The Hawaii rock curse is a superstition that suggests bad luck will befall anyone who takes a piece of lava rock or sand from the Hawaiian Islands. Many tourists visit Hawaii and are tempted to take souvenirs in the form of rocks or sand to remember their trip. However, according to local folklore, taking these items can result in misfortune and negative experiences for the person who took them. Locals believe that Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, deters people from taking lava rocks or sand by placing a curse on them. It is said that those who disrespect the sacred land by removing these objects will be plagued with bad luck until they return the items to Hawaii. There are countless stories of people experiencing accidents, illness, relationship issues, or financial problems after taking volcanic rock or sand from the islands.

Don’t Rock the Volcano

I’ve worked for three national park sites on Hawai‘i Island and on Maui, and rocks would regularly arrive in the mail, most with a letter wrapped carefully around them, profusely apologizing for their removal.

This phenomenon has been known for decades as “Pele’s Curse,” the belief that removing things native to Hawai‘i that belong to Pele, such as rocks, sand and pumice, will bring bad luck to the pilferer. The goddess of fire represents all things volcanic, and as the saying goes, she regards rocks as her children and removing even the smallest stone from the Hawaiian Islands can land you in hot lava. The only way to break the curse is to return the stolen items to their place of origin.

Indeed, many people who have pocketed a pebble or two have reported an unusual amount of bad luck. Pets die, businesses fail, relationships end in an eruption of emotion.

“[Pele’s Curse] is definitely a thing, and we get about 100 packages a month,” says Rachel Hodara, archeologist and cultural resources program manager
at Haleakalā National Park. This, despite the regular public-service announcements the park sends out to discourage rock removal. “We freeze the [returned] rocks for 30 days to kill any possible invasive organisms,” says Hodara. “Then we put rocks [from] the park back in the park and we take boxes of sand down to the beach.”

Before the overwhelm of Western contact, Hawaiians consulted kāhuna (priests) about moving pōhaku (stones), perceiving the islands as alive in every detail, and every detail essential to the vibrancy of the whole. Like so much of traditional Hawaiian life, this is a beautiful and thoughtful way to live with deep respect. It is, however, a nuanced and complex set of concepts, not easily communicated, say, on a tour bus. Over the years, that has made me wonder if it isn’t just easier to let the threat of a curse do the heavy lifting for what Hawaiians might term pono, or intrinsic rightness.

“The curse is [probably] the main reason people don’t take things,” says Hodara. “But we focus on respectful resource protection and the cultural perspective.” What’s more, she reminds me, the National Park Service laws prohibit taking plants, fish, wildlife, or rocks from any national park.

Volcanic rocks of all shapes, sizes and colors are returned to the national parks every year, some accompanied by distraught letters begging forgiveness. Photo courtesy of Haleakalā National Park

Kainoa Horcajo, former Hawaiian cultural ambassador at the Grand Wailea Resort, unpacks it this way: “I [once received] rocks sent to the hotel with a letter that said, I took these rocks on our vacation even though I was told not to, and my business has suffered ever since. Please return them to their right place so that my business may be restored. Security brings these things to me very carefully, with this idea that the rocks are cursed. But I say the rocks aren’t the problem, the person is the problem. We love to assign blame externally, [but] the idea of a curse is such a Western concept.

“This thing [this rock] that the Western world regards as an inanimate, lifeless object, Hawaiian culture conceptualizes as a physical being that has been able to bind, to make solid, all of the energies from the very beginning of time. So, who is important here? Not us. What’s important is the pōhaku.”

The Mysterious Reason Tourists Keep Mailing Rocks Back To Hawaii

When Alton Uyetake arrived at his desk at Hawaii’s Hilo Post Office on Wednesday, he found an envelope addressed only to the United States Postal Service in Hawaii. It was sent from Cleveland, Ohio but had no return address or name.

The envelope contained a note that read, “Please return to the beach,” along with a plastic bag filled with sand and sea shells.

Uyetake, the Hilo postmaster, has received many similar packages from tourists during his two decades-long career with the Postal Service. While most don’t contain anything other than sand, rocks or shells, some include specific requests.

“Tell Pele I’m so sorry,” read a Post-It note Uyetake received earlier in the year along with a container of black volcanic sand.

Alton Uyetake received this envelope which contained a plastic container filled with black sand. “Tell Pele I’m so sorry,” a note read.

The items Uyetake receives, he says, are usually things that visitors took from Hawaii during a trip to the islands. He believes that visitors mail them back after learning from a friend or the internet of a superstition unofficially dubbed “Pele’s Curse.”

According to this superstition, Pele ― the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes ― curses anyone who removes lava rocks from the islands with severe misfortune.

Although Pele is an important part of Native Hawaiian legend and history, the origins of the curse story are unclear. Still, many people who grew up in the islands, including Uyetake, heed the curse as a warning not to take home any rocks or sand.

It’s why over the years Uyetake has facilitated the return of some of the lava rocks to nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island. So many rocks are sent to the post office that Uyetake and his colleagues can’t guarantee they’ll all be taken to the park. But when they don’t have time to take the rocks to the volcano, they simply place them in their building’s parking lot.

“After we read these letters and try to understand them, you realize that the bad luck is real for these [tourists],” Uyetake told The Huffington Post. “They’re taking the time to send these packages because they believe they did something wrong.”

Pele and Lava Rocks

There are countless stories of people experiencing accidents, illness, relationship issues, or financial problems after taking volcanic rock or sand from the islands. The belief in the Hawaii rock curse is so strong that many visitors who have taken these souvenirs return them by mail to Hawaii's parks or beaches, hoping to break the curse and restore their luck. While it is unknown how the curse originated, it serves as a reminder to respect the natural and cultural significance of the Hawaiian Islands.

Tourists who have taken rocks from Hawaiian beaches have returned them in hopes of ending streaks of bad luck.

David Mikkelson

Published Mar 3, 2003

Claim: Tourists who have taken rocks from Hawaiian beaches have returned them in hopes of ending streaks of bad luck.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]

Hawaiian legend: anyone that removes a piece of rock from the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park will incur the wrath of the Godess Pele. Supposedly terrible curses follow those that do prompting them to soon abandon the rock(s) in interest of self-preservation.

Origins: Can a souvenir casually pocketed on a Hawaiian beach bring misfortune? Though the more skeptical will scoffingly dismiss the notion as pure hooey,

thousands have come to believe that yes, volcanic rocks taken from Hawaii fetch with them a curse of impressive proportions. And the only way to undo the jinx is to return the purloined items whence they came.

Legend has it that Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes, is so angered when the rocks (which she sees as her children) are taken from her that she exacts a terrible revenge on the thief. She is especially protective of volcanic rock and sand, two items tourists almost unthinkingly pocket as mementos of their vacations. After all, who would miss a rock?

Pele, apparently. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and far too many hotels to name receive a never-ending stream of packages containing sand, shells, and rocks from guilty-minded vacationers who are intent upon reversing their sudden downpours of bad luck. Many of these returns are accompanied by notes begging forgiveness of the goddess or detailing litanies of calamities that have befallen these casual purloiners:

Please take this sand and put it back somewhere on your island. I have had very bad luck since it came into my life and I am very sorry I took it. Please forgive me and I pray that once I send it back where it comes from, my bad luck will go away.

Please return to soil. I have been having bad luck.

Ever since we have taken items, we have had nothing but back luck and medical problems. We apologize for taking items, so we are returning same to Hawaii.

We placed the rock last fall on a cast iron chair in our garden, this spring the chair's leg had fallen off. This is the least of the problems we have had since we have taken the rock.

Pele's supposed curse is not a mild-mannered one. Those allegedly afflicted by it don't misplace their car keys or develop runs in their bad luck is of the grievous variety. Pets die. Jobs are lost. Houses burn down. Sudden and devastating illness strikes loved ones. Marriages break apart.

The Los Angeles Times reported on the sad case of Timothy Murray, a 32-year-old who scooped some of the unusual black sand from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park into a bottle and brought it back with him to Florida. Everything in his life immediately went into a nosedive: his pet died, his five-year relationship

with a gal he was to marry ended, and the FBI arrested him in a computer copyright infringement case.

The native Hawaiian view of taking such souvenirs is that it's tantamount to stealing from Pele while visiting her home. Only the return of the stolen items appeases her wrath.

Some believe the curse is the invention of park rangers who became fed up with visitors making off with little bits of the island. Whether the curse has an ancient origin or a modern one, many have come to respect it thanks to the cascade of bad luck that descends upon those who take volcanic keepsakes.

Barbara "rock steadied" Mikkelson

Rock Return Service (Volcano Gallery)

Last updated: 16 May 2013

Whether one believes in the curse or not, it is always best to show respect for the host culture and leave natural objects where they belong – in Hawaii..

Reviews for "The Curse that Echoes Through the Ages: The Legends of the Hawaii Rock Curse"

1. John - 1/5: I was really disappointed with "Hawaii rock curse." The story seemed promising, but it quickly became confusing and lacked depth. The characters were poorly developed, and their actions felt unrealistic. The writing style also didn't appeal to me, as it was choppy and lacked cohesion. Overall, I found the book to be a tedious read that didn't live up to its potential.

2. Sarah - 2/5: "Hawaii rock curse" had an interesting premise, but the execution fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story. The plot twists were predictable, and I felt like the author missed opportunities to explore the Hawaiian setting and culture in a more meaningful way. The characters also felt one-dimensional and lacked depth. While I appreciate the effort, I ultimately found this book to be underwhelming.

3. David - 2.5/5: Although "Hawaii rock curse" had moments of intrigue, overall, I found it to be a mediocre read. The writing style was lackluster, with repetitive phrases and clichéd dialogue. The plot had potential, but it became convoluted and hard to follow at times. Additionally, the characters felt unrelatable, and their motivations were unclear. While this book had its moments, I can't say it left a lasting impression on me.

4. Emily - 1.5/5: I really struggled to connect with "Hawaii rock curse". The story lacked cohesion and felt disjointed, making it difficult to follow along. The characters were uninteresting, and their interactions felt forced. Moreover, the writing style was uninspiring, and I had to push myself to finish the book. Overall, I found this novel to be a disappointment and would not recommend it to others.

Paranormal Investigations and the Hawaii Rock Curse