Case file · Apparition / miracle
Princess Ruth stops the lava
In August 1881, as a Mauna Loa lava flow neared Hilo, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani made offerings to Pele, including red silk handkerchiefs and brandy, and chanted at the flow; it stopped soon afterwards.
1881 CE · 19.70, -155.13 · status: disputed
The account
Christian missionaries had held prayer services for days. Ruth's act, at the edge of the town, became one of the best-known modern stories of Pele's power.
The sceptical view
Lava flows often stall as supply drops; the flow had already slowed, and its halt fits normal eruption behaviour.