Both of us have ties to Hawaiʻi and Italy, and when collaborating on The Penguin Book of Mermaids we came to a stronger understanding of the common and distinguishing features of water deities and beings in these two cultures. Moʻo Akua are fearsome and fascinating Hawaiian reptilian gods who embody the life-giving and death-dealing properties of water, the element with which they are associated. Predominately female, those mo`o who masquerade as humans are often described as stunningly beautiful. The Italian-language sirena refers to both siren and mermaid in English, and these are two very different kinds of water beings. We will share a few stories from Hawaiʻi and Sicily.

Cristina Bacchilega is Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of English at University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. She writes about fairy tales & their adaptations, traditional narratives across cultures, and the power of storytelling.

Marie Alohalani Brown is an associate professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. Her first book Facing the Spears of Change: The Life and Legacy of John Papa ‘Ī‘ī, won the Palapala Po’okela Award for the best book on Hawaiian language, culture, and history

Complimentary Italian wine and pupu. Bring some treats to share, if you'd like. 

Members:  Login in order to receive discounted pricing (directions for Logging In).

Your guests: Will automatically be assigned the non-member fee. If you want to register other members (including your Family Membership's spouse/children), you need to register each of them separately, under their own name and UNIQUE email (Note: Update your Family Membership account accordingly, if family names/emails are missing--Directions for Bundle Administrator Guide).

Note: The Friends of Italy Society of Hawaii is not responsible for any liability, cost, and damages which could arise from the programs below; and does not provide any refunds, except if it cannot deliver the program, for instance in the case of insufficient enrollment.

Information: Contact info@friendsofitalyhawaii.org.