Name Welaahilaninui Welaahilaninui | ||
In Hawaiian mythology, Welaʻahilaninui (“Wela’ahilani the Great”) was a god or the first man, the forefather of Hawaiians. He is mentioned as an ancestor of Hawaiian chiefs in the ancient Hawaiian chant Kumulipo.
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Etymology
Wela’ahilaninui’s name can also be spelled as Wela-Ahi-Lani-Nui. Wela means “heat” or “lust”, whilst ahi means “fire”. Lani is a word for sky. Nui means “the great”.
Family
Wela’ahilaninui’s wife was called Owe. Their son was Kahiko, who fathered Wākea the Sky father.
Wela’ahilaninui’s parents were Iwahinakiʻiakea (son of Hikiuanahina by Waluanahina) and his consort Lohanakiʻipapa (Umiwahinakiʻipapa), whose parents are not known.
Mythology
There are many Hawaiian traditions of how people obtained fire. According to one, fire was obtained in the time of Welaahilaninui. This is related to his very name.
Abraham Fornander mentioned that Welaahilaninui and his wife were the first couple of humans. They were created by the great gods Lono, Kāne and Kū.