Hula dancing has always been part of Hawaiian life. Hawaiian mythology
includes various stories that explain the origins of hula, each story
attributing its creation to a different god or goddess and its first appearance
to a different location. In reality. hula dancing is such an ancient
tradition that it is impossible to say when or where 1t first appeared. It
was most likely originally performed in front of an altar in honor of gods
and accompanied by great ritual. It is a common belief that the ancient
hula was danced only by men, but some scholars point to evidence suggesting
that hula was traditionally danced by both men and women.