Hina The Moon Goddess

Hina's husband was Aikanaka-the-wanderer. Aikanaka was home again. The goddess should have been happy, but was not. She was happier living alone. Aikanaka was a hunter and a warrior who feared s-nothing. Aikanaka was very hard to please. He depended on Hina to make EVERYTHING PERFECT for him.

When Aikanaka came home he was busy telling tall tales about his great adventurers, but he wasn't busy helping Hina. Hina was left to do all of the work by herself. Morning star found her building a fire. Sun at noon beat down on her when she was making tapa. When the sun sets she was busy pounding poi. In the evening she went to the fresh water spring and filled her a large calabash bowl with water. While Hina worked hard every day and night, she heard nothing but complaints.

At last the day came when Hina could go on no longer. While Hina was out getting freshwater shrimp, she noticed a beautiful arching rainbow. She threw her shrimp nets down and walked along the pathway of the rainbow. Away from her husbands complaints and tall tales. But as the heat grew stronger, Hina's head throbbed with pain. She became dizzy and fell. Crawling she tried get back up but she was too weak. Helplessly she fell back to the surface of the Earth. All day she lay there.

As the sun set, the moon appeared in the beautiful sky, her strength replenished. She saw Aikanaka, his face was very dark. He was wondering where she was and why she had taken so long. Aikanaka was furious, he was about to hit her when she drank all of their freshwater.

Hina saw a moon rainbow forming and knew exactly what to do. As Aikanaka stared at her,she took her tapa board, beater and a clabash gourd full of water and walked up the rainbow. Aikanaka tried to get her but the rainbow would not support his weight. Then he took a giant leap and caught a hold of her ankle and twisted it. She pulled free and painfully limped up the rainbow.

Until today she remains in the sky beating and drying her tapa. Sometimes when the moon is full you can see Hina resting with her tapa board and beater by her side.