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When visiting the volcanoes, you must respect Pele, the goddess of the volcanoes. Her historical name, “Ka Wahine’ai hona,” means the woman who devours the land. Pele was both respected and feared. Hawaiian legends assert that Pele, who often appears as an old woman caused earthquakes by stomping her feet and eruptions by digging into the ground. While Kilauea Volcano was erupting in 1960, many say they saw an old lady with a dog walking on the eastern coast of the Big Island. She was said to have traveled door to door begging for food. Many people ignored her except the Kapoho lighthouse keeper. He invited her in and gave her food and the lighthouse was spared from the fiery lava. Everything else around was destroyed. Many still honor her to this day by providing her with offerings such as ohelo berries or gin just, to make sure she spares them from harm.