a hill famous in Hawaiian story
as Kauiki. Fornander says that this "mysterious wife" of Aikanaka bore
her children Puna and Huna, the latter a noted sea-rover among the
Polynesians, at the foot of this hill Kauiki. It can very easily be
supposed that a legend of the Hina connected with the demi-god Maui
might be given during the course of centuries to the other Hina, the
mother of Huna. The application of the legend would make no difference
to anyone were it not for the fact that the story of Hina and her ascent
to the moon has been handed down in different forms among the traditions
of Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga, Hervey Islands, Fate Islands, Nauru and
other Pacific island groups. The Polynesian name of the moon, Mahina or
Masina, is derived from Hina, the goddess mother of Maui. It is even
possible to trace the name back to "Sin," the moon god of the Assyrians.

The moon goddess of Ponape was Ina-maram. (Hawaiian Hina-malamalama),
"Hina giving light."

In the Paumotan Islands an eclipse of the sun is called Higa-higa-hana
(Hina-hiua-hana), "The act (hana) of Hina--the moon."

In New Zealand moonless nights were called "Dark Hina."

In Tahiti it is said there was war among the gods. They cursed the
stars. Hina saved them, although they lost a little light. Then they
cursed the sea, but Hina preserved the tides. They cursed the rivers,
but Hina saved the springs--the moving waters inland, like the tides in
the ocean.

The Hawaiians say that Hina and her maidens pounded out the softest,
finest kapa cloth on the long, thick kapa board at the foot of Kauiki.
Incessantly the restless sea dashed its spray over the picturesque
groups of splintered lava rocks which form the Kauiki headland. Here
above the reach of the surf still lies the long, black stone into which
the legends say Hina's kapa board was changed. Here Hina took the leaves
of the hala tree and, after the manner of the Hawaiian women of the ages
past, braided mats for the household to sleep upon, and from the nuts of
the kukui trees fashioned the torches which were burned around the homes
of those of high chief rank.

At last she became weary of her work among mortals. Her family had
become more and more troublesome. It was said that her sons were unruly
and her husband lazy and shiftless. She looked into the heavens and
determined to flee up the pathway of her rainbow through the clouds.

The Sun was very bright and Hina said, "I will go to the Sun." So s