Sources

Hawaiian Mythology

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "Hawaiian Mythology." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/hawaiian-mythology.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). Hawaiian Mythology. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/hawaiian-mythology

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-hawaiian-mythology,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {Hawaiian Mythology},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/hawaiian-mythology},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Martha Beckwith's survey works from documented comparative research across Hawaiian and wider Polynesian oral traditions, tracing how a specific Hawaiian narrative relates to parallel accounts recorded elsewhere in the Pacific rather than treating Hawaiian mythology in isolation. That comparative method, checkable against the specific parallel traditions it cites, is the survey's real evidentiary basis, and its long standing as a reference scholars of Pacific religion still cite is a checkable measure of sustained regard. This record has not independently traced further scholarly disagreement with Beckwith's specific claims since 1940. Use it for established facts about a Hawaiian mythological figure or narrative and its documented Polynesian parallels; a claim about a specific island group's own distinct version needs a source focused on that group.

Facts

Citation

Author

Martha Warren Beckwith

Publisher

Yale University Press

Publication Year

1940

URL

https://archive.org/details/hawaiianmytholog00beck

Source Type

academic monograph

Assessment

Reliability Tier

Martha Warren Beckwith's scholarly comparative survey of Hawaiian traditions set against other Polynesian island groups, published by Yale University Press.

Notes

Comparative survey of Hawaiian traditions with wide reference to other Polynesian island groups.

Claims Backed By This Source (147 claims)

This source backs 147 claims across the atlas. As facts: 90 well-attested. As cited relationships: 21 holds, 1 connected. Plus 35 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Deities, 41 claims: 20 well-attested, 11 holds, 10 general references.
Articles, 30 claims: 21 well-attested, 1 connected, 8 general references.
Myths & Sacred Narratives, 16 claims: 9 well-attested, 4 holds, 3 general references.
Subcategories, 9 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 general references.
Religious Events, 8 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
Doctrines, 6 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Holidays & Festivals, 6 claims: 3 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
Religious Roles & Titles, 6 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Practices, 5 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 general references.
Religions, 4 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 general references.
Animals & Totems, 3 claims: 1 well-attested, 2 general references.
States & Territories, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Cultures, 1 claims: 1 general references.
Figures, 1 claims: 1 general references.
Regions, 1 claims: 1 general references.