Floating on the immortal sea
Wave after wave of incarnadine passion
Dualities meld by Love's decree

Ka-ne, Wahine
Man & Woman

Surging up from the molten core
Through hollow trunks rooted in the primal cauldron
Creating Earth with spectacular force

Hina & Ku
Goddess & Godman

Blissfully drenched by a rain of fire
In this way new life can begin
With beneficent hearts and pure desire

Fiery Goddess Pele
And her warrior Prince

James: Figuring that the need to portray Venus and Mars alone had been fulfilled long ago, I started painting this as a study. I really loved the dynamic pose here, and thought I could always offer it for sale. Once again, I was tricked! As I pondered an appropriate scenario for this one, I thought of a boat scene. So I looked through the book Voyagers by legendary Hawaiian artist Herb Kawainui Kane. Among the many historical and mythical subjects he has portrayed are numerous versions of the volcano goddess Pele. She is known to have passionately seduced a prince (Lohiau) and is also known as lusty and fiery (of course!). One story has her arriving in Hawaii from Bora Bora in a canoe. That was enough for me. This presented a unique way for me to honor the three amazing years I spent living in Hawaii, and, as it turned out, it lighted our way back to Hawaii. The surf, the music, the sunsets, the legends, and most of all - the thriving aloha spirit - are things that will reside deep inside me always. So these feelings easily flowed onto the canvas.
......There are plenty of renditions of the goddess Pele, yet few exhibit the hot, lusty side of her. So, I'm grateful to have the privilege. In tribute to Mr. Kane, I used as background inspiration his beautiful piece, "Honaunau Bay" of a Kona sunset.

Becca: In Polynesian creation myths, the Creative Force chanted the watery chaos into two forces: Ao (the male principle, day, Father Sky Ku) and Po (the female principle, night, Mother Earth Hina). The islands themselves were largely created by Pele, Goddess of the Volcano. Like distant drums through the jungle, it was this chant of creation I heard in my ears as I wrote the poem: three lines of tetrameter followed by two lines of dimeter. Although I had intended a poem about the creative force of Mother Earth as manifested in Pele's ability to make new land through volcanic activity, the presence of the Prince gave it a decidedly tantric bent. Not only were the jealousies and vindictive power-tripping of the original myth gone, but now Woman and Man (Goddess and God / Pele and the Prince) meet as equals. ......Through their love-making, dualities meld, the power of Creation is tapped, and a new way of life begins. The sexy scene feels as natural as sex was to the Pacific Islanders (before the arrival of the missionaries). The power of rising kundalini is expressed through the metaphor of fire, counterpoised with some references to the element of water. Fitting, I'd say, for islands in a watery sea formed by fiery volcanoes.

......One day Pele, Goddess of the Volcano, leaves her resting place under the Kilauea Volcano and transforms herself into a mortal to be able to enjoy the human pleasures of swimming, surfing, eating fish, and playing on the beach. Afterwards she settles into a nap, while her sister Hi'iaka' keeps watch. In her sleep she hears the compelling beat of a hula drum. Her spirit body follows the sound all the way to the island of Kauai, where the handsome Prince Lohiau is entertaining his people. With shiny black hair and the strong arms of a drummer, he is the center of attention at the luau. The young man falls totally under the spell of the mysterious woman, and for several days Pele and Lohiau indulge in the exquisite pleasures of each other. Sparks fly when they kiss. Never has Lohiau experienced such fiery lovemaking, and he is consumed by it. Carried away by their passion, she consents to become his wife. Pele, however, then remembers her responsibility to return to Hawaii Island, and leaves her prince, promising to return soon.
......Weeks pass. Every moment singes him with the pain of missing his lover until Prince Lohiau dies of grief. His people are shocked and mourn his sudden death, tending his body lying in state. All this time, Pele cannot get her mortal husband out of her mind. Since she must remain at Kilauea to tend the volcanic fires, she sends her trustworthy sister Hi'iaka' to fetch Lohiau. Hi'iaka knows her way among mortals and has spent time learning the hula and lei-making. While Pele inspires awe, Hi'iaka' inspires affection. After many adventures and treacherous passages past water monsters and forest spirits, Hi'iaka's canoe reaches the island of Kauai - only to discover the prince is dead. She knows how her sister has been pining for her human husband and does not want to return empty handed. Using her supernatural powers, Hi'iaka' searches the Land of Shades for the soul of Lohiau, and once she finds it, restores it to his body. The prince returns to life. Finally the two of them travel by outrigger to Hawaii.
......During their absence, Pele wonders what is taking them so long. Flying into a fit of jealous rage, she convinces herself that she has been betrayed by the people she loved the most. The personable Prince of Kauai could easily have fallen for her younger sister. In a firestorm of emotion, Pele erupts a lava flow on the island of Oahu to destroy Hi'iaka's favorite palm groves and turns her best friend into stone. When they finally land on Hawaii, Lohiau and Hi'iaka' ascend Kilauea crater, where he protests their innocence to his wife. Unconvinced, Pele sets fire and molten lava upon him. Throughout his death ordeal, Prince Lohiau nobly chants a song to the goddess, "Pele, powerful woman . . . Pele, you are Life's passion . . ." Before being completely engulfed by the lava, his clear voice sings, "Pele, my love has always been true -" And then he is gone.
......Hi'iaka', aghast at her sister's vindictiveness and sorrowing over the fate of a man she has come to admire, splits the Earth and dives into the inner realms.
......Time passes, and Pele calms down. Now she has second thoughts about how she has treated her husband and sister. Lohiau had been such a sincere, beautiful man . . . And she misses her sister's presence in the lake of fire. Truly, she had always been devoted to her. How could she get them back? Using her powers, Pele recovers the soul of Lohiau from the spirit world and brings him back to his human form.
......"I release you, Prince of Kauai," she says sadly to him. "I must admit that loving me is a dangerous thing. Return to your people, where you belong." The god Kane-milohai gives the prince a magic shell, which expands to the size of a boat. He boards the shell and heads home across the deep ocean waters.
......Then Pele pleads with Hi'iaka' to return. Hi'iaka' hesitates, for in the Land of Shades she has been considering the noble Lohiau and realizes that she does love him. Nonetheless, Hi'iaka' gives up waiting for him and goes to visit relatives on the island of Oahu. Meanwhile, Lohiau's shell boat strays off course and lands on Oahu. Inevitably the two meet, overjoyed to see one another alive.
......Though Prince Lohiau returns to Kauai to rule wisely over his people and Hi'iaka' returns to Pele's court in the volcanoes of Hawaii Island, Hi'iaka' often visits him. This was one love affair with a goddess that he could survive, and while he is alive, Lohiau and Hi'iaka' find much happiness together. Pele, recognizing her fiery goddess nature, learns that she should not love a mortal and gives her blessing on the union of Hi'iaka' and Prince Lohiau.