Beginning September 29th, we will post a new installment of Hina, The Goddess every week, on Sunday afternoon. Each installment will include a legend of Hina and one of Dietrich Varez's signature woodblock images. Each installment will be remain on this page to read and view for one month, meaning you can enjoy the story online at your leisure!

To purchase a physical copy of Hina, The Goddess, please stop by Basically Books, check your local bookstore, or contact us.

The name Hina, or variations thereof, occurs in mythologies throughout the Pacific. Hina usually refers to a strong female creative force as personified by a goddess over a specific domain. In Hawaiian mythology, for example, there is Hina-puku-i'a (Hina-gathering-seafood) the goddess of fishermen. Or there is Hina-'opu-hala-ko'a who gave birth to all reef life. Another more popular Hina is the goddess of the moon.

There are many forms of Hina in Hawaiian myth and legend and the distinctions between them are not always clear. Any attempt to rigidly distinguish between all the individual Hina manifestations could surely be challenged. Furthermore, the indistinctions between the various Hina forms add a wonderful poetic ambiguity very characteristic of Hawaiian language and tradition.

This collection of Hina images is intended to stimulate new interest in the very powerful and pervasive mythology of the goddess and all her forms.

DIETRICH VAREZ 2002