Lohiau

Family: the chiefs of Kauai · Role: king of Kauai · First appears: Chapter II · How Pele came to Hawaii · Part 1

In Chapter II, Lohiau, king of Kauai, married Pele when she appeared to him as a dream maiden, but she could not stay with him before finding a permanent home. After her dream marriage ended, Hiiaka married him and lived with him on Kauai. Chapter X names Lohiau among the husbands who lived with Pele for a time.

In Chapter XI, during Pele’s long sleep, her spirit came to Lohiau’s house on Kauai, accepted it as her home, and accepted his offer of marriage. They married and lived together for several days; Pele charged him to remain set apart for her. When her spirit was called home and disappeared, calm and rest returned to Kauai. In another account of her long sleep, Pele found Lohiau and promised to send for him. Later, Hiiaka brought him back to life and presented him to Pele.

In Chapter XVII, Hiiaka restored Lohiau to life after finding his body and returning his wandering spirit to it. He and Hiiaka became husband and wife. The chapter gives separate accounts of Pele’s attack: in one, she engulfed Lohiau in lava and his spirit fled; in another, Lono-makua kindled fires around him but for a long time refrained from attacking. In that account, Hiiaka later found Lohiau’s ghost, freed and healed his body, and returned the ghost to it. “Hiiaka and Lohiau went to Kauai, where, as chief and chiefess, they lived happily until real death came to Lohiau.”