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~ HAUMEA ~

She was the Earth-mother, who presided over childbirth, and was revered by the Hawaiian people.

She's a complex creatrix, who seems to be an adaptation of Papa and the mate of Wakea.

Some chants sing that she is also Papa, yet more important to the Hawaiians then the Tahitians. She is sometimes attributed with being the mother of Pele. Still others state that Haumea was a mortal woman and thus the first mother of the Hawaiian people, created with her mate, the first man, Ki'i. However, it is clear that in most of here sacred stories she gave birth to many, many children . Thus, Haumea became the divine midwife to many human mothers. Her unusual ability to birth children, which sprang from different parts of her body only lends to her divine abilities as a nurturing source of life.

Her skills at childbirth are recounted in many stories. It seems on one occasion, she intervened when a child's birth was unduly delayed. Upon hearing the mother's wails and seeing that the attending kahuna was preparing for a caesarian section, which would most likely result in the mother's death, Haumea appeared. She said that cutting the woman would not be necessary if the birthing woman ate a remedy prepared from a certain tree. The women attending to the mother, carried out Haumea's instructions. Additionally Haumea pressed against the woman's thighs and the baby was born without further incident. On another occasion, Haumea agreed to act as a midwife for a chiefess. Due to Haumea's prayers and incantations, the chiefess was allowed to give birth in a painless manner.

It seems that Haumea's fertility powers extended to that of the plants in forest wildernesses. It was also believed that she was a shape-shifter, capable of transforming herself to assume many human forms, both young and old, while using a magickal "fish-drawing branch." I found this thread of Her myth most interesting, as I have had my own divine experiences meeting with the legend of Haumea on the island of Oahu, where it is believed that her human form lived.