Pele is known as the volcano goddess of Hawaii, and it seems that tourists take her wrath very seriously. Thousands of people visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park each year, and quite a few of them take sand, shells, and rocks as a memento from their trip. What these tourists didn’t suspect is what bad fortune would come as a result taking these items.
One such man is Timothy Murray, a man who saw his luck change after visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 1997. Murray, amazed at the beauty of the park, scooped some black sand in a bottle to take home. When he returned home, his life fell apart. His pet died, his engagement fell apart, and he was arrested in connection to a computer copyright infringement case. Murray mailed the sand back to the local post office in Hawaii, believing it would reverse his luck.
Apparently, Timothy Murray is not the only one who blames Pele for their problems. Tourists send mail addressed to “Queen Pele” every day, hoping that returning what they “took” from her will reverse their misfortune. Whether or not there’s any correlation between a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and newfound bad luck is a matter of opinion. Moral of the story? Don’t upset Pele.