In Hawaiian mythology, Wākea is the sky father.
Wākea is paired with Papahānaumoku, the earth mother, in Hawaiian genealogical and mythic traditions. Their relationship expresses the fundamental union of sky and earth, a pattern found throughout Polynesian creation narratives. Wākea is also described as an ancestor of the aliʻi, Hawaii’s ruling chiefs.
The name Wākea is associated with expansive space, the zenith, or heaven, while Papa refers to the earth or foundation. In one tradition, Wākea helps create the heavens and natural features using a calabash or gourd belonging to Papahānaumoku. Different Hawaiian genealogies place the pair at different points in the ancestral sequence.
Wākea should not be confused with Kāne, Lono, or Kanaloa. Kāne is a major god of creation and life, Lono is associated with peace, rain, agriculture, and fertility, and Kanaloa is strongly connected with the ocean.