean. The kind are rewarded. The mean...well, they incur her wrath.
For Harry, the deeply rooted and faithful to Hawaii culture man, Pele is the revered, one whose name is spoken in almost whispers. His encounter with her is brief, but makes a long-lasting impact-- and also aids him in his pursuit of true love with Aly, the girl he has always loved.
For Aly, Pele helps her embrace her culture and true self, without 'giving up' what Aly has always thought she would have to in order to be both modern and faithful to her roots. Aly's acceptance of, and embracing of, herself and all the parts of her, are a bit like Pele herself. Perhaps the two women helped each other?
Read Let Me Know and let me know (I just can't help myself) what you think of Madame Pele!
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