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Have you ever thought of Earth
as our mother? The people of Hawaii always have. The Hawaiians even have a special
name for her: Haumea. They think of Haumea as a goddess, a human-like woman with great wisdom and super powers.
Hawaiian
legend tells how Haumea could take the shape of a magical tree, called the
Makalei tree. This tree grew endless amounts of food for the
Hawaiians so that they would never go hungry.
From
the Makalei branches spilled forth taro, a main Hawaiian food. Its root is like a giant
potato. Hawaiians pound taro into the paste known as poi. The green, heart-shaped taro
leaves make giant salads and food wraps, too.
The
Makalei tree also grew stalks of pale bamboo, a great source of protein to keep bodies strong. Huge yummy coconuts
sprouted from the Goddess Haumea on this Makalei tree, too. Coconuts have sweet, living water inside, as well as creamy white meat and
milk.
Breadfruits
look like pale green, lumpy basketballs. Hawaiians roast them daily into moist and tender bread-like pieces to stir in with
their coconuts and vegetables.
Besides breadfruits, sugarcane
also grew from this magical tree. Sugarcane grows in long stalks that are usually deep red. They were always a favorite for
Hawaiian kids to chew on, since they are filled with pure sugar. Their parents didn’t mind, though, because this sugar
is in its natural form, so it has all its vitamins and minerals still inside. Not only that, but chewing on the fibers also
kept their teeth and gums healthy. Really, sugarcane
plant is good for you!
Goddess
Haumea had another super power that was quite strange: she gave
birth to other Hawaiian gods and goddesses, from all sorts of places on her body. Imagine having a baby gush out from your
mouth as a raging fire! That is how Pele, the great volcano-goddess,
was born—as a flame from Earth Mother Haumea’s mouth.
And
then there was the healer-goddess Hi’iaka. Haumea gave birth to Hi’iaka as an egg, tumbling right down from her right palm. One of her many tree-root arms could cradle it with care.
Goddess
Haumea also holds the magical Makalei branch, shown as the flowering shells. When dipped into the ocean, this branch could
attract fish. Fish is yet another vital food for the Hawaiian people.
Sometimes
Hawaiians call Haumea by another
name, Nu’akea, as the loving mother of life-giving waters for all
of creation. From her body flows milk in endless rivers!
Illustration by: Zariah
Copyright © 2007 by Zariah
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