Hina (goddess)
Goddess associated with the moon, eels, and as elder sister or wife of Māui; central figure in multiple origin myths including the coconut
Hina is a name given to several Polynesian deities, usually referring to a powerful female figure, such as a goddess or queen, who rules over a particular thing. The name appears in forms like Sina, Hanaiakamalama, and Ina. In a single culture, Hina might represent more than one goddess, and it is not always easy to tell them apart. In Hawaiian stories, the name is often combined with other words that describe the goddess and her domain—for example, Hina-puku-iʻa (Hina-gathering-seafood) is the goddess of fishermen, and Hina-ʻopu-hala-koʻa is the one who brought all reef life into being. Hina remains an important figure in many Polynesian religions, and her tales help connect the cultures of Polynesia, especially across the Hawaiian Islands.
In New Zealand, different Māori tribes (iwi) generally see Hina as either the older sister or the wife of the hero Māui. One common story about Hina as Māui’s wife involves Te Tunaroa, the father of all eels. He would visit the pool where Hina bathed, and over time he rubbed against her. Eventually, he molested her by rubbing against her genitals. When Māui found out, he attacked Te Tunaroa, cutting his body into pieces. The tail fell into the sea and became the conger eel; the other end landed in swamps and became freshwater eels. Smaller bits turned into lamprey and hagfish.
Other traditions tell of Hina as Māui’s elder sister. Some iwi say she taught Māui how to plait the ropes needed to catch the sun, using a strand of her own sacred hair to give the ropes supernatural strength. This story highlights the important ritual role of elder sisters in traditional Māori society.
Hina is also linked to the moon’s phases under the names Hinatea (Fair Hina) and Hinauri (Dark Hina). The moon itself is sometimes called Māhina. In one tale, Hinatea was married to a man named Irawaru. During a fishing trip, Irawaru angered Māui, who had caught no large fish. In revenge, Māui pushed Irawaru under the keel of their canoe when they returned to shore, breaking his back and bones. Irawaru was turned into a dog (kurī), and one breed of dog was named after him. When Hina learned what Māui had done, she threw herself into the sea. She did not die but was carried across the waves to Motutapu (Sacred Isle). Because of her darker mood, she was renamed Hinauri. There, she was welcomed by the people and taken to the house of Chief Tinirau,
- field
- Polynesian mythology
- nationality
- Polynesian (Hawaiian, Māori, Mangaian, Tuamotu, Tahitian)
- known_for
- Goddess associated with the moon, eels, and as mother or wife of Māui; central figure in multiple origin myths including the coconut
- also_called
- Sina, Hanaiakamalama, Ina, Hinatea, Hinauri, Mahina
Lore & Background
Among the iwi of New Zealand, Hina is usually considered either the elder sister or the wife of Māui. As the wife, she was molested by the eel-god Te Tunaroa, leading Māui to kill the eel and create conger eels, freshwater eels, lamprey, and hagfish from its body. As the elder sister, Hina is sometimes said to have assisted Māui in his exploits, though the well-known story of capturing the sun involves Māui using a rope made from his grandmother's or ancestress's hair, not Hina's. Hina was associated with moon phases under the names Hinatea (Fair Hina) and Hinauri (Dark Hina). After her husband Irawaru was turned into a dog by Māui, Hina threw herself into the sea and was carried to Motutapu, becoming Hinauri and later marrying Chief Tinirau, god of fishes. In some versions, she became senior wife after Tinirau's other wives were punished or killed by other means, not by Hina herself. In the story of Kae, who killed Tinirau's pet whale, it is Tinirau's wives or female servants who trick and capture Kae, not Hina specifically.
Reader's Guide
Hina is a foundational figure across Polynesian mythology, appearing in Hawaiian, Māori, Mangaian, Tuamotu, and Tahitian traditions. Her stories serve as cultural unifiers, especially for the Hawaiian Islands, and reflect shared themes of transformation, female power, and the origin of natural phenomena. The ambiguity of her identity—sometimes a single goddess, sometimes multiple—highlights the fluid nature of Polynesian oral traditions. Hina's association with the moon (as Hinatea and Hinauri) and with eels (as wife, victim, or lover of eel-gods) connects her to cycles of light and dark, and to the creation of important resources like coconuts and fish. Her role as mother or sister of the hero Māui places her at the center of many key myths, including the capture of the sun and the defeat of monsters. Archaeological evidence of a heiau dedicated to Hina on Moloka'i confirms her historical worship. The persistence of her name in place names (e.g., Wailuku river) and in the Hawaiian word for moon (Mahina) underscores her lasting influence. Hina's legends also explore themes of betrayal, revenge, and resilience—as when Hinauri survives a suicide attempt and becomes a powerful chief's wife. Overall, Hina embodies the complex, multifaceted nature of Polynesian divinity, bridging the human and natural worlds.
Did You Know?
- The name Hina also appears as Sina, Hanaiakamalama, and Ina across Polynesian cultures.
- In Mangaian tradition, the white flesh of the coconut is called 'Tuna's brains,' and a face can be seen on the coconut shell.
- Archaeologists discovered a heiau (temple) dedicated to Hina in Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Moloka'i.
- The Hawaiian word for moon, Mahina, is derived from the goddess Hina's name.
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