The Woman in Moon

Retold here by Laura
Adapted from "The Woman in Moon" from Hawaiian Myths of Earth, Sky, and Sea
by Vivian L. Thompson

Aikanaka was a wanderer and had a wife who would go somewhere he never went.

Long ago in ancient Hawaii, there lived a goddess named Hina. She had a husband named Aikanaka who traveled from place to place telling stories. Whenever Aikanaka came home, he demanded that Hina make fine loincloths, good poi and Kalua pig. One day when Aikanaka came home, he told Hina to fetch him some shrimp. So Hina set out to get some.

As she approached a stream, Hina dropped her net to get a cool drink of water. In the water she saw the reflection of a rainbow leading to the sun. She placed one foot on the rainbow and didn’t fall. She climbed the rainbow and soon felt misty coolness. But she soon felt hot and dizzy from the heat of the sun. She fell down the rainbow unconscious.

When Hina awoke it was night and she started to head home. One her way she met Aikanaka who was furious with her. But all Hina could do was drink from his water gourd. As she was drinking, Hina saw a rainbow leading to the moon. She started to walk to it but Aikanaka was too quick. He lunged and broke her ankle. She was determined enough to continue. Her husband did not try to follow her because he was too heavy to walk on the rainbow.

Sometimes you can see Hina with her ankle resting in front of her on the moon.