Dispersion of the Hala by Madam Pele, giclee print by Dietrich Varez
When Pele, fiery-tempered goddess of the volcano, first arrived in Hawaiʻi, her canoe became entangled in the roots of a hala tree. Tired and moody from her long journey, she flew into a rage, tore the hala tree to shreds and threw the pieces wildly about the islands. This accounts for the hala’s widespread growth in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiians dried the tree’s long, slender leaves, cut them into strips and wove them into durable mats and baskets.
