Editing Hina (goddess) (section)

==Hawaii==
[[File:Ku and Hina (1), photograph by Brother Bertram.jpg|thumb|Wooden carved ''[[tiki|kiʻi]]'' of Hina (right) and [[Kūkaʻilimoku]] (left)]]

Even within Hawaiian mythology, Hina could refer to multiple different goddesses. Differentiating between these deities can be ambiguous and is highly debated. However, there are three specific Hawaiian deities named Hina who are widely known and can be distinguished from each other.<ref name=":0" /> [[Hina of Hilo]] is best known as the mother of Hawaiian hero, [[Māui (Hawaiian mythology)|Māui]]. Hina, the wife of Akalana, is known as the goddess of the moon. ''Mahina'', the Hawaiian word for moon, is derived from the goddess' name. Lady [[Hina-au-kekele]] was also named after Hina, and the full name of Lady [[Hineuki]] was '''Hinakeʻuki'''.<ref>[[Hina-au-kekele]] was a wife of [[Pilikaʻaiea]], whilst [[Hineuki]] was a wife of [[Kukohou]].</ref> The consorts of Hina include Chief ʻ[[Aikanaka (mythology)|Aikanaka]], Sky Father [[Wākea]] and/or Akalana with whom she gave birth to several children including Māui.<ref name=":0" />

The worship of Hina marks a long tradition of the Hawaiian people across multiple islands. Archaeologists have discovered remnants of a [[heiau]] dedicated to Hina in [[Kalaupapa National Historical Park]], on the Hawaiian Island of '''[[Molokai|Moloka'i]]'''.<ref name=":1" /> In some of the Hawaiian legends, the goddess lived on Kauiki, a foothill of the dormant volcano [[Haleakalā]] on the southeast coast of the Island '''[[Maui]]'''.<ref name=":0" /> Another claim suggests Hina's legends were brought to the Hilo coast with ancient immigrants but the stories are so old that the Hawaiians have forgotten her original lands and see Hilo as her only home.<ref name=":0" />

[[William Drake Westervelt]] described the legend: {{blockquote|The place where Kuna dwelt was called Wai-kuna, “the Kuna water”. The river in which Hina and Kuna dwelt bears the name Wailuku, “the destructive water” river. Hina called on Maui for aid. Maui came quickly and with mighty blows out out a new channel for the river. Maui went above Kuna ’s home and poured hot water into the river. This part of the myth could easily have arisen from a lava outburst on the side of the volcano above the river. The hot water swept in a flood over Kuna’s home. Kuna jumped from the boiling pools over a series of small falls near his home into the river below. Here the hot water again scalded him and in pain he leaped from the river to the bank, where Maui killed him by beating him with a club. His body was washed down the river over the falls under which Hina dwelt, into the ocean.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Westervelt |first1=W. D. |title=Legends of Maui - A Demi-God of Polynesia and of His Mother Hina |date=1910 |publisher=The Hawaiian Gazette Co. |location=Honolulu |isbn=978-1-4733-7694-6 |page=100 |url=https://ia800906.us.archive.org/35/items/legendsofmauid00west/legendsofmauid00west.pdf |language=en}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>}}

=== Legends of Hina and Māui ===
Many stories about the goddess Hina, especially in connection with the moon, can be found in chapter 15 (“Hina Myths”) of [[Martha Warren Beckwith|Martha Beckwith]]’s ''Hawaiian Mythology''.<ref>Beckwith, pp. 214-25</ref>

The legendary birth of Hina's son, Māui, is described as a supernatural conception after Hina wore a red loincloth she found on the ocean shore. After birth, Hina wrapped locks of her hair around her infant son and set him on a bed of [[Sargassum|limu kala]] supported by jellyfish in the sea. Māui then traveled to Kuaihelani where he acquired his famous powers. Legend says when he returned, Māui performed incredible acts such as [[Māui (mythology)&action=edit&section=4#Māui slows the sun|slowing the sun]] to make the days longer for Hina's work.<ref name=":2" />

The story of Hina and her ascent to the moon can be found within the stories of many Polynesian groups, including those of Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga, Hervey Islands, Fate Islands, Nauru, and other Pacific Island groups <ref name=":0" /> such as the Maluku Islands in Melanesia. There is debate over which Hina the story refers to but certain stories suggest this legend is about Hina the wife of a chief called Aikanaka rather than to Hina the wife of Akalana, the father of Māui.<ref name=":0" />