Date
Name Palila
Gender Feminine & Masculine
Usage Hawaiian, Polynesian Mythology, Tahitian
Edit Status Status
Meaning & History
Polynesian name for the Hawaiian honeycreeper, an endangered bird native to Hawai'i. In Hawaiian mythology, Palila, a grandchild of goddess Hina, is a warrior hero of Kauai. He killed warriors of Hamakua and became the ruling chief of Hilo. Palila means "with a spirit as free as a bird" in Tahitian.