Battle of the Water Gods

by Jae, Jake, Bobby

Myths were an essential part of every culture. They were used to explain the natural world the people lived in and the important questions of the creation of life. People a long time ago from various cultures didn't know why some things happened and what they could do to control them. For example, when the people first experienced a storm, they wouldn't know the cause of it and what to do so they created myths to explain its occurrence.

Water was an essential element to all life and was very important to people of all cultures. That is why the water gods were important to the people of Greece and Hawaii.

Poseidon was the water god of the Greeks. He was represented as a dignified elderly man. Poseidon always held his trident, which was a symbol of his great power. Amphitrite (his wife) and Poseidon had a son named Triton (He was the messenger of the water world). He used his conch shell to send messages from his father.

Poseidon ruled the water world and was important to the Greeks. (Because water was the main source of life) He could control the waters with his powerful trident. In many myths he often made tidal waves and storms to punish someone.

Kanaloa and Kane, on the other hand, were more peaceful gods. Kanaloa and Kane were the water gods of Hawaii. Both were very important to the Hawaiians (more important than Poseidon to the Greeks), because the Hawaiian Islands are completely surrounded by water. Kanaloa was the sea god of death, darkness, squid, and water. The fisherman would pray to him when they would go fishing, so they could catch fish, and would be protected while fishing. Kane was the creator of man, creatures, and plants. He is mainly the creator of life. He is one of the Hawaiian water gods because he made all of the plants, and animals on the ocean floor. Kane was a very peaceful god, and no human sacrifices were ever made to him. Kane would also appear as sugar cane, bamboo, or lightning.





Image of Poseidon

In many ways Poseidon, Kanaloa, and Kane were very similar. All of these gods were very important to their people. (The gods could either be giving or cruel). While Poseidon ruled all the waters on earth, the Hawaiians actually split the realm of water, having Kane rule the fresh water and Kanaloa ruling the ocean. One reason for this might be the fact that water has many characteristics. Water is a force that can either be peaceful or violent. The Hawaiians must have felt the both had its own importance and needed to be worshiped differently. The Hawaiian gods also had far more responsibilities. Not only was Kanaloa the god of the ocean, but he was also the sea god of death, darkness, and squids. Kane was also the god of woodsman, living creatures, and a creative parent in the creation of man. These extra responsibilities might be due to the fact that water is the main ingredient to life. If Greece had been totally surrounded by water like Hawaii, Poseidon might have been thought about with more respect.

In the eyes of the Greeks Poseidon must have been a god that was highly unpredictable. As god of all water on Earth, Poseidon must have been a two-sided person. He could be gentle and kind and bring forth springs, or become violent and call upon the destructive force of the ocean. Poseidon could be seen sending forth a horrible monster or rewarding the fishermen with an abundance of fish. Fishermen all over would visit his temples and pray for good fortune and luck on their trip. Sometimes he would be kind and sometimes he would be cruel to the fishermen.

To the Hawaiians the sea was one of their most important resources. Almost everything they needed could be found there. Kanaloa was especially important to the successes and disappointments of the fishermen. An unproductive fishing season could be disastrous to the people. Many things were done to show the people's loyalty to Kanaloa including human sacrifices. Kanaloa was really like the dark wrathful side of Poseidon. He would cause storms and punish those who did something to make him mad. Once in a while he would reward those who had been faithful, but generally Kanaloa was a wrathful god.

The Hawaiians were also dependent on the springs and streams as their main source of drinking water. Kane helped make sure there was enough water for everyone. Without water the Hawaiians would have died. Though people wanted to show their appreciation, Kane didn't want many laborious rituals. He most certainly didn't want human sacrifices for he loved all life. Kane could be thought of as the kind, caring, and generous side of Poseidon. When droughts occurred he would bring forth springs from the ground. Kane tried very hard to help all Hawaiians, making sure they were all right. Kane, on the other hand, would never punish people like Kanaloa. He was generally a friendly god. If you were to combine both Kanaloa and Kane you would end up with Poseidon. The gods resembled each other almost identically.

So as one can see Hawaii's myths aren't very different to those of different cultures. In fact the myths used to explain the natural world the Hawaiians lived in and the important questions about life they had were very similar to those of the Greek.

REF: http://www.k12.hi.us/~mamiyamo/WMS%20Webheads/L.%20Kudo/jjbobposeidonkanaloa/jjbobposeidon.html