CHRISTINA THOMPSON, SEA PEOPLE (: THE PUZZLE OF POLYNESIA) — According to many Polynesian creation stories, the origin of the universe begins in something known as Te Pō. … a period of chaos … a kind of night … before any gods, sky, land, sea, plants, animals, or humans had come into being.
| A. | Branch of science using the Hubble constant | COSMOLOGY |
| B. | Moniker for a muscular rancher | HOSS |
| C. | Crows; swindles | ROOKS |
| D. | Outrage; humiliating treatment | INDIGNITY |
| E. | Coil of string or yarn | SKEIN |
| F. | How it all started, it's thought (3 wds.) | THEBIGBANG |
| G. | Restrain, hinder, hold back | INHIBIT |
| H. | "____ Crossing," roadside sign near Mauna Loa | NENE |
| I. | Post hoc | AFTERWARD |
| J. | Resident of the kingdom that Captain Cook dubbed the "Friendly Islands" | TONGAN |
| K. | Norwegian adventurer who hand-built his raft Kon-Tiki | HEYERDAHL |
| L. | Harden, in a way | OSSIFY |
| M. | Country with an ancient city, Nan Madol, erected on a coral reef | MICRONESIA |
| N. | Induced a groan or eye roll, perhaps | PUNNED |
| O. | Rummies, tipplers | SOTS |
| P. | Region that is home to kookaburras and quokkas | OCEANIA |
| Q. | Trio that weaves the Rope of Destiny in Wagner's "Götterdammerung" | NORNS |
| R. | Final resting place of Robert Louis Stevenson; caramel-and-coconut cookie | SAMOA |
| S. | Mother of Samantha on "Bewitched" | ENDORA |
| T. | Voids; obliterates | ANNULS |
| U. | Capital of Tahiti | PAPEETE |
| V. | Like Saint Teresa, per Bernini's sculpture | ECSTATIC |
| W. | Like a remark that follows "By the way ..." | OFFHAND |
| X. | Site of Brigham Young University | PROVO |
| Y. | What sparked an important discovery of 1752 | LIGHTNING |
| Z. | Hawaiian welcome (3 wds.) | EKOMOMAI |