Urban Legends: Pele's Curse.

 Flickr: Ron Cogswell

Pele,The fire goddess of the Hawaiian islands, is believed to be extremely possessive and vengeful.The lava that is found on the islands is said to be seen as Pele's children. Anyone who takes a piece of coral, rocks, or sand (regardless of if they are aware of the curse) is plagued with bad luck until they return whatever it is that they have taken.

Many tourists are not malicious in their intent whatsoever and simply want a souvenir from the island to bring home with them. Pele does not seem to be considerate of this request at all however and quickly bestowed misfortune on those she deems to be disrespectful.

Shortly after arriving home with the souvenirs, people report horrible illnesses, messy break-ups or divorces, and crippling financial issues. As farfetched as this may seem, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park actually receive hundreds of letters every year full of items from people who may have taken something. I've even read accounts of people saying that the island has a separate mail service dedicated to people who wish to return items.

There is some hope however for those who do wish to take something from the island. Many locals say that Pele is very giving to those who respect her and simply ask to take the items before doing so.

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