CHAPTER 58

The Flood

Long before the coming of the white people to Hawai`i nei<sup>1</sup> the Hawai`ians had heard about the deluge. The strange thing about it was that the Hawai`ian kings did not know when this deluge (kai-a-ka-hina-lii), occurred, whether or not it was earlier than their arrival at the Hawai`ian shores. 

The story was as follows: There was a woman of the sea who lived in a land called Lalohana, which was far away in the ocean, for which reason she was called the woman of Lalohana, 

There are two versions of this story given by the ancients. One tradition has it that the place where the woman lived was on a reef, named Mauna, situated in the ocean outside of Keauhou, in Kona, and that Lono was the name of the king who reigned over the land at that time. Other ancient authorities aver that this woman lived in the ocean outside of Waiakea, Hilo, and that Konikonia was the reigning king at the time. But this Lono and this Konikonia, where did they come from? Their names do not appear in the genealogies of the kings. To take up the story of Konikonia, leaving that of Lono: 

When Konikonia's fishermen on their excursions out to sea, let down their hooks to this fishing reef (koa lawaia²) on pulling up the lines their hooks were gone. They had not felt the tremor of the lines; the hooks had evidently been removed by this woman of the sea. 

The fishermen returned and reported to Konikonia, saying, "The disappearance of our hooks was mysterious. The quiver of the line was not perceived; the hooks were cut away just as if there were a man down below on the reef." Now, there was at this time with Konikonia a man, named Kuula, the brother of Lalohana, who had come out of the ocean. But Konikonia was not aware that Kuula was from the ocean. 

This Kuula explained to Konikonia and his fishermen that their hooks had been cut away by men, "Because," said he, "the place where you were fishing is a large town, in which men and women live under the ocean." 

Then Konikonia asked Kuula, "Are you from that place?" "Yes, I come from there," said Kuula. "Have you a sister in the ocean?" said Konikonia. "I have a sister,” answered Kuula, "and she it was who cut away the hooks of your fishermen." "Go and ask your sister to be my wife," said Konikonia. 

"She has a husband, a carved image, (Kane kii) named Kiimaluahaku³ and she loves him," replied Kuula. "Tell me of some way by which I can have that woman for myself,” said Konikonia, 

"If you wish to get that woman for yourself, now, just carve a large image; smooth it off nicely and paint it of a dark color; let it have eyes of pearl; cover its head with hair and finally dress it in a malo. This done, lay this one image in the corner of the house with some tapas. Two other images must be placed at the door of the house, one on either side; two at the entrance of the pa (enclosure); other figures must be placed in line from the entrance of the pa down to the beach.

This done, you must have trumpets blown on the canoes from the bay clear out to the fishing reef. Put an image in each boat in the line extending from the bay to the reef. Tie an image to a line and let it down into the water a fathom; then tie on another, and so on." 

"Now this woman's husband, Kiimaluahaku, is absent just now at Kuku-lu-o-Kahiki⁴ and it is likely that, when she sees the image coming down, she will think it is Kiimaluahaku, her husband, and she will accordingly go out to meet him, and thus she will come ashore here; for she is very fond of images." 

Konikonia immediately set to work and made the images according to Kuula's directions, and when completed they were set up from the house to the reef, as directed. 

All being ready, they sent down an image to the fishing reef, and when the woman saw it standing at the door of her house under the ocean, behold, said she to herself, it is my husband, Kiimaluakahaku. 

Then she called out, "O Kii, O Kiikamaluakahaku, so you have been to Kuku-lu-o-Kahiki and returned, and here you are standing outside of our place. Come, come in to the house.” But no; the image did not enter.

Then she approached the image to kiss it; and when she saw there was another image above it she left the first image and went up to kiss the second. So she went on, kissing one image after another, until she had risen from the bottom to the surface of the ocean, where the canoes were floating.

When the woman saw the images stationed in the line of canoes, she went along kissing one after the other until she came to the shore ; and then she went on to kiss the images in succession that stood in line until she had reached the house. Then seeing the image that was lying in the corner of the house she went and lay down alongside of it.

The woman then fell into a deep sleep; and, the image having been taken away, Konikonia moved up close to her and lay by her side. When it came evening the woman awoke and seeing Konikonia lying at her side, they embraced each other.

Then the woman said to Konikonia, "I am hungry. Send a man to fetch my food. Let him go to my fishing reef and bring it. He must dive down and, having opened, he must enter the house that stands by itself, thence let him bring the coconut dish that he will find at one side of the house, but he must not open the dish." The man went and did as he was bidden.

On his return the woman opened the coconut dish and instantly the food that was therein flew up into the heavens, and it was the moon of two days old. The crescent of the moon which shone clear and bright above, was kena; and that part that glimmered below was ana⁵ When the woman saw that her food was gone she was filled with regret.

On the fourth day of that same month the woman said to Konikonia, "I have been ashore here four days. My parents are now looking for me. They will search for me in the ocean, and, not finding me there, will proceed to hunt for me on the land." "Who are your parents?" asked Konikonia. "Kahina-lii is my father, and Hina-ka-alu-alu-moana is my mother," said she. "Will your parents come up here onto the land?" asked Konikonia.

"They will not come up in person," said she, "but this ocean that swims before us, that will come in search of me.

This ocean will rise up and flood the whole land. In what place, pray, shall I be hidden, and you saved from this destructive deluge that is coming?"

"Is it the ocean itself that will seek yon?" asked Koni-Iconia. "It is my brothers, the paoo fish, that will come in search of me," said the woman, "but it is the ocean that will rise in order to lift them and enable them to advance and search for me." "Let us flee to the mountains," said Konikonia.

Then they fled to the mountains. "Let us take to the tallest trees," said the woman, whereupon they climbed the tallest trees and built houses in their tops.

After ten days had passed Kahina-lii sent the ocean, and it rose and overwhelmed the land from one end to the other.

The people fled to the mountains, and the ocean covered the mountains; they climbed the trees, and the waters rose and covered the trees and drowned them all.

The ocean kept on rising until it had reached the door of Konikonia's house, but Konikonia and his household were not drowned, because the waters then began to subside; and when the waters had retreated, Konikonia and his people returned to their land.

This is the story of the deluge which has been handed down by tradition from the ancients. Traditions are not as reliable as genealogies. Genealogies can be trusted to some extent. The ancients were misinformed. This we know because we have heard the story of Noah, and that does not tally with our tradition of the Kai-a-ka-hina-lii. For this reason this tradition of the Kai-a-ka-hina-lii can not be of Hawai`ian origin. It was heard by the ancients and finally came to be accepted by them as belonging to Hawai`i nei.

 NOTES TO CHAPTER 58

 ¹  There is no doubt but that the Hawai`ians, like all the -other Polynesian tribes, had traditions regarding a flood. The conclusions properly to be deduced from this fact are well worthy of consideration; but not here and now.

²  Ko'a lawai'a; Ko'a, was the same applied to any reef; a reef on which fish were taken was called a ko'a lawai'a. These ko'a lawai'a were generally quite a distance from land and were located by two cross ranges from points on land. Lawaia, from lawe-ia, i.e., to take fish. In the Maori this would be toka-rawe-ika. The change from e to a is, I think for euphony, a matter which very much concerned the Hawai`ian ear; the Maori r has become l in Hawai`ian; the t a k; and the k in the Maori form toka and ika has been dropped, gnawed away by the tooth of time.

 ³  Kii-ma-luahaku: There is a god named Ruahatu mentioned in the Tahitian and Marquesan legends.

 ⁴  Kukulu o Kaliiki: In regard to this geographical expression, Mr. S. Percy Smith says, "Kukulu-o-Kahiki is in my opinion the Fiji group. It would take too long to explain. In N. Z. we have tuturu-o-Hiti, (or Whiti) and Te-mau-o-Hiti, which mean the same, i.e., the original, permanent, true Hiti."

One cannot doubt the correctness of so eminent an authority in his exposition of the Maori view and meaning of the expression; but I cannot escape the conviction that the phrase kukulu-o-Kahiki, like so many others which the Hawai`ians brought with them from the South, imposing, however, their own linguistic modifications, came in time to have, as it evidently now has, a different meaning from that of its original use. I believe that it came to have a general reference to the region about Tahiti; even Tahiti came to be applied to almost any foreign land; but that was in comparatively late times, long after the period of communication, when it was not an uncommon thing for voyages to be made between Hawai`i and the groups to the South.

 Kukulu meant an erection, applied therefore to a wall or vertical support, the pillars that supported the dome of heaven, according to the cosmogony of the ancient Hawai`ians, as well as the Polynesians. Criticism of Hawai`ian tradition must stand firmly on Hawai`ian soil and take the Hawai`ian point of view.

 ⁵  Kena, means the satisfying of thirst, ana to drink sufficiently, to satiate, as with food. There is a myth Hawai`ian of an old woman who, to get rid of her troubles, went up to the moon; but I do not see that this story has any reference to that, nor can I find any story that bears on this kena and ana.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 59

Traditions of the Ancient Kings, and Genealogy

The histories of the ancient kings, from Ke-alii-wahi-lani¹ and his wife, La'ilai² down, from Kahiko³ and his wife Kupulana-ka-hau⁴ down, and from Wakea⁵ and his wife Papa⁶ down to the time of Liloa, are but scantily and imperfectly preserved. We have, however, it is true, a fragmentary, traditional knowledge of some kings. Of the kings from Liloa to Kamehameha I we have probably a fair historical knowledge.

GENEALOGY OF THE KINGS FROM WAKEA TO LILOA:

Wakea, Haloa, Waia, Hinanalo, Nanakehili, Wailoa, Kio, Ole, Pupue, Manaku, Lukahakoa, Luanuu, Kahiko, Kii, Ulu, Nanaie, Nanailani, Waikulani, Kuheileimoana, Konohiki, Wanena, Akalana, Maui, Nanamaoa, Nanakulei, Nanakaoko, Nanakuae, Kapawa, Heleipawa,  Aikanaka, Hema, Kahai, Wahieloa, Laka, Luanuu, Pohukaina, Hua, Pau, Huanuiikalailai, Paumakua, Haho, Palena, Hanalaanui, Lanakawai, Laau, Pili, Koa, Ole, Kukohou, Kaniuhi, Kanipahu, Kalapaua, Kahaimoelea, Kalaunuiohua, Kuaiwa, Kohoukapu, Kauhola, Kiha, Liloa.

59 Liloa.

We have some traditional knowledge of these kings, but nothing very definite.

We have the following traditions regarding Wakea. He was the last child of Kahiko, the first born of Kahiko, and the elder brother of Wakea being Lihau-ula, to whom Kahiko bequeathed his land, leaving Wakea destitute.

After the death of Kahiko, Lihau-ula⁷ made war against Wa-kea. The councilor of Lihau-ula had tried to dissuade him saying, "Don't let us go to war with Wakea at this time. We shall be defeated by him, because this is a time of sun-light; the sun has melting power (no ka mea he au keia no ka la, he la hee.)

Lihau-ula, however, considered that he had a large force of men, while Wakea had. but a small force, his pride was up and he gave battle. In the engagement that followed Lihau-ula lost his life, killed by Wa-kea, the blond one, (ka ehu), and his kingdom went to Wakea.

After Wakea came to the government he had war with Kane-ia-kumu-honua⁸ in which Wa-kea was routed and obliged to swim out into the ocean with all his people.

Tradition gives two versions to the story of this war. According to one the battle took place in Hawai`i; Wakea was defeated and Kane-ia-kumu-honua pursued him as far as Kaula, where Wakea and his followers took to the ocean (au ma ka moana).

Another ancient tradition has it that the battle was not fought in Hawai`i, but in Kahiki-ku; and that Wakea, being routed, swam away in the ocean with all his people.

From swimming in the ocean Wakea and his followers were at length reduced to great straits, and he appealed to his priest (kahuna-pule), Komoawa, saying, "What shall we do today to save our lives?"

"Build a heiau to the deity," answered Komoawa. "There is no wood here with which to build a heiau, nor a pig with which to make a suitable offering to the god," answered Wakea, "There is wood and there is a pig," said Komoawa.

"Lift up your right hand; hollow the palm of your hand into a cup, and then elevate the fingers." Wakea did so, and Komoawa said, "The house is built. Now pinch together the fingers of the left hand into a cone and put the finger-tips into the hollow of your right hand." When Wakea had done this, Komoawa declared, "The heiau is now completed; only the prayer is wanting was done, and the charm, or aha, of the ceremony was perfect.

Then Komoawa asked Wakea, "How was the aha of our ceremony?" "'It was good," answered Wakea. "We are saved then," said Komoawa, "let us swim ashore."

Then Wakea and his people swam ashore with great shouting; and, on reaching the land, they renewed the battle with Kane-ia-kumu-honua, and utterly defeated him. In this way the government was permanently secured to Wakea. There is a fanciful tradition that has come down from the ancients that some of those who went a swimming with Wakea are still swimming about, and that the name of one of them is Kamamoe.

There is a doubtful story about Wakea and Hoo-hokuka-lani.⁹ A venerable tradition has it that Hoo-hoku-ka-lani was the daughter of Wakea and Papa, but that Wakea incestuously took her to wife.

Another tradition says that Hoo-hoku-ka-lani was the daughter of Komoawa, by his wife, Popo-kolo-nuha, and that Wakea was justified in consorting with Hoo-hoku-ka-lani, seeing she was of another family and not his own daughter.

It is asserted by tradition¹⁰ of Wakea that he was the one who instituted the four seasons of prayer in each month, and that he also imposed the tabu on pork, coconuts, bananas and the red fish (kumu), besides declaring it tabu for men and women to eat together in the mua.

Because of Wakea's desire to commit adultery (incest) with his daughter, Hoo-kohu-ka-lani, he set apart certain nights as tabu, and during those nights he slept with Hoo-hoku-ka-lani. On Wakea's over-sleeping himself, his priest, seeing it was already daylight, called to Wakea with the following words of prayer to awake him:

E ala-au aku, c ala-au mai,

     I call to you, answer me!

 

E ala o Makia, o Makia a Hano,¹¹

     Awake Makia, Makia son of Hano!

 

A hano ke aka,¹² o ke aka kuhea,

     Portentous is the shadow, the shadow of him who calls.

 

O ke aka kii Hikina,

     Shadow rising from the East,

 

Ku ka Hikina iluna ka lani

     Morning climbs the heavens.

 

Ka opua ulu nui, ka opua makolu, ua ka ua,

     The piled up clouds, the gloomy clouds, down pours the rain,

 

Kahe kaa wai, mukeha,

     A rush of waters, a flood;

 

Oili, olapa i ka lani poni,

     Lightning darts and flashes in the dark heavens;

 

Poni haa i ka mea.

     Bound with a strong covenant to that one,

 

Mo¹³ ka pawa, lele ka hoku,

     The curtains of night are lifted, the stars flee away,

 

Haule ka lani¹⁴, Moakaka i ke ao malamalama.

     The king's honor is dashed, all is visible in the light of day.

 

Ala mai, ua ao e!

     Awake! Lo the day is come!

Wakea did not awake, his sleep was profound. So the kahuna prayed more fervently, repeating the same prayer; but still Wakea did not awake.

When the sun had risen, Wakea arose and wrapped himself in his tapa to go to the mua, thinking that Papa would not see him. But Papa did see him, and, coming on the run, entered the mua to upbraid Wakea. Wakea then led her back to her own house, doing what he could to pacify her, and after that he divorced her. (This poem has the ear-marks of great antiquity, to be seen both in its language and in the thought.)

NOTES NOTES TO CHAPTER 59

 

The subject matter of this chapter, in so far at least, as it deals with Wakea and Papa, is almost wholly mythical. The names of the dramatis personae are, as I take it, figurative, such as are applicable to, or expressive of, the wonder-working convulsions, or the quieter, but equally mysterious, operations of nature; as for instance:

 

¹  Ke-alii-wahi-lani, literally, the king who rends or breaks the heavens. The ancient Hawai`ians conceived of the heavens, the visible sky, as a solid dome. The exact meaning that lies back of this figurative expression, the hyponoia, as Max Muller would say, is open to different interpretations, and of course presents insuperable difficulties to any one who would try to define it; but it clearly refers to some heavenly phenomenon or phenomena. Diligent comparison with the myths of Southern Polynesia might help to clear up the intent of this expression. That Wahi-lani was, or came to be, regarded as a veritable personage is evident from the following ancient mele:

"O wahi-lani, o ke alii o Oahu,

     Wahi-lani, king of Oahu.

 

I holo aku i Kahiki,

     Who sailed away to Tahiti,

 

I na pae-moku o Moa-ulanui-akea,

     To the islands of Moa-tda-nui-akea,

 

E keekeehi i ka houpu o Kane a me Kanaloa,''

     To trample the bosom^(a) of Kane and Kanaloa^(b).

 

^(a) By the bosom of Kane and Kanaloa was probably meant the land and the sea; to trample them was therefore to travel by land and by sea.

 

^(b)Quoted to me as from a mele published in the '60's in "Ka Hoku a ka Pakipika", a Hawai`ian newspaper of Honolulu, edited by the late John M. Kapena, and issued under the management of Prince David, later King Kalakaua.

²  Lai-lai. (1) physical, calm and peacefulness; (2) joy and light-heartedness.

 

³  Kahiko, the ancient one. It is to be noted that in this account we find no mention of Po, Night, the original Darkness and Chaos that enveloped the world. Ku, Kane, Kanaloa, Lono and perhaps some of the other deities are said to be no ka po mai, to date back to the night, a time far antecedent to history and tradition.

 

⁴  Kupu-lana-ka-hau, a phrase difficult of interpretation. To my mind it conveys the idea of fogs and floating mists, perhaps also of ice-masses. Hau at the present time means ice and snow. It is said to be a female element, receptive rather than active therefore. A Hawai`ian of intelligence as well as of considerable critical faculty gives it as his opinion that in this word is typified the formation and development of land, though still in a wild and inhospitable condition, perhaps covered with ice and snow. He informs me that ice was formerly termed wai-puoloi-ka-lau-laau, water-wrapped-up-in-leaves; the reason being that when ice or frozen snow was first met with the people who came across it in the mountains wrapped it up in leaves, and, finding it reduced to water on reaching home, gave to it this name descriptive of their experience. Ke-hau is the name given to dew, it having absorbed the article ke. It is clear, it seems to me, that kupu-lana-ka-hau is expressive of some form of phenomenon due to water, either in the form of clouds or mists or frozen into ice and snow.

 

⁽⁵⁾   Wa-kea, modern awa-kea, means noon, undoubtedly figurative of the sky, the light of day, the vivifying influence of the sun. Wakea is spoken of as the ehu, the blond, the bright, the shining one, an epithet that conveys the same idea as the Sanskrit deva. Wakea, it seems needless to remark, is represented to be the vivifying male element, which, as hinted at or plainly stated in the myths of Polynesia, was in the remote ages of Po torn from the close embrace of Papa, Earth, and placed in its present position.

 

⁶  Papa, the female element, the generatrix, the plain or level of the Earth's surface, hence the Earth itself. Papa is the name applied to a stratum, a level formation, a table; it is a name frequently met with.

 

⁷  Lihau-ula: The exact meaning of this word is not clear. It seems to refer to some effect of light shooting through the drifting clouds that remain undissipated. Wa-kea, the bright one, is still represented as being at war with the unsubdued elements of darkness and cold(?), which he finally overcomes, routing and driving out Lihau-ula. He thus gains possession of the kingdom of his father, Kahiko. His victory is ascribed to the fact that "it is a time of sunlight, the sun has power to melt" no ka mea he au keia no ka la, he la hee.

 

⁸  Kane-ia-kumu-honua, Kane the founder of the earth, or Kane at the foundations of the earth, sometimes spoken of as Kane-lulu-honua, Kane the shaker of the earth, the one who causes earth-quakes. Having gained the victory over darkness, clouds and cold, Wakea is for a time routed and put to flight by the deity that shakes the foundations of the earth, which may be naturally supposed to be a volcanic eruption, accompanied with earth-tremors and a darkening of the heavens, obscuring the light of the Sun on the land but leaving it bright at sea. It is well to remark that the religious services, incantations some would call them, which are performed to relieve the situation, are of the simplest form, suited to the occasion, a lifting of the hands, a prayer, a lesson to all formalists.

 

⁹  Hoo-hoku-ka-lani, to bestud the heavens with stars, the starry sky, the stars of heaven, the offspring of Wakea and Papa, i.e., of Heaven and Earth. The action of the drama reaches its summit of interest in the passion of Wakea for his own daughter, Hoo-hoku-ka-lani, Star-of-heaven. It is to be noted as a proof of the simple faith with which David Malo accepts this tradition as based on a historic foundation of fact, that he actually seeks to extenuate Wakea' s offense by ascribing the paternity of the maiden, Hoo-hoku-ka-lani, to the old priest, Komoawa. This story is evidently an after-thought, gotten up to save Wakea's reputation. To admit such evidence would be the spoiling of a fine solar myth (aside). The dalliance of the lovers is kept up to an unsafe time in the morning; daylight comes and they are still in each other's company the stars of morning continue to shine after the sun is in the heavens. The priest comes with a friendly warning; Wakea sleeps on; Papa comes forth from her chamber and discovers the situation and the row is precipitated at once. According to one version the divorce of Papa was accomplished by Wakea spitting in the face of the woman whom he turned away; according to another account it was Papa herself who did the spitting - who had more occasion? - and it almost seems as if something of the sort was indicated in the word mukeha in the 6th line.) Having poured on Wakea the scorn and contempt which he deserved, Papa betook herself to the remote regions of Kukulu-o-Kahiki, while Wakea continued his intimacy with Hoo-hoku-ka-lani, by whom he had Molokai and Lanai as off-spring. Papa, according to the same version, had already given birth to Hawai`i and Maui. But in the case of Papa blood proved thicker than water; she could not bear the thought of a fruitful rival taking her place in the affections of her husband, "her womb became jealous;" she returned to her husband; the result was the birth of Oahu, Kauai and Kauai's little neighbor, Niihau.

O Wakea noho ia Papa-hanau-moku,

     Wakea lived with Papa, begetter of islands,

 

Hanau o Hawai`i, he moku,

     Begotten was Hawai`i, an island,

 

Hanau o Maui, he moku

     Begotten was Maui, an island,

 

Hoi hou o Wakea noho ia Hoo-hoku-ka-lani,

     Wakea made a new departure and lived with Hoo-hoku-kalani,

 

Hanau o Molokai, he moku,

     Begotten was Molokai, an island,

 

Hanau o Lanai ka ula, he moku,

     Begotten was red Lanai, an island.

 

Lili-opu-punalua o Papa ia Hoo-hoku-kalani,

     The womb of Papa became jealous at its partnership with Hoo-hokuka-lani,

 

Hoi hou o Papa noho ia Wakea,

     Papa returned and lived with Wakea,

 

Hanau o Oahu, he moku,

     Begotten was Oahu, an island,

 

Hanau o Kauai, he moku,

     Begotten was Kauai, an island,

 

Hanau o Niihau, he moku,

     Begotten was Niihau, an island,

 

He ula-a o Kahoolawe.

     A red rock was Kahoolawe,

There are numerous variants to this story; one of them seeks to give a more human and historical turn to the narrative, and explains the opportunity by which Wakea gained access to his daughter's couch, or rather by which he smuggled her to his own cottage, by stating that, advised by his kahuna, he had imposed a tabu which separated him from his wife's bed at certain seasons of prayer in each month. But the real significance of the narrative, as I understand it, lies not so much in the special human incidents which make up this sun-myth, as in the fact that there is a sun-myth at all, that the heavenly phenomena which daily and nightly unrolled themselves before these Polynesians, were at one time in the remote past translated by their poets and thinkers into terms of human passion.

 

Granted the myth-making faculty at all and most races seem to have possessed it at some time, the form the myth shall take and the human incidents with which it shall be clothed, will be determine by the habits and ruling propensities of the people themselves.

 

This solar myth from Polynesia reads as if it had been taken straight from Aryan head-quarters. Is this similarity to be explained, as in the case of the Hellenes, from their having rocked in the same race-cradle, aye sucked at the same paps, or, because they carried with them out into the Pacific the memory of those old myths that they learned from their masters, or from those who drove them forth from the plains of India? or, is it that being human, they had the same myth-making faculty that shows itself in the other races of the earth? The question whether the resemblance is the result' of historical contact, or a coincidence of independent growth is a question beyond our power to answer. Whatever view one takes of it, there can be no doubt that the ancient Polynesians were the equals of the Aryans or the Hellenes in the art of projecting the lies, thefts and adulteries that embroidered their own lives into the courts of heaven.

 

¹⁰   The assertion that the tabu-system originated in the concupiscence of Wakea is merely equivalent to saying that the origin of the system is not known.

 

⁽¹¹⁾  Makia a Hano: Makia is evidently a special name for Wakea, and Hano, a name belonging to some ancestor.

 

¹²  A hano ke aka: There may perhaps be an intentional antithesis between hano and kuhea. Hano primarily means silent, while kuhea, a compound word from ku, to stand, and hea, to call, therefore to proclaim, to herald. Such antitheses are in fine accord with the genius of Hawai`ian poetry.   

 

¹³  Mo, an elided form of moku.

 

¹⁴  Lani, literally sky, a title frequently applied to a king or chief.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 60

Haloa, the Son of Wakea

We have a fragment of tradition regarding Haloa. The first born son of Wakea was of premature birth (keiki alualu) and was given the name of Haloa-naka. The little thing died, however, and its body was buried in the ground at one end of the house. After a while from the child's body shot up a taro plant, the leaf of which was named lau-kapa-lili, quivering leaf; but the stem was given the name Haloa.

After that another child was born to them, whom they called Haloa, from the stalk of the taro. He is the progenitor of all the peoples of the earth.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 61

Waia, the Son of Haloa

Tradition gives us some account of Waia the son of Haloa.

According to the traditions handed down by the ancient Hawai`ians, the government of Waia was extremely corrupt. He was so absorbed in the pursuit of pleasure that he disregarded the instructions of his father, to pray to the gods, to look well after the affairs of the kingdom, and to take good care of his people, so that the country might be prosperous.

It is said that during Waia's reign a portent was seen in the heavens, a head without a body, and a voice came from it, uttering the words, "What king on the earth below lives an honest life?" The answer returned was "Kahiko."¹ Then the voice came a second time from the head and asked the question, "What good has Kahiko done?"

Again came the answer from below, "Kahiko is well skilled in all the departments of the government; he is priest and diviner; he looks after the people in his government; Kahiko is patient and forbearing."

Thereupon the voice from the portent said, ''Then it is Kahiko who is the righteous, the benevolent man."

Again the head asked, "What king on earth lives corruptly ?" Then the people of the earth answered with a shout, "Waia² is the wicked king." "What sin has he committed?" asked the head.

"He utters no prayers, he employs no priests, he has no diviner, he knows not how to govern," said the people.

"Then he is the wicked king," said the head, and thereupon it withdrew into the heavens.

During Waia's reign Hawai`i nei was visited by a pestilence, ma'i ahulau, which resulted in a great mortality among the people. Only twenty-six persons were left alive, and these were saved and cured by the use of two remedies, pilikai and loloi.

This pestilence was by the ancients called Ikipuahola.

Kama, the Hawai`ian medicine-man (kahuna-lapaau), gave it as his opinion that the ikipnahola was of the same nature as the oku'u, the pestilence which appeared in 1804 in the reign of Kamehameha I.

Kama made this statement to his grandson Kuauau, and one year before the appearance of this pestilence Kama foretold its arrival. The circumstances were as follows:

Kamehameha was at Kawaihae making preparations for his Peleleu expedition to Oahu. At that time Kama was taken sick unto death when he made the following statement to Kuanau.

"I am about to die, but you will witness a great pestilence that is soon to make its appearance among us. You will doubtless be weary and worn out with your labors as a physician, because this is the same disease as that which raged in the time of Waia. Ikipuahola is the name of it. It is the same as that pestilence which slew all but twenty-six of the population of Hawai`i."

"How do you know that this disease is the same as Ikipuahola?" asked Kuauau. To this Kama answered, "My instructor once told me that if a distemper associated with buboes³ (hahai), and a skin eruption (meant), were to show itself, a short time thereafter this disease would make its appearance. So the ancients told him, and so my preceptor Kalua told me."

After that Kamehameha sailed for Oahu and the pestilence in truth made its appearance, raging from Hawai`i to Kauai. A vast number of people died and the name Oku'u was applied to it.

After Waia's time another pestilence called Hai-lepo invaded the land and caused the death of a large number of the people. Only sixteen recovered, being saved by the use of a medicine which was composed of some kind of earth (lepo). The name of the king during whose reign this epidemic occurred has escaped me.

I have not heard the traditions of the kings that succeeded Waia, until we come to the time of Maui. The traditions that have come to me of Maui are false (waha-hee), lies, and I repeat no falsehoods.

The traditions of the kings that succeeded Maui, until we come to Kapawa, are not known. But tradition informs us with certainty of the place of birth and death of the kings from Kapawa to Paumakua.

NOTES TO CHAPTER 61

 

¹ Kahiko, the remote past. This answer smacks of the notion which locates the golden age in the remote past, a time when men were good and true and pure, a sentiment not confined to Hawai`i.

 

² Wai-a: This word is now used in the sense of foul, polluted, Its use here is probably figurative.

 

³ This symptom resembles the chief feature of bubonic plague.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 62

Kapawa, Hele-i-pawa, Ai-kanaka, Puna and Hema, Kahai, Wahie-loa, Laka, Lua-nuu, Pohu-kaina, Hua, Pan, Huanui-i-ka-lai-lai, Pau-makua, Haho, Palena, Hana-laa-nui, Hana-laa-iki, Puna-imua, Lana-kawai, Laau, Pili, Koa, Ole, Kuko-hou, Ka-niuhi, Kanipahu

Kapawa was a chief who was born at Kukaniloko¹ district of Waialua, island of Oahu. He died at Lahaina, on Maui, and his bones were taken to lao valley.

Hele-i-pawa was a chief who was born at Lelekea, Kaapahu, in Kipahulu on the island of Maui. He died at Poukela and his bones were deposited at Ahulili. (Fornander: The Polynesian Race, Vol. 2, p. 21, regards Heleipawa as another name for Kapawa.)

Aikanaka was a chief born at Holonokiu, Muolea, Hana, Maui. He died at Oneuli, Puuolai, Honuanla, and his bones were laid to rest at lao. (According to the Ulu genealogy Aikanaka was the grand-son of Heleipawa.)

Puna and Hema² were chiefs who were born in "Haivaiikua-ula," at Kauiki, Maui. Hema died in Kahiki, i. e., foreign lands, and his bones were left at Ulupaupau.

Kaha'i³ was a chief who was born at Kahalulukahi, Wailuku, Maui. He died at Kailikii in Kau; his bones were deposited in lao.

Wahieloa was a king who was born at Wailau, in Kau, Hawai`i; died at Koloa, in Punaluu, Kau; buried at Alae, in Kipahulu, Maui.

Laka⁴ was a king who was born at Haili, Hawai`i; died at Kualoa, Oahu; was buried at lao.

Lua-nuu⁵ was a king who was born at Peekauai, in Waimea, on Kauai; he died at Honolulu, Oahu, and was buried in Nuuanu.

Pohukaina, a king, was born at Kahakahakea, in Kau, died at Waimea, Hawai`i, and was buried at Mahiki.

Hua was a king, who was born at Kahona, Lahaina, Maui; died at Kehoni on the same island, and was buried at lao.

Pau, the son of Hua, was a king who was born at a place in Kewalo on Oahu; died on Molokai and was buried at lao.

Hua (nui-i-ka-lailai), the son of Pau, was a king who was born at Ohikilolo in Waianae, on Oahu. He died on Lanai and his bones were deposited at lao.

Paumakua⁶ was a king of Oahu who was born at Kuaaolit, on Oahu. He died on Oahu and his bones were laid to rest at lao.

Haho⁷. Traditions regarding this king are scanty. Of Palena tradition says that he had two sons, of whom the elder, called Hana-laa-nui, was in the line of the Hawai`i kings, and the younger, Hana-laa-iki, was of the line of Maui kings.

Puna-imua was one of the ancestors of kings on Oahu and on Kauai, Hema of kings on Hawai`i.

Of traditions regarding Lanakawai, Laau, Pili, Koa, Ole, Kukohou, Kaniuhi, I have heard none. Of Kani-pahu we have this:

Kani-pahu was from Hawai`i, but, the kingdom being seized by Kamaiole, he left Hawai`i and took refuge at Kalae on Molokai, where he lived incognito. He took to wife a woman of Kalae, and by his father-in-law was so frequently set to the work of carrying burdens - water and other things - that he contracted callosities on his shoulders.

Kani-pahu had two sons on Hawai`i named Kalapana and Kalahuimoku. Alaikauakoko was the mother of Kalapana and Hua-lani the mother of Kalahuimoku.

Now these two boys had been brought up in retirement in the country, without the knowledge of Kamaiole, because if Kamaiole had known them to be the sons of king Kanipahu, he would have put them to death.

At that time Kamaiole reigned as king over Hawai`i. It happened that while Kamaiole was making a tour of that island some of his boon companions abducted and seduced the good looking wives of certain country folk and took them for themselves.

These people whose wives had been taken from them came before Kamaiole and appealed to him to have their women returned to them. But Kamaiole took the part of his own favorites and the women were not returned to their husbands.

Thereupon these men became greatly incensed against Kamaiole and they secretly consulted Paao that they might put Kamaiole to death. Paao's advice to them was, "Yes, he should be killed; but first secure another king."

Paao accordingly sent a messenger to Kanipahu, who was living at Kalae, on Molokai. On his arrival at Kalae the messenger went before Kanipahu, bearing in his hand a pig as a gift, and coming into his presence he said, "I have come to ask you to return and be the king of Hawai`i. The people of Hawai`i have rejected Kamaiole as unworthy."

Then Kanipahu considered the callous bunches on his neck (kona kokua, ua icho), and he was ashamed to return to Hawai`i. His answer to the messenger was, "I will not return with you; but go to Waimanu; there you will find my peeping fledgeling (ioio moa) Kalapana. He will be a king for you. He is my own offspring, in the care of his mother Alaikauakoko, who lives at Waimanu. Make him your king."

NOTES TO CHAPTER 62

 

¹ It was held to be a most distinguished honor to be born at Kukaniloko. Queens in expectation of motherhood were accustomed to go to Kukaniloko in advance that by undergoing the pains of labor in that place they might confer on their offspring this inestimable boon. Kapawa is mentioned in legends as "Ke alii o Waialua," indicating that he may have passed his youth in that district. Tradition informs us that for some fault, whether of personal character or of government, we are not told, Kapawa was deposed from his government. A chief named Pili Kaaiea was prevailed upon by the king-maker Paao to come to Hawai`i and assume kingly authority. Kapawa was undoubtedly a weak and degraded character. The fact that in spite of having been deposed from the throne he died at Lahaina, in peace so far as we know, and that his bones received the distinguished honor of sepulture in the royal burying place in lao valley, argues that his unfitness for rule depended upon his own personal weakness and debasement rather than upon outbreaks of violence and cruelty. Kapawa was the last of his line, the Nana genealogy.

 

² It were a shame to allow this barren, truncated statement to pass current in its present form. It was the period of communication between Hawai`i and the archipelagoes of the South Pacific. Great navigators, guided by the stars, steered their canoes and successfully voyaged from Hawai`i to the lands, principally in the South, known to them as Kukulu-o-Kahiki.

Hawai`i-kua-uli is a poetical expression meaning "verdure-clad-Hawai`i."

 

The following mele celebrates the deeds of Hema:

Holo Hema i Kahiki, ki'i i ke apo ula,

     Hema voyaged to Kahiki to fetch the red coronet,

 

Loa'a Hema, lilo i ka Aaia,

     Hema secured it, but he was caught by the Aaia,

 

Haule i Kahiki, i Kapakapakaua,

     He fell in Kahiki, in Kapakapakaua,

 

Waiho ai i Ulu-pa'upa'u.

     His body was deposited at Ulu-pa'upa'u.

The descendants of this old-time navigator Hema reigned over Hawai`i and Maui, those of Puna over Oahu and Maui.

 

³ Kaha'i also was a great navigator. If we can believe the legend he voyaged in search of his father, perhaps to avenge him. In Samoa, in the heroic period.

O ke anuenue ke ala o Kaha'i;

     The rainbow was the path of Kaha'i,

 

Pii Kaha'i, koi Kaha'i,

     Kaha'i climbed, Kaha'i strove,

 

He Kaha'i i ke koi-ula a Kane;

     He was girded with the mystic enchantment of Kane,

 

Hihia i na maka o Alihi.

     He was fascinated by the eyes of Alihi.

 

A'e Kaha'i i ke anaha,

     Kaha'i mounted on the flashing rays of light,

 

He anaha ke kanaka, ka waa;

     Flashing on men and canoes;

 

Iluna o Hana-ia-kamalama,

     Above was Hana-ia-kamalama

 

O ke ala ia i imi ai i ka makua o Kaha'i.

     That was the road by which Kaha'i sought his father.

 

O hele a i ka moana wehiwehi,

     Pass over the dark-blue ocean,

 

A haalulu i Hale-kumu-ka-lani,

     And shake the foundation of heaven,

 

Ui mai kini o ke akua,

     The multitude of the gods keep asking,

 

Ninau o Kane, o Kanaloa,

     Kane and Kanaloa inquire,

 

Heaha kau huaka'i nui

     What is your large travelling party seeking,

 

E Kaha'i, i hiki mai ai?

     Kaha'i, that you have come hither?

 

I imi mai au i ka Hema.

     I come looking for Hema.

 

Aia i Kahiki, aia i Ulupaupau.

     Over yonder in Kahiki, over yonder in Ulupa'upa'u,

 

Aia i ka aaia, haha mau ia e Kane,

     Yonder by the Aaia constantly fondled by Kane,

 

Loaa aku i kukulu o Kahiki.

     I have travelled to the pillars of Tahiti.

⁴ He is generally spoken of as "Laka, of Kipahulu, the son of Wahieloa." There is a very interesting legend about him relating to the building of a canoe, in which he sailed to discover the bones of his father.

 

⁵ The names of Aikanaka, Puna, Hema, Kaha'i, Wahieloa, Laka and Luanuu are celebrated in the New Zealand traditions. W. D. A.

 

⁶ There was a Maui Paumakua, with whom Malo has evidently confounded this one of Oahu. They belonged to different lines.

 

The deeds of the Oahu king seem to have been appropriated by the bards who in later times sang the praises of the Maui man. As claimed by Fornander "The Polynesian Race," Vol. 2, p. 24-27, the Oahu Paumakua was a great traveler. His exploits are embellished by the bards in high flown language.

O Paumakua, ka lani o Moenaimua,

     Paumakua, the divinity of Moenaimua,

 

O ke alii nana i hele ke Kahiki

     The king who voyaged to Tahiti,

 

A Kahiki i ke kaiakea,

     Tahiti in the great ocean,

 

O mimo, o momi, o ka mamio,

     He the superb, the select, the magnificent.

 

O ka ia mailoko, o ka Auakahinu,

     The fish he brought away with him were Auakahinu

 

O Auakamea ia lani.

     And Auakamea, the high born.

 

These captives (fish) whom Paumakua brought with him were said to have been white men and priests. They are described as ka haole nui, maka alohiloli, ke a aholehole, maka aa, ka puaa keokeo nui, maka ulaula, foreigners of large stature, fat cheeks, bright' eyes, ruddy and stout. The introduction of circumcision is by some ascribed to Paumakua.

⁷ He was the son of the Maui Paumakua, and is distinguished as the founder of the Aha-Alii, College or Assembly of Chiefs, admission to which was very strictly guarded, and was granted only to those who could prove their royal ancestry.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 63

Kalapana

We have the following scanty traditional information regarding Kalapana. The messengers above mentioned returned from their visit to Kanipahu; they reported to Paao, the commands of Kanipahu.

And when Paao had received the message he went in search of Kalapana. On his arrival at Waimanu valley, Paao inquired of Alaikauakoko, "Whereabouts in Waimanu lives the son of Kanipahu?"

Alaikauakoko, however, kept Kalapana in hiding, and would not reveal where he was, fearing that search was being made for him to kill him, and she replied to Paao, "Kanipahu has no son here." "He has a son," said Paao, "where is Alaikauakoko?" "I am Alaikauakoko," said the woman. Then Paao explained, "Kanipahu has advised me that his son, Kalapana, is here with you."

Thereupon Alaikauakoko yielded and presented Kalapana to Paao.

Then Paao took Kalapana away with him into Kohala, and there they lived secretly together, and they and the people sought for an opportunity to put Kamaiole to death.

By and by, when Kamaiole was about to voyage by canoe to Kona, they thought they saw their opportunity to kill him while he was boarding his canoe. The nature of this opportunity will be evident from the fact that it was a principle of royal etiquette in ancient times that the canoes bearing the royal party should tarry until the canoes of the people had started out to sea before the king's canoes left the beach.

So the people and Kalapana secretly waited the king's movements. Arriving at Anaehoomalu, in Kekaha, Kona, they spent the night, and at day-break the next day all the canoes started oft, leaving those of Kamaiole behind.

Thereupon Kalapana and his people set upon Kamaiole and put him to death, and the government passed to Kalapana. Kalapana was nicknamed kuu ioio rnoa, after the expression used by his father, Kanipahu. No further tradition has been preserved in regard to Kamaiole.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 64

Ka-lau-nui-ohua

It is said that in the reign of Kalaunuiohua there lived a prophetess, or kaula, of great power named Waahia.

Kalaunuiohua had frequently sought to put her to death, but without success. She had been thrown into the sea, beaten with rods, rolled down steep declivities, but still she survived, and the king's patience had become exhausted because she would not die.

Then this prophetess said to Kalaunuiohua, "Do you really wish me to die?'' "Yes, that is my "wish," said the king.

"I shall not die if you attempt to put me to death at any other place save one," said the woman. "If you are in earnest in your wish to kill me, thrust me into the heiau and burn me up

with the temple, then I shall die." The heiau she meant was at Keeku in Kona.

"On the day you set fire to the heiau to destroy me you must stay quietly in the house from morning till night and by no means go out of doors. If the people make an outcry at some portent in the heavens you must not go out to look at it.

"Nor must you open the doors of the house in order to observe the heavenly phenomenon. If you do so you will die. You must wait patiently all day in the house, and only when night comes may you go out of doors. In this way will you and your kingdom be saved from destruction. But if you do not obey my injunctions, disaster will fall upon you and your kingdom.

"My god Kane-ope-nui-o-alakai will afflict you and your kingdom because of your disobedience to his wishes (e like me ke akua). He has granted your desire. I die by your hand." Thus ended her speech.

Then Kalaunuiohua had the woman burnt with fire, and the smoke of the burning heiau went up to heaven and took the shape of two gamecocks that fought together in the heavens.

When the people saw this portent they raised a great shout, and Kalaunuiohua asked, "What means this great uproar?" The answer was "It is a cloud in the heavens that resembles two cocks fighting." "I will look at it," said Kalaunuiohua.

"The prophetess strenuously commanded you not to look lest you die," said his men, and the king yielded. Then that appearance passed away and another portent made its appearance.

The same smoke-cloud assumed the shape of a pig which moved about from, one place to another in the heavens. Again the people raised a great shout, and again Kalaunuiohua declared his wish to look; but his people entreated him not to look out until the thing had disappeared from the heavens.

After this the clouds took on a singular appearance, some were white, some glistening, some green, yellow, red, black, blue-black, black and glistening, and the sky sparkled and flashed with light. Again the people raised a shout and again Kalaunuiohua wished to look, but his men restrained him.

When it came evening and the sun was about to set two clouds resembling mud-hens flew down from the heavens, and, having alighted close to the end of Kalaunuiohua's house, stood

and fought with each other, at the sight of which the people again raised a tremendous shout.

Kalaunuiohua had now become greatly excited and could no longer master his impatience. He reached out his hand to the side of the house and tearing away the thatch gazed upon the mud-hens (alae) of cloud.

Then the prophetess took spiritual possession of Kalaunuiohua's hand. The deity that inspired was Kane-nui-akea. Kalaunuiohua became very powerful, he had only to point with his hand and direct war against another country and that country would be at his mercy.

Kalaunuiohua pointed hither¹ to Maui, and began to wage war against Kamaluohua, king of Maui, and lie defeated him and added Maui to his possession.

Kamaluohua was not put to death, but appointed governor of Maui under Kalaunuiohua.

After that Kalaunuiohua pointed to Molokai; and he made war on Kahakuohua, and, having defeated him, he appointed Kahakuohua governor of Molokai under himself.

The hand of Kalaunuiohua next pointed at Oahu, and he made war on Hua-i-pou-leilei and overcame him, after which he made that king governor of Oahu.

His hand pointed next towards Kauai, and he waged war against that island, a war which was called Ka-welewele-iwi.

When Kalaunuiohua sailed on his campaign against Kauai to wage war upon Kukona, the king of that island, he was accompanied by Kamaluohua, Kahakuohua, and Huakapouleilei, (kings subject to him).

After the arrival of Kalaunuiohua at Kauai the deity (good luck) deserted that king's hand and took possession of Kauli'a, a man of Kauai. The hand of Kalaunuiohua lost the magic power it once had when it pointed.

In the battle with Kukona, king of Kauai, Kalaunuiohua was defeated, but his life and the lives of his allies, the Huas, were spared.

Kalaunuiohua and the other Huas lived peacefully on Kauai with Kukona and were treated by him with all kindness. One time when Kukona was spending the day apart from his own people with these captive Huas about him, he was taken with a desire for sleep. He rolled himself in his blanket and lay down, but did not fall asleep – he was setting a trap for them – and was all the time alert and watching them from beneath his covering.

Kalaunuiohua and his fellow captives supposed that Kukona had really gone to sleep, and they began to grumble and find fault with Kukona and to plot against his life, at which they of Oahu, Molokai, and Hawai`i nodded assent, agreeing that they should turn upon Kukona and put with to death.

But Kamaluohua, the king of Mani, said, "Let us do no hurt to Kukona, because he has been kind to us. Here we are in his hands, but he has not put us to death. Let us then treat him kindly."

Just then Kukona rose up and said to them, "What a fine dream I've just had while sleeping! I dreamed all of you were muttering and plotting my death, but that one pointing to Kamaluohua, defended me and preserved my life."

They all acknowledged the truth of his accusations. "Because, however, of Kamaluohua's kindness," continued Kukona, "'and because of his determination that no evil should be done to me; because he appreciated that life and the enjoyment of peace were great blessings, I will not trouble you."

"Because Kamaluohua did right, I now declare all of you free to return to your homes with the honors of war (me ka lanakila), taking your own canoes with you. Do not think I shall oppress you in your own lands. Your lands shall be your own to live in as before."

So Ka-lau-nui-o-hua returned home to Hawai`i, Huaipouleilei to Oahu, Kahakuohua to Molokai, Kamaluohua to Maui; and they lived peacefully in their own homes. This peace was called ka lai loa ia Kamaluohua, the long peace of Kamaluohua.

Kamehameha I² had this affair of Kukona's in mind when he allowed Kaumualii to live at the time he met him in Honolulu, Oahu.

There is a lack of traditional knowledge of Kuaiwa and of Kahoukapu; but of Kau-hola-nui-mahu tradition gives us some information.

NOTES TO CHAPTER 64

 

¹   It may be inferred from the use of this word mai (hither) that David Malo himself lived on Maui at the time of writing this.

 

²   This statement of David Malo is entirely contrary to the truth. Kamehameha basely plotted to take the life of Kaumualii by poisoning him while at a feast given in his honor when that noble king (Kaumualii) had come to Honolulu on an errand of peace. The life of Kaumualii was saved only by the interference of Isaac Davis, who warned the king of Kauai of his danger. For this act Isaac Davis was afterwards poisoned.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 65

Kau-hola-nui-mah'u

There was a king named Kahoukapu, whose wife being barren, they had no children.

But being very desirous of offspring, she went to consult with Paao, the priest, about it. "Here I am," said Paao. "What shall I do to beget a child?" asked La'akapu.

''You must go and fetch a fish as an offering to the deity for yourself," said Paao. Then she went away, and having obtained a fish, returned to Paao, saying, "Here is a fish for the deity."

"What sort of a fish is it?" asked Paao.

"A weke" said La'akapu. "Throw it away,'' said Paao, "the deity will not eat such a kind of a fish as that. It is like a rat. It's full of bones; so is a rat. It has a beard; so has a rat. It is lean; so is a rat. Go and fetch another fish."

La'akapu then brought another fish to the priest. "What fish have you?" asked Paao. "It is a moi," answered she. "Throw it away," said he. "It is a rat, the rat Makea. It lives in sea foam (hu'a-kai); the rat makes his covert in the house-thatch (hua-hale); the moi has whiskers; so has mister rat. Bring another fish."

Then La'akapu got another fish and brought it to Paao, who asked, "What fish have you?" "A squid." "Fling it away," said he, "it is the rat Haunawelu. He lives in holes under the ocean. Mr. Rat lives in holes in the rocks. Mr. Squid has arms (awe); Mr. Rat also has a tail. Fetch another fish."

La'akapu then brought a maomao; but Paao again declared it also was a rat. La'akapu, now discouraged and out of patience, said to Paao, "Tell me what sort of a fish you want.' "A pao'o; that is no rat," said he.

Then Laa'kapu brought a pao'o to the priest, and in answer to his question as to what the fish was she answered, naming the fish, and then, obedient to his demand, gave it to him.

Then Paao offered the fish as a sacrifice to the idol diety with the prayer, "Grant a child unto La'akapu." And in due season La'akapu gave birth to a child. But it was of doubtful sex, and she named it Kan-hola-nui-mahu.¹

On the death of Kahoukapu the kingdom passed into the hands of Kauholanuimahu. After reigning for a few years Kauholanuimahu sailed over to Maui and made his residence at Honua-ula. He it was that constructed that fish-pond at Keoneoio.

The wife of Kauholanuimalm remained on Hawai`i and took to herself another husband; his kingdom also revolted from him but Kauholanuimahu returned to Hawai`i and recovered it by war.

NOTES ON CHAPTER 65

 

¹  Mahu means a hermaphrodite.  Back to Contents

CHAPTER 66

Liloa

Liloa, the son of Kiha, had the reputation of being very religious, also of being well skilled in war. His reign was a long one. I have not gained much information about the affairs of his government.

Tradition reports the rumor that Liloa was addicted¹ to the practice of sodomy (moe-ai-kane); but it did not become generally known during his lifetime, because he did it secretly.

During Liloa's reign there was much speculation as to why he retained a certain man as a favorite. It was not apparent what that man did to recommend himself as a favorite (punahele) in the eyes of the king, and it caused great debate.

After the death of Liloa people put to this man the question, "Why were you such a great favorite with Liloa?" His answer was, "He hana ma'i mai ia'u ma ku'u uha."

When people heard this, they tried it themselves, and in this way the practice of sodomy became established and prevailed down to the time of Kamehameha I. Perhaps it is no longer practiced at the present time. As to that I can't say.

Liloa lived most of the time at Wai-pio,² and it was in that valley he died. When near to death, Liloa directed that the government of Hawai`i should go to Ha-kau.

As for Umi, he was unprovided for by Liloa, though during the lifetime of the king he had been his great favorite.³

The result was that Hakau acted very insultingly towards Umi, and constantly abused and found fault with him, until finally it came to war between them, and Hakau was killed by Umi.

NOTES ON CHAPTER 66

 

¹   The language is such as to make it appear that Liloa was the first Hawaiian inventor of this form of vice, and the one through whom it finally became popularized. As to its prevalence at the time when Mr. Malo wrote, it is safe to say that, like such a vegetable pest as the lantana, the introduction of a vice is more easy than its eradication, to forget is more difficult than to remember.

 

²   Liloa is represented as an affable, pleasure-loving monarch, of easy manners, but a strict disciplinarian. He was much given to touring through the districts of his kingdom, by which means he acquainted himself with the needs of his people and was able to repress the arbitrary encroachments of the chiefs on the rights of the land-holders under their authority. In this way he gained popularity with the common people. The romantic incident relating to the parents and birth of Umi are related in the following chapter. In explanation of David Male's statement that Liloa was counted a person of great piety, it may be remarked that in his reign the temple-service of the famous heiau of Pa-ka'a-lana, situated in the valley of Wai-pio, was maintained with great care and strictness. The sacred pavement, of which Mr. Fornander speaks and which perhaps formed a sort of roadway between the royal residence, called Hau-no-ka-ma`a-hala, and the heiau above mentioned, though built long anterior to Liloa's time, became so closely associated in mind with the glories of Liloa's reign, that it was thenceforward known as ka Pae-pae-a-Liloa. The celebrity of Waipio as a royal residence and the capital of the kingdom of Hawai`i – the island – went into a decline at the death of Liloa; and the incoming of so narrow-minded and despicable a monarch as Hakau, was the finishing stroke to its primacy among the towns and places of the island-kingdom. There was peace on Hawai`i during the long reign of Liloa.

 

³   This statement conveys a wrong impression. It is true the territory of the kingdom was not divided, but provision was made for Umi – after a fashion – in that he was appointed the kahu of the idol, a fact which had an important influence over his life and fortunes. There is a certain similarity between the position occupied by Umi after the death of Liloa, and that in which Kamehameha found himself after the death of Ka-lani-opu'u. Kamehameha, like Umi, was the kahu of the idol (akua) probably in both cases the same, Ku-kaili-moku, Ku, the land-grabber; but Umi was left without resources with which to maintain his proper self-respect or to support the service of the idol, or divinity that was entrusted to his care. But in both instances genius, ability, was able to take care of itself.  Back to Contents

 

CHAPTER 67

Umi

Umi was the son of Liloa, but not his first son. The name of his first son was Hakau, whom he begot by Pinea, the regular wife of Liloa. Hakau was considered a very high chief, because Pinea was of the same alii-rank as Liloa, owing to the fact that Liloa's mother, Waiolea, was the elder sister of Pinea.

Umi was the child of Liloa by a woman whom he seduced named Akahi-a-kuleana. She has often been spoken of as a person of no alii blood, but the fact was that she was of the same alii line as Liloa himself. They were both descendants of Kanipahu.

The genealogies of Akahi-a-kuleana and of Liloa from Kanipahu are as follows:

Kanipahu first took to wife Ala-i-kaua-koko, as a result of which union was born Kalapana, the ancestor of Liloa.

 

Afterwards Kanipahu took to wife Hualani, who gave birth to Ka-la-hu-moku, who was the ancestor of Akahi-a-kuleana.

 

Kalahumoku took to wife Laamea, and begot Ikialaamea.

 

Ikialaamea took to wife Kalama, and begot Kamanawa-a-akalamea.

 

Kamanawa-a-akalamea took to wife Kaiua, and begot Ua-kai-ua.

 

Ua-kai-ua took to wife Kua-i-makani, and begot Ka-nahae-kua-i-makani.

 

Ka-nahae-kua-i-makani took to wife Kapiko, and begot Kuleana-kapiko.

 

Kuleana-kapiko took to wife Keniani-a-hoolei, and begot Akahi-a-kuleana, who was wifed by Liloa, and gave birth to Umi.

Here is the genealogy from Kalapana:

Kalapana and Makeamalaehanae, begot Kahaimoeleaikaikupou.

 

Kahaimoeleaikaikupou and Kapoakauluhailaa, begot Kalaunuiohua 

 

Kalaunuiohua and Kaheka, begot Kuaiwa.

 

Kuaiwa and Kainuleilani, begot Kahoukapu.

 

Kahoukapu and Laakapu, begot Kauhola.

 

Kauhola took to wife Neulaokiha and Waiolea, and begot Liloa.

 

Liloa took to wife Akahiakuleana, and begot Umi.

The story of the birth of Umi is as follows:

Liloa, the father of Umi, was at that time the king of all Hawai`i and had fixed residence in the Waipio valley, Hamakua.

The incident happened while Liloa was making a journey through Hamakua toward the borders of Hilo to attend the consecration of the heiau of Manini. This heiau, which Liloa had been pushing forward to completion, was situated in the hamlet of Kohola-lele, Hamakua.

When the tabu had been removed he waited for a while, till the period of refreshment (hoomahanahana)¹ was over, and then moved on to the North of that place and stayed at Kaawikiwiki, where he gratified his fondness for pahee and other games.

While staying at this place he went to bathe in a little stream that runs through Hoea, a land adjoining Kealakaha. It was there and then he came across Akahi-a-kuleana. She had come to the stream and was bathing after her period of impurity in preparation for the ceremony of purification, after which she would rejoin her husband, that being the custom among women at the time. Her servant was sitting on the bank of the stream guarding her pa-u.

When Liloa looked upon her and saw that she was a fine looking woman he conceived a passion for her, and, taking hold of her, he said, ''lie with me." Recognizing that it was Liloa, the king, who asked her, she consented, and they lay together.

After the completion of the act, Liloa, perceiving that the woman was flowing, asked her if it was her time of impurity, to which she answered, "Yes, this is the continuation of it." "You will probably have a child then." said Liloa, and she answered that it was probable. Liloa then asked her whose she was and what was her name. "I am Akahi-a-kuleana," said she, "and  Kuleanakapiko is the name of my father." "You are undoubtedly a relation of mine," said Liloa. "Quite likely," said she.

Then Liloa instructed her regarding the child, saying, "When our child is born, if it is a girl do you name it from your side of the family; but if it is a boy give to him the name Umi."

"By what token shall I be able to prove that the child is yours, the king's?"

Then Liloa gave into her hands his malo, his niho-palaoa, and his club (laau palau), saying, "These are the proofs of our child, and when he has grown up give these things to him."²

To this arrangement Akahiakuleana gladly assented, and handed the things over to her maid, to be taken care of for the child.

Liloa then made for himself a substitute for a malo by knotting together some ti-leaves, with which he girded himself.

On returning to the house the people saw that he had a covering of ti-leaf, which was not his proper malo and they remarked to each other, "What a sight! Liloa is out of his head. That isn't his usual style; it's nothing but a ti-leaf makeshift for a malo."

Liloa remained at this place until the period of refreshment (hoomahanahana) was over and then he went back to Waipio, his permanent residence.

A short time after this Akahi-a-kuleana found herself to be with child, the child Umi. Her husband, not knowing that Liloa was the true father of the child, supposed it to be his own,

When the boy was born his mother gave him the name Umi as she had been bidden to do by Liloa at the time of his conception.

And they fed and took care of the boy until he was grown of good size. The story is told that on one occasion, when his foster-father, the husband of Akahi-a-kuleana, returned to the house, after having been at work on his farm, and found that Umi had eaten up all the food that had been prepared, he gave the lad a beating.

Umi was regularly beaten this way every time it was found that he had consumed the last of the fish and poi, or any other kind of food. This was the way Umi's foster father treated him at all times, because he in good faith took the boy to be his own son. But Umi and Akahi-a-kuleana were greatly disturbed at the treatment he received.

Then Umi privily asked his mother "Have I no other father but this one? Is he my only makua?"³

"You have a father at Waipio," answered his mother, "his name is Liloa." "Perhaps I had better go to him," said Umi. "Yes, I think you had better go," said his mother.

After that, on a certain occasion when Umi had consumed the food and his foster father (rnakua kolea) ⁴ had given him a drubbing, Akahi-a-kuleana expostulated and said, "My husband,

it is not your own son that you are all the time beating after this fashion."

Then her husband flamed into passion and sarcastically said, "Who, pray, is the father of this child of yours? is it King Liloa?" "Yes," said she, "Liloa is the father of my child."

"Where is the proof of the fact that this son to whom you, my wife, have given birth, belongs to Liloa?" demanded he.

Then Akahi-a-kuleana called to her maid-servant and ordered her to bring the things which Liloa had left for Umi. "You see now," said she, "who is the real father of the boy/' and the man was satisfied that he could not claim the paternity of the child.

Sometime after this explanation Akahi-a-kuleana carefully instructed Umi as to his going to Waipio to Liloa.

She girded him with Liloa's malo, hung about the boy's neck the lei-palaoa, and put into his hands the club, after which she carefully instructed Umi how he was to act.

"Go down into Waipio valley," said she, "and when you have reached the foot of the pali swim to the other side of the stream. You will see a house facing you; that is the residence of Liloa.

"Don't enter through the gate, but climb over the fence; nor must you enter the house in the usual way, but through the king's private⁵ door. If you see an old man, and some one waving

a kahili over him, that is your father, Liloa; go up to him and sit down in his lap. When he asks who you are, tell him your name is Umi." Umi assented to all his mother's instructions.

Akahi-a-kuleana ordered her brother, Omao-kamau, to accompany Umi and to wait upon him. Omao-kamau readily agreed to this and followed him as a servant.

She also directed that Omao-kamau should take charge of the club which had been Liloa's, saying, "Keep this stick which was Liloa's."

When all the arrangements had been made, Umi and Omao-kamau started off on their journey by themselves.

On reaching Ke-aha-kea they came across a little boy named Pi'i-mai-wa'a, who asked them whither they were going. "To Waipio," they replied.

"I will adopt you as my boy, and you may go along with us to Waipio," said Umi. "Agreed," said the lad, and they proceeded in company.

On reaching Waipio they descended into the valley by way of Koaekea, and coming to the foot of the pali they all swam across the Wailoa stream.

Gaining the other side they saw before them the residence of Liloa at a place called Hau-no ka-ma'a a-hala, with the entrance to the house facing them.

On nearing the house Umi said to the others, "You two tarry here and wait for me. I will go in to Liloa. If in my going to him I am killed, you must return by the way we came; but if I come back alive to you we shall all live.'' With these words Umi left them.

In his going Umi climbed over the fence that surrounded the residence of Liloa and entered the house, by Liloa's private door, as his mother had bade him do when he left her.

When Liloa's officers (that stood guard about him) saw that the lad had forfeited his life (laa] because he had climbed over the fence, which was a sacred and tabu thing, they gave chase after him to kill him. Then Umi ran up to Liloa and made as if he would sit down in his lap; but Liloa spread his thighs apart so that Umi sat down upon the ground.

As he did so Liloa saw the niho-palaoa on Umi's neck, and his own malo about Umi's loins, and he asked, "What is your name? Are you Umi?" "Yes," answered he, "I am Umi, your son."

Then Liloa took Umi upon his lap and embraced and kissed him and inquired of him, "Where is Akahi-a-kuleana ?"

"She it was," answered Umi, "who directed me to come to you." Then Liloa showed to the people the things of his which Umi had, saying, "This is my malo and my palaoa but where is my club?" "It is outside, in the hands of my companion," answered the boy.

Then Liloa sent for Omaokamau and Pi'i-mai-wa'a.

And he said to all his people, "When we went to consecrate the heiau you called me a crazy one, because I wore a malo of ti-leaf.

"But here is that malo of mine, and that niho-palaoa, also that club. I left them for this one. He is my son, Umi."

Then all the people saw that Umi was the son of Liloa. The king then ordered to bring his idols that the ceremony of oki-piko might be performed on Umi, and it was done.

When Hakau, Liloa's first son, heard the sound of the drum, he asked what it meant, and the people answered, "It is the drum at the oki-piko of Liloa's new-found son, Umi."

On hearing that Liloa had a new son, Hakau was full of wrath, and he came to Liloa with the question, "Is this your son ?" To this Liloa ayed assent and at the same time tried to placate

Hakau, saying, "You will be king, and he will be your man. You will have authority over him." With words like these Liloa tried to soften Hakau's anger towards Umi. Hakau was outwardly appeased, but there was a hypocritical reservation within.

While Umi lived in the court of Liloa he gave the strictest obedience to his father's commands, and Liloa, on his part, took the greatest care of his son, Umi. This was noticed by Hakau.

And the very fact intensified the hatred of Hakau to Umi, so that he always treated him with rudeness, and thus it was so long as Liloa lived. Hakau's anger and constant hectoring of

Umi continued through Liloa's life, and caused the king much pain and sadness.

When Liloa drew near to death he announced it as his will that Hakau should inherit all the land, but that the idols and the house of the gods should be given to Umi, to be under his care.

After the death of Liloa, Umi submitted dutifully himself to Hakau. Hakau, however, hated Umi cordially and treated him with great contempt and spitefulness (hookae).

Once when Umi rode upon Hakau's surf-board, Hakau said to him, "Don't you use my surf-board. Your mother was a common, plebeian woman of Hamakua. My board is tabu. I am an alii"

When Umi chanced on one occasion to put on a malo belonging to Hakau, Hakau insulted and upbraided him, saying, "Don't you wear my malo. I am an alii. Your mother was a low-class woman of Hamakua."

Thus it was that Hakau insulted and actually offered violence to Umi so that finally he made up his mind to leave the court of Hakau secretly, his two companions, Omaokamau and Pi'i-mai-wa'a, who came with him from Hamakua, keeping him company in his flight.

The road they followed in their departure was the same as that they took in their coming.

After climbing Koae-kea and reaching Kukui-haele they found a boy named Koi, and Umi having adopted him as his own, son, he travelled along with them.

On reaching Kealakaha, which was Umi's birth-place, they did not put up with his mother. Their inclination was rather to wander still farther.

For that reason they travelled on in a northerly direction, and reaching the western bounds of Hilo, they entered a land called Wai-puna-lei.

It being now near the close of day they selected a place to camp down and spend the night; but at day-break they resumed their journey, for Umi had conceived the idea of living a vagabond life in some unknown and out-of-the-way place, because he was ashamed at having been so insulted by Hakau.

When it came bed-time the young women of the place saw that they were clean and wholesome-looking youths, and they chose them for husbands, and they spent the night with them, (a hoao ae lakou.)⁶

There was a young woman to each of them, but Umi was such a handsome fellow that he had two.

While they stayed at this place they (the young men) agreed among themselves, after consulting together, that Umi's name should be kept secret; and on talking it over with each

other again, they still further agreed that Umi should do no work. Umi accordingly performed no labor.

After they had been there awhile Pi'i-mai-wa'a. Koi and Omao-kamau went out to work in the farms of their fathers-in-law; but Umi did not go.⁷

When the young men came home at night from their farming, their fathers-in-law were delighted with their vigor as farmers.

But Umi's father-in-law was greatly disappointed that Umi did not work to help support his wife.

On one occasion they went down to the ocean at Lau-pa-hoe-hoe, and engaged in surf-bathing (kaha-nalu), in which Umi was of superior skill ; and Umi raced with one Paiea.

And as they were coursing, Paiea rudely crowded over onto Umi, so that his board came violently in collision with Umi's shoulder and hurt him severely. This was the fault, on account of which Umi afterwards put Paiea to death, he having then succeeded to the government of the island.

When it came to the season for aku, Pi'i-mai-wa'a, Omaokamau and Koi went a-trolling for aku along with the men of the place.

Their fathers-in-law were delighted, when they got the fish, but the fathers-in-law of Umi were very much put out because he did not go for aku with the fishermen of the region.

Umi's fathers-in-law said to Umi's wives, "If this fat husband of yours were only a fisherman now, we would have some aku to eat, but as it is, you are wasting yourselves on this man."

On one occasion when the fishermen saw that Umi was a strong fellow they invited him to go aku-fishing with them, and he consented. They did not know that he was an alii, though the disappearance of Umi had become notorious: nor did they know that his name was Umi.

While they were fishing, Umi noticed that when a fisherman took in a fish he passed it between his legs (poho-lalo) in putting it into the canoe, and when it came to the division of the

fish, he would not use as food for himself such as had been treated in this way.⁸

But he exchanged the fish thus obtained for those of another fisherman, whose fish had been passed over the fisherman's shoulder, saying to him, "Give me your small fish, and take in exchange these large fish as yours;" to which the other readily agreed.

Umi would not eat of these fish, but took them as an offering to his god Kaili, which he kept in a secret place near the residence of Ho-kuli.

When Kalei-o-ku, the prophet, noticed that as often as Umi went a-fishing, which was very frequently, a rainbow⁹ appeared over the patch of calm water in the ocean that surrounded

him (malau), and he said to himself, "Perhaps this is Umi," for he had heard of Umi's disappearance.

Accordingly Kalei-o-ku came down to where Umi was living, bringing with him a pig, as an offering. And when he arrived at Umi's place of residence he found him living in a lordly fashion, and he said to himself, "This man is an alii."

He immediately offered the pig, at the same time repeating this prayer, "Here is a pig, o God, a pig for the purpose of detecting an alii." Then Kalei-o-ku released the pig, and it went and stood before¹⁰ Umi; after which it came back to Kalei-o-ku.

Kalei-o-ku then put to him the question. "Are you Umi?" "I am he," said Umi. "Let us go then to my place," said Kalei-o-ku, and Umi consented and went with him. Thereupon his fathers-in-law and all the people of the neighborhood said, "So then this man is an alii, and his name is Umi, the son of Liloa. He is that one of whom we heard some time ago that he was lost."

Then Umi and his wives, and Pi'i-mai-wa'a. Omao-kamau, and Koi, and their wives accompanied Kalei-o-ku to his residence.

THE END.

NOTES TO CHAPTER 67

 

¹   In this connection it probably refers to that relaxation from the rigors of temple-worship spoken of in connection with the lua-kini. It is probable that Liloa had been engaged in the pious work of consecrating some newly built temple.

 

²   From the point of view of the time, the conduct of Liloa in this whole affair was not only non-reprehensible, but was at the same time marked with a fine sense of honor. The giving of the pledges into the hands of Akahi-a-kuleana, so far as they go, give color to this view.

 

³   The term makua was applied to an uncle as well as to one's own father. It was a common thing for children to roam from one makua to another for the most trivial reasons. This was a vice, a weak point in the Polynesian social system.

 

⁴   Makua-kolea. A very significant phrase, literally a plover-father. Apropos of the uncertainty of the parentage on the male side the Hawaiians have the saying, "Maopopo, ka makuahine, maopopo ole ka makuakane," one can be sure of the mother, but not of the father.

 

⁵   This daring act was intended as a rightful assertion of high alii rank. In Maori story, says S. Percy Smith, when a child goes to visit a heretofore unseen parent he does not enter by the main gateway, but over the fence of the pa.

 

⁶   A ho-ao ae lakou. The study of the word ho-ao sheds a flood of light upon the manners and customs of the ancient Hawaiians. To remain with a woman until morning, broad daylight, was equivalent to declaring her one's wife. In the Wakea sun-myth Wakea's relation to Hoohoku-ka-lani was regarded as one of marriage only when he had remained with her until day-light.

 

⁷   "But Umi did not go." Polynesians were not behind some other races in that sort of devotion to aristocracy which thought it belittling to noble blood to soil the hands with labor. Umi did not, however, consistently live up to this notion. Kamehameha also broke away from this tradition, and set an example to husbandmen by farming it with his own hands.

 

⁸   It was a race-trait of the Polynesians and still is to have unaccountable squeamish notions as to food, not merely superstitious ceremonialisms, but personal, finicky disgust's. In this case, however, it would seem as if it was something more than a personal whimsy, perhaps a delicate scruple as to the respect due his god, Kaili.

 

⁹   The rainbow was looked upon as one of the signs of royalty; so also was a thunder-storm, a heavy surf, or any unusual meteorological disturbance. In this attempt to weave into the story of Umi, a purely historical character, these omens and portents, we can, if I mistake not, detect a myth-making effort in its early stage. The attempt in this case is so well within the historic period, so close to modern times, as to spoil the effect by raising the suspicion of self-consciousness.

 

¹⁰   The pig had the reputation of being a capital detective of royalty. During the reign of Ka-la-kaua the "Board of Genealogy," of historic fame, employed the detective power of this animal to search out and reveal the hiding place, and establish the identity, of the long lost bones of the great Kamehameha. The effort was claimed to have been successful.  Back to Contents