Haumea (mythology)
In Hawaiian mythology, Haumea (IPA: [hʌuˈmɛja] in the Hawaiian language) is the Hawaiian goddess of fertility and childbirth. With Kane Milohai, she is the mother of Pele, Kā-moho-aliʻi, Nāmaka, Kapo and Hiʻiaka.[citation needed] She was a powerful sorceress, and gave birth to many creatures, some after turning herself into a young woman to marry her children and grandchildren. She was finally killed by Kaulu.
The Hawaiian goddess is not to be confused with a Māori god named Haumia or Haumia-tiketike, the god of wild plants and berries; he is the god of wild food, as opposed to (his brother) Rongo, the god of cultivated food.
On 17th September 2008 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced it named the fifth known dwarf planet in the Solar System "Haumea" after the Hawaiian goddess. The planet's two moons were named after Haumea's daughters: Hiʻiaka, after the Hawaiian goddess said to have born from the mouth of Haumea, and Namaka, after the water spirit said to have been born from Haumea's body.[1]
References
- ^ IAU names fifth dwarf planet Haumea, International Astronomical Union, News release, September 17, 2008, Paris
External links
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