THE GODDESS HINA IS shared throughout Pacific cultures, which caused her stories to be altered and letters of her name dropped or changed to Ina or Sina. She was skilled in ancient ways, and thunder and lightning filled the sky when she made the land’s softest cloth.
While Pacific culture names are generally unisex, Hina is one of the few female names and given to powerful women. Madam Pele has been referred to as Hina Ke Ahi (powerful woman of fire). Hina also refers to the moon (Ma-hina or Ma-Sina). Mahina is also Hawaiian for month because Hawaiians followed a lunar calendar.
Some cultures, like the Māoris, have two Hinas. The fair Hinatea was the full moon, and Hinauri was the dark new moon.
Hinauri darkened because her brother Maui turned her husband into a dog.
Stories cast Hina
