What was the Hawaiian legend that Lilo and Stitch enacted in Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch?

Question

In Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, for Lilo's hula theme for the contest, she uses an ancient Hawaiian legend of two friends (borderline lovers though) of a goddess and a handsome mortal. Disney makes it looks like Lilo and Stitch are these two 'friends' by the way they act out the legend for Lilo's hula contest. Anyway, I want to know what was the story's title again. And what were the names of the characters of the story, I would like to read up on that legend. The way how Disney made the legend's characters look like just friends so obviously screams of self-censorship! Come on, give me a break, a little romance can't hurt now can it? I've got to know the tale's title to read it in the correct context. It sounds like a nice story. I mean, a jealous goddess chucking a guy into a volcano and his 'friend' resuscitating him from the dead? Sounds cool to me.

Answer 1

Don Ho?

Answer 2

Lilo In Hawaiian

Answer 3

Lilo Hula

Answer 4

I don't keep track of all these lilo and stich movies now, the first one was ok but adding like four more sequels is just unessicary. What's next? Lilo and Stich, The Eighth Movie where Stich meets Another one of his Freaking Alien Kind.

Answer 5

The legend that Disney made reference doesn't have a title; however, it is about the goddess Hi`iaka (younger and most loved of Pele's sisters) and the young chief Lohiau from Kaua`i. And your suspicions are right, they did severely tame down the story to make it suitable for children. There are many versions of the legend...I'll share with you the version I was taught:

During a long slumber, Pele left her body and traveled to Kaua`i where she met and fell in love with Lohiau. Before she left Kaua`i to return to her body on Hawai`i, she told Lohiau to await her messenger. Pele asked her sisters to fetch Lohiau for her...none of Pele's other sisters would go on the journey, so Hi`iaka volunteered to fetch Lohiau.

Hi`iaka's best friend Hopoe lived in a sacred grove of ohi`a trees in Puna. Knowing Pele's fiery temper and jealousy of Hopoe, Hi`iaka knew that Hopoe would be at risk while she was away. Therefore, Hi`iaka made Pele agree that she would not harm Hopoe or the grove while on the journey. Afraid that Hi`iaka may fall for Lohiau, Pele demanded that Hi`iaka would not sleep with Lohiau and agreed that she would not she would not harm Hopoe or the sacred grove for no more than forty days.

Impatient for Hi`iaka to commence the journey, Pele forced Hi`iaka on her way without food and water. Hi`iaka only had time to grab a magic pa`u skirt that had the power of lightening. Hi`iaka climbed down the crater, chanting a song of forgiving love. Hearing this chant, Pele relented a little...giving Hi`iaka a portion of her divine powers as well as Pa`uopalae (who cared for the ferns around Kilauea crater and a woman of supernatural power) to be her traveling companion.

Hi`iaka traveled the long journey from Hawai`i to Kaua`i and encountered many obstacles along the way. Upon arriving at Kaua`i, she found that Lohiau had died from his deep longing for Pele. Hi`iaka revived him and they made the journey back to Hawai`i During the journey back, Hi`iaka and Lohiau found themselves falling for one another. However, Hi`iaka suppressed her feelings due to her promise to her sister.

Due to the obstacles that Hi`iaka encountered on her journey, the trip lasted much longer than the forty days. Convinced that Hi`iaka had slept with Lohiau, she sent a lava flow into Puna, which destroyed the grove and transformed Hopoe into a block of lava rock.

Hi`iaka, who had faithfully completed her task, found that Pele had destroyed Hopoe and the grove. In rebellion, Hi`iaka acted on her urges and embraced Lohiau, declaring that they were now husband and wife. Enraged, Pele summoned up an eruption, which did not affect Hi`iaka (who now had the powers of a goddess) but killed Lohiau.

Hi`iaka searched for and found Lohiau's spirit, freed his body from the crust of lava, healed Lohiau's body and returned his spirit to his body. They returned to Kaua`i, where they lived as chief and chiefess until Lohiau's death. After his death, Hi`iaka returned to her place among Pele's family.

If you ever want to read up on this legend some good sources are:

Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes by W.D. Westervelt (full text is available for free at http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hlov/)

and

Pele and Hi`iaka by Nathaniel Emerson (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0976450801/ref=sr_11_1/103-7456948-5791861?ie=UTF8)