This painting is compelling and historic; this painting documents a moment in history when a human became a Goddess. Look to the figure to the left, this is the human form of Pele, the center figure is her spirit form as she prepares to depart for her future home in Halemaumau, the volcanic crater on the big island of Hawaii.
 
In this story, her sister Namaka defeats Pele. When Pele’s love affair with the fire god, Lono Makua (her sister’s husband), was discovered the sisters engage in a chase. A battle ensues as Na-Maka-o-Kahe’i relentlessly pursued her sister, Pele, from Tahiti down the Northwest Passage to Hawaii, and from island to island finally finding her in Kahiki Nui on the island of Maui.
The encounter between the sea goddess and the fire goddess raged on with a fury. This conflict with her older sister Na-Maka-o-Kahe‘i (sea goddess) is historic in significance.
 
Pele’s body and bone are torn apart to create the hill named for the battle that took place there, "Ka-iwi-o-Pele" (The Bones Of Pele) is on the island of Maui near Hana.
In the end, the deities are kind to Pele and send her to Halemaumau on the Big Island to find a permanent home. To this day, she resides in her volcanoes, where she is still very active.