The Legends And Myths Of Hawaii. The Fables And Folk-Lore Of A Strange People - free ebook by King of Hawaii David Kalakaua

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The Legends And Myths Of Hawaii. The Fables And Folk-Lore Of A Strange People

King of Hawaii David Kalakaua

104 chapters

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104 chapters

PREFACE.

PREFACE.

For material in the compilation of many of the legends embraced in this volume obligation is acknowledged to H. R. H. Liliuokalani; General John Owen Dominis; His Excellency Walter M. Gibson; Professor W. D. Alexander; Mrs. E. Beckley, Government Librarian; Mr. W. James Smith, Secretary of the National Board of Education; and especially to Hon. Abram Fornander, the learned author of “An Account of the Polynesian Race, its Origin and Migrations.” The legends, in the order of their publication, be

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GENERAL RETROSPECT.

GENERAL RETROSPECT.

Flint-edged Knife. Stone Battle-Axe. Stone Battle-Axe. Ihe, or Javelin, 6 to 8 feet long. Spear, 16 to 20 feet long. And, glancing still farther backward through the centuries, we behold adventurous chiefs, in barges and double canoes a hundred feet in length, making the journey between the Hawaiian and more southern groups, guided only by the sun and stars. Later we see battles, with dusky thousands in line. The warriors are naked to the loins, and are armed with spears, slings, clubs, battle-a

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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

Although the channel and ocean coasts of the islands are generally bold, rocky and precipitous, there are numerous bays and indentations partially sheltered by reefs and headlands, and many stretches of smooth and yellow beach, where the waves, touched by the kona , or the trade-wind’s breath, chase each other high up among the cocoa’s roots and branches of the humble hau -tree clinging to the sands. The harbor of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the only one, however, where passengers and fr

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HISTORIC OUTLINES.

HISTORIC OUTLINES.

The intercourse thus established between the Hawaiian and southern groups by Nanamaoa, Paao and Pili continued for about one hundred and fifty years, or until the middle or close of the twelfth century. During that period several other warlike families from the south established themselves in the partial or complete sovereignty of Oahu, Maui and Kauai, and expeditions were frequent between the group and other distant islands of Polynesia. It was a season of unusual activity, and the legends of t

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THE TABU.

THE TABU.

Women were tabued from eating plantains, bananas, and cocoanuts; also the flesh of swine and certain fish, among them the kumu , moano , ulua , honu , ea , hahalua and naia ; and men and women were allowed under no circumstances to partake of food together. Hence, when Liholiho, in 1819, openly violated this fundamental tabu by eating with his queen, he defied the gods of his fathers and struck at the very foundation of the religious faith of his people. The general tabus declared by the supreme

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ANCIENT HAWAIIAN RELIGION.

ANCIENT HAWAIIAN RELIGION.

Kane , the originator; Ku , the architect and builder; and Lono , the executor and director of the elements. By the united will of Hikapoloa , or the trinity, light was brought into chaos. They next created the heavens, three in number, as their dwelling-places, and then the earth, sun, moon and stars. From their spittle they next created a host of angels to minister to their wants. Finally, man was created. His body was formed of red earth mingled with the spittle of Kane , and his head of whit

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ANCIENT HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT.

ANCIENT HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT.

The leading chiefs and high-priesthood claimed a lineage distinct from that of the masses, and traced their ancestry back to Kumuhonua , the Polynesian Adam. The iku-pau , a sacred class of the supreme priesthood, assumed to be the direct descendants from the godhead, while the iku-nuu were a collateral branch of the sacred and royal strain, and possessed only temporal powers. It was thus that one of the families of the Hawaiian priesthood, in charge of the verbal genealogical records, exalted i

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ARTS, HABITS AND CUSTOMS.

ARTS, HABITS AND CUSTOMS.

The dwellings of the masses were constructed of upright posts planted in the ground, with cross-beams and rafters, and roofs and sides of woven twigs and branches thatched with leaves. The houses of the nobility were larger, stronger and more pretentious, and were frequently surrounded by broad verandas. It was a custom to locate dwellings so that the main entrance would face the east, the home of Kane . The opposite entrance looked toward Kahiki, the land from which Wakea came. The homes of wel

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THE HAWAII OF TO-DAY.

THE HAWAII OF TO-DAY.

The products of the islands for export are sugar, molasses, rice, bananas, fungus, hides and wool, of an aggregate approximate value of eight million dollars annually. The principal product, however, is sugar, amounting to perhaps one hundred thousand tons yearly. Nine-tenths of the exports of the group find a market in the United States, and four-fifths or more of the imports in value are from the great Republic. The receipts and expenditures of the government are a little less than one million

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

HINA, THE HELEN OF HAWAII. A STORY OF HAWAIIAN CHIVALRY IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY. The story of the Iliad is a dramatic record of the love and hate, wrong and revenge, courage and custom, passion and superstition, of mythical Greece, and embraces in a single brilliant recital events which the historic bards of other lands, lacking the genius of Homer, have sent down the centuries in fragments. Human nature has been substantially the same in all ages, differing only in the ardor of its passions and

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I.

I.

It was at Kukaniloko that Kapawa, the son of Nanakaoko, was born. His principal seat of power was probably on Hawaii, although he retained possessions on Maui and Oahu. It was during his life that the celebrated chief and priest Paao made his appearance in the group. He came from one of the southern islands with a small party, bringing with him new gods and new modes of worship, and to him the subsequent high-priests of Hawaii traced their sacerdotal line, even down to Hevaheva, who in 1819 was

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II.

II.

The party landed a little before daylight. The sea was rough, but the moon shone brightly, and the passage into the mouth of one of the gulches was made without accident. In the arms of Kaupeepee Hina was borne up the rock-hewn path to the fortress, and placed in apartments on the lower terrace provided with every comfort and luxury known to the nobility of the islands at that period. They had been especially prepared for her reception, and women were in attendance to wait upon her and see that

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III.

III.

Paumakua had died at a very old age, and was buried at Iao, leaving his titles, meles and possessions to his son, Haho; but the change did not seem to affect the holdings of Hakalanileo in Hilo, although it brought to his sons some support in their subsequent war with Kaupeepee. Haho was a haughty but warlike chief, and refused to recognize the titles of many of the native nobles; and, to permanently degrade them, he founded the Aha-alii , or college of chiefs, which embraced the blue-blooded of

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IV.

IV.

Meantime Kana’s fleet of canoes, which had been hovering nearer and nearer the walls of Haupu since daylight, with a wild battle-cry from the warriors crowding them suddenly dashed through the surf, and partially succeeded in effecting a landing in one of the gulches flanking the fortress. So rapid had been the movement, and so thoroughly had the attention of the besieged been engrossed with the diversion from the mountains, that a division of the assaulting party managed to reach the canoes of

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE ROYAL HUNCHBACK. THE LEGEND OF KANIPAHU, THE GRANDSON OF PILI. About the period of A.D. 1160 Kanipahu was the nominal sovereign of the island of Hawaii. He was the grandson of Pili, who near the close of the previous century came from Samoa, at the solicitation of the high-priest Paao, to assume the moiship left vacant by the death of Kapawa, whose grandfather was probably the first of the southern chiefs who came to the Hawaiian group during the important migratory movements of the eleventh

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I.

I.

The king was suddenly aroused by a tumult at the outer gate. There was a sound of angry voices mingled with a clashing of spears, and immediately after a tall chief, clad in maro , feather cape and helmet, and bearing a stout ihe , or javelin, strode toward the royal mansion, followed by a number of excited chiefs and their retainers. Reaching the palace, the chief turned and faced his clamoring pursuers with a look of defiance. To shed blood there was an offence which no one was bold or reckles

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II.

II.

Finally the discontent became so general among the makaainana that they appealed to the head of the Paao family, the high-priest of the kingdom, for advice and assistance. They declared that they would no longer submit to the tyranny of Kamaiole and the exactions of his favored chiefs, and demanded a new ruler. Tradition ascribes this movement almost wholly to the laboring people, but it is more than probable that the priesthood took an early if not the initiatory part in it, since the high-prie

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE TRIPLE MARRIAGE OF LAA-MAI-KAHIKI. THE LEGENDS OF MOIKEHA AND THE ARGONAUTS OF THE ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH CENTURIES. Tradition abounds in bold outlines, here and there interspersed with curious details, of the many prominent expeditions to the Hawaiian Islands, from the beginning of the eleventh to the latter part of the twelfth centuries, of adventurous Tahitian, Samoan and Georgian chiefs. Learning of the existence and approximate location of the group, and perhaps guided to an extent by int

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I.

I.

The Paumakua family occupied a large part of the eastern side of the island, and, although they were of the stock of the second influx, their relations with the native chiefs and people seem to have been peaceful and satisfactory. Paumakua, who first appeared in native annals two generations before the time of Olopana and his brothers, either as an immigrant from one of the southern islands or the son or grandson of a chief of recent arrival, was one of the most restless and dashing of the promi

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II.

II.

After a few days of preparation the messenger of Puna was despatched with the palaoa to Kaula, with instructions to place it in the hands of the first of the contesting chiefs to claim it on that island. The messenger had been gone two days, and had probably reached his destination, as the distance to be travelled was but little more than a hundred miles, and the rival chiefs had everything in readiness to bend their sails for Kaula, when Moikeha, as already stated, anchored his fleet in the eve

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III.

III.

With the affectionate greetings of Moikeha, Kila presented to Laa the brilliant mamo , or royal mantle, of which he was made the bearer, and expressed the hope that he would comfort the few remaining days of his foster-father by returning with him on a visit to Kauai. Olopana strongly objected to the proposed journey, urging his advanced years and the probability of his early death; but when assured by Laa of his speedy return he reluctantly consented, and after a round of hospitable feasts and

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE APOTHEOSIS OF PELE. THE ADVENTURES OF THE GODDESS WITH KAMAPUAA. In the pantheon of ancient Hawaiian worship—or, rather, of the worship of the group from the twelfth century to the nineteenth—the deity most feared and respected, especially on the island of Hawaii, was the goddess Pele. She was the queen of fire and goddess of volcanoes, and her favorite residence was the vast and ever-seething crater of Kilauea, beneath whose molten flood, in halls of burning adamant and grottoes of fire, sh

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I.

I.

The fugitives first landed at Honuapo, in the district of Kau, but, finding no lands there available, coasted along to the southern shores of Puna, and finally located in the valleys back of Keauhou, among the foothills of Mauna Loa, including the crater of Kilauea. A few miles to the westward an overflow had reached the sea the year before, and as the volcano was still active, and earthquakes were of frequent occurrence in the neighborhood, the valleys had been deserted, and the new-comers who

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II.

II.

While the kilos were plying their arts the mystery was suddenly solved in a more practical manner. Detected one night in destroying the walls of one of Olopana’s fish-ponds, Kamapuaa and a number of his party were secretly followed to their hiding-place in the hills. This information was brought to Olopana, and he promptly equipped a small force of warriors to follow and capture or destroy the plundering band, which, he was enraged beyond all measure in learning, was under the leadership of his

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III.

III.

The thought then came to Kamapuaa—perhaps not for the first time—that he would marry Pele himself and settle permanently in Puna. The idea of marriage had seldom occurred to him, but after he saw Pele he could think of little else. He greatly admired her appearance, and could see no reason why she should not be equally well pleased with his. No mirror, save the uncertain reflection of the waters, had ever shown him his hideously-tattooed face and bristly hair and beard, and the hog-skin still wo

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

HUA, KING OF HANA. THE LEGEND OF THE GREAT FAMINE OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY. With the reign of Hua, an ancient king of Hana, or eastern Maui, is connected a legendary recital of one of the most terrible visitations of the wrath of the gods anywhere brought down by Hawaiian tradition. It is more than probable that the extent of the calamities following Hua’s defiant and barbarous treatment of his high-priest and prophet was greatly colored and exaggerated in turn by the pious historians who received

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I.

I.

In preparation for this festival Hua had called for unusually large contributions from the people, and, in anticipation of another hostile expedition to Hawaii, had ordered quotas of warriors, canoes and provisions from his subject chiefs, to be reported at Hana immediately after the beginning of the new year. These exactions caused very general dissatisfaction, and the priesthood assisted in promoting rather than allaying the popular discontent. All this was reported to Hua, and he resolved to

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II.

II.

Leaving the woman almost in a daze at the words thus spoken in rapid and excited sentences, Oluolu left the hut and started up the narrow valley. A walk of three or four minutes brought her to the entrance of an abrupt and chasm-like ravine gashing the hills on the right. To its almost precipitous sides clung overhanging masses of ragged volcanic rock, from the crevices of which a sturdy vegetation had taken root, and in time past gloomily shaded the narrow channel; but the interlacing branches

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III.

III.

“Great priest, willingly will we add our voices to your supplication to the gods, whose vengeance has indeed been terrible. But since our retreat was revealed to you and nothing seems to be hidden from your understanding, let me ask if you know aught of the fate of Oluolu. She was my wife, and I left her in a little valley in the mountains back of Hana. I loved her greatly, and am grieved with the fear that she is dead.” Without replying the priest seated himself upon the ground, and, unbinding

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE IRON KNIFE. A LEGEND OF THE FIRST WAR FOR THE CONQUEST OF THE GROUP. Two or three attempts to consolidate under one general government the several islands of the Hawaiian group were made by ambitious and war-like chiefs previous to the final accomplishment of the project, at the close of the last century, by Kamehameha I.; but all these early schemes of conquest and aggrandizement proved unsuccessful, and were especially unfortunate in affording excuses for retaliatory raids and invasions, s

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I.

I.

Kualu was a chief without possessions. His grandfather, a chief of the old line of Nanaula, had been killed in the battle which restored Kalapana to the throne of his fathers, and on the sudden death of his father, twenty years before, he had been adopted by Waahia, a kaula , or prophetess, renowned in tradition for her foresight and influence. He was recognized by the Aha-alii , or college of chiefs of established lineage, as of noble blood, but belonged to that class of chiefs who, lacking the

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II.

II.

And now we will return to Kalaunui and his army of conquest, last seen on their way to Maui in a fleet of two thousand canoes. Sailing to the western division of the island, which was reached in two days, Kalaunui effected a landing of his army at Lahaina. Kamaluohua, the moi of the island, had learned of the projected invasion some days before, and made every preparation possible to meet and repel it. Lunapais , or war-messengers, had been despatched to the several district chiefs, and an army

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III.

III.

“Kaheka,” answered Kualu. “She charges me with cowardice and desertion.” “Then Kaheka accuses you of what I know to be false!” said Waahia. “Yes,” returned the chief; “but the witnesses to my fidelity are few and humble, and the words of the king can alone relieve me in the eyes of the aha alii of the disgrace with which the charges of Kaheka will cover me.” “True,” replied the kaula , encouragingly; “but the disgrace will not be lasting, for the king will return to do you justice.” “When will h

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IV.

IV.

Where is the long knife of the stranger? Where is the sacred gift of Lono ? It came to Wailuku and is lost, It was seen at Lahaina and cannot be found. He is more than a chief who finds it, He is a chief of chiefs who possesses it. Maui cannot spoil his fields, Hawaii cannot break his nets; His canoes are safe from Kauai; The chiefs of Oahu will not oppose him, The chiefs of Molokai will bend at his feet. O long knife of the stranger, O bright knife of Lono ! Who has seen it? Who has found it? H

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE SACRED SPEAR-POINT. THE ADVENTURES OF KAULULAAU, PRINCE OF MAUI. Kaululaau was one of the sons of Kakaalaneo, brother of, and joint ruler with, Kakae in the government of Maui. The latter was the legitimate heir to the moiship , but, as he was weak-minded, Kakaalaneo ruled jointly with him and was the real sovereign of the little kingdom. The court of the brothers was at Lele (now Lahaina), and was one of the most distinguished in the group. The mother of Kaululaau was Kanikaniaula, of the f

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I.

I.

At that time Lanai was infested with a number of gnomes, monsters and evil spirits, among them the gigantic moo , Mooaleo. They ravaged fields, uprooted cocoanut-trees, destroyed the walls of fish-ponds, and otherwise frightened and discomfited the inhabitants of the island. That his residence there might be made endurable, Kaululaau was instructed by the kaulas and sorcerers of the court in many charms, spells, prayers and incantations with which to resist the powers of the supernatural monster

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II.

II.

The ambition of Noakua, and anger of the queen at the presumed neglect and infidelity of her husband, soon harmonized them in a plot against the absent king. Preparations for the revolt began to be observed, when Kaululaau, not wishing to be openly identified with the dangerous movement, quietly embarked with his party for Hilo, where he remained to watch the progress of the struggle which he had been instrumental in originating. The prince had been in Hilo but a few days when a lunapai arrived

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III.

III.

“Why go farther?” said Kamakaua. “We cannot reach the bird, and, if we could, our spears would be like straws to such a monster.” As if by a strong hand, the javelin in the grasp of the prince forcibly turned and pointed toward the bird. Smiling at the augury, Kaululaau replied: “Look you carefully back and see if we are followed.” Kamakaua turned his face in compliance, and as he did so the prince poised his javelin and hurled it in the direction of the bird. In twenty paces the point did not d

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI. THE LEGEND OF LO-LALE, THE ECCENTRIC PRINCE OF OAHU. Kelea, of whom in the past the bards of Oahu and Maui loved to sing, was the beautiful but capricious sister of Kawao, king of Maui, who in about A.D. 1445, at the age of twenty-five, succeeded to the sovereignty of that island. Their royal father was Kahekili I., the son of Kakae, who, with his brother, Kakaalaneo, was the joint ruler of the little realm from about 1380 to 1415. Kakae was the rightful heir to th

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I.

I.

No sport was to her so enticing as a battle with the waves, and when her brother spoke to her of marriage she gaily answered that the surf-board was her husband, and she would never embrace any other. The brother frowned at the answer, for he had hoped, by uniting his sister to the principal chief of Hana, to more thoroughly incorporate in his kingdom that portion of the island, then ruled by independent chiefs; but by other means during his reign, it may be remarked, the union of the two divisi

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II.

II.

“Then so let it be. It is perhaps the will of the gods. I would have had it otherwise; but be to Kelea and her husband, and to my royal brother the king of Oahu, my messenger of peace.” Thanking the moi for his kindly words, Kalamakua took his leave. As he was about to re-embark in the afternoon for Oahu, the discomfited halumanu , having but just then landed, passed him on the beach. Knowing that he had been outwitted, in his wrath he reached for the handle of his knife. But he did not draw it.

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

UMI, THE PEASANT PRINCE OF HAWAII. THE HISTORIC LEGENDS OF LILOA, HAKAU, AND THE “KIHA-PU.” Nowhere on the island of Hawaii do the palms grow taller than in the valleys of Waipio, and nowhere is the foliage greener, for every month in the year they are refreshed with rains, and almost hourly cooled in the shadows of passing clouds. And sweet are the waters that sing through the valleys of Waipio. They are fed by the tears of the trade-winds gathered in the shaded gorges of the mountains where th

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I.

I.

For a period of eight years, during the reign of Kiha, the Kiha-pu was missing from the cabinet of royal charms and treasures. A new temple was to be dedicated to Lono , not far from Waipio, and feathers of the mamo, oo and other birds were required to weave into royal mantles and redecorate Kaili and other gods of the king’s household. But one of the Kahu alii , constituting the five classes of guardians of the royal person, was permitted to touch the Kiha-pu , nor did any other know of its dep

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II.

II.

All land titles at that time vested either in the sovereign or the chiefs subject to him, and the producer was frequently required to return to his landlord a full third or half of all his labor yielded. Sometimes the land-owner was more liberal with his tenants; but quite as often he took to the extent of his need or greed, with no one to challenge the injustice of his demands. But the bit of land occupied by the father of Akahia was part of a large tract reserved for the benefit of the king, a

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III.

III.

“A strange story, indeed! But if the trees, which are speechless, do not betray you, why should not I?” said Umi, curious to learn something farther of the strange being in whose veins possibly coursed the blood of kings. “Because,” answered the giant, slowly, “you are Umi, the son of Liloa, and Hakau is your enemy!” Umi listened to these words in amazement, and then frankly said: “You are right. I am Umi, the son of Liloa, and Hakau is not my friend. And now that you know so much, you cannot bu

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IV.

IV.

All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted them with what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of go

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V.

V.

It must have been at about the time of this interview that Hakau was leaving the heiau at Waipio, after having invoked the auguries of sacrifice and listened to the voice of Nunu from the darkness of the inner temple. The king had scarcely passed the gate of the temple leading to the sacred pavement of Liloa, which connected the heiau with the royal mansion, and which privileged feet alone could tread, when Nunu, after exchanging a few words with the high-priest, also left the enclosure, but nei

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

LONO AND KAIKILANI. A ROMANTIC EPISODE IN THE ROYAL ANNALS. What a hustling and barbaric little world in themselves were the eight habitable islands of the Hawaiian archipelago before the white man came to rouse the simple but warlike islanders from the dream they had for centuries been living! Up to that time their national life had been a long romance, abundant in strife and deeds of chivalry, and scarcely less bountiful in episodes of love, friendship and self-sacrifice. Situated in mid-ocean

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I.

I.

What followed could have occurred only in Hawaii. A day was appointed for a public trial of Lono’s abilities before the assembled chiefs of the kingdom. Although but twenty-three years of age, his knowledge of warfare, of government, of the unwritten laws of the island and the prerogatives of the tabu was found to be complete; and Kawaamaukele, the venerable high-priest of Hilo, whose white hairs swept his knees, and who had foretold Lono’s future when a boy, bore testimony to his thorough maste

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II.

II.

Lono looked up, but could see no one above them. He inquired the meaning of such words addressed to the wife of the moi of Hawaii; but the queen, seemingly confused, was either unable or unwilling to offer any explanation. Enraged at what he hastily conceived to be an evidence of her infidelity, Lono seized the konane board and struck her senseless and bleeding to the earth. Without waiting to learn the result of his barbarous blow, Lono strode to the beach, and, ordering his canoe launched, set

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III.

III.

“My royal brother, disguise is no longer necessary or fitting. I am Lonoikamakahiki, son of Keawenui and moi of Hawaii, and the gods have sent to me Kaikilani, my wife. It is her voice that we now hear.” Then, turning and approaching the wall behind which Kaikilani was standing, Lono began to chant her name, coupled with words of tenderness and reconciliation; then, springing over the obstruction, he clasped his faithful wife in his arms, and the past was forgiven and forgotten. The rank of his

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE ADVENTURES OF IWIKAUIKAUA. A STORY OF ROYAL KNIGHT-ERRANTRY IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. One of the most interesting characters distinctly observed among the misty forms and dimly outlined events of the remaining Hawaiian traditions of the sixteenth century is Iwikauikaua. In him the knight-errantry of the period found a distinguished exponent and representative, and his deeds add a bold tint to the glow of romance and chivalry lighting up the life and reign of the great Lono, and lend a lustre

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I.

I.

And this was also the inheritance of Iwikauikaua, the son of Makakaualii. He was a landless chief of royal blood, and circumstances indicate that he was quite a youth when Keawenui died and Kaikilani assumed the sceptre. He grew to manhood around the court of his royal aunt, and was among the many who rejoiced when Lono became her husband and, with her, the joint ruler of Hawaii. In person he was handsome and imposing, and his accomplishments befitted his rank. Through Kaikilani the moiship had

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II.

II.

The moi had landed at Waikiki, where he was met and defeated by the united chiefs of Oahu. He was slain during the battle, and his body was taken to the heiau of Apuakehau, where it was treated with unusual indignity—so unusual, in fact, that Kahekili, the moi of Maui, many generations after remembered the act, and retaliated in kind upon the chiefs captured by him in his conquest of Oahu. Kauhiakama had always been a rash and visionary leader, and his tragical end did not surprise Iwikauikaua.

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE PROPHECIES OF KEAULUMOKU. THE CAREER OF KEEAUMOKU, THE PRINCE-SLAYER AND KING-MAKER. The days had just begun to lengthen after the summer solstice of 1765 when a great grief fell upon the royal court of the island of Maui. Kamehamehanui, the king, had died very suddenly at Wailuku, which had been his favorite place of residence, and his brother and successor, Kahekili, had removed his court to Lahaina. The bones of the dead king had been carefully secreted, the customary mourning excesses ha

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I.

I.

Keeaumoku’s first effort in king-making occurred in 1754. On the death, in that year, of his uncle Alapainui, and the succession of his cousin Keaweopala to the Hawaiian throne, he became dissatisfied with his allotment of lands and raised the standard of revolt in Kekaha. Defeated, he fled in his canoes to Kau, where Kalaniopuu had for some years maintained himself in independence of Alapainui. Joining their forces, they marched northward, defeated and slew Keaweopala in Kona, and Kalaniopuu, w

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II.

II.

Conveying the Body of Kalaniopuu to Honaunau. (FROM A PAINTING IN THE ROYAL PALACE.) Although but sixty-two years of age, in appearance Keaulumoku was much older. His eyes were bright, but his form was bent, and his white hair and beard swept his shoulders. When he sang all listened, and his wild utterances were treasured up and repeated as inspirations from the gods. He was known on all the islands of the group, and it was safe for him to travel anywhere. He had been a friend of Keeaumoku, many

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III.

III.

Keaulumoku made no reply, and Keeaumoku walked slowly toward the palace, trying to remember the words of the poet which had so thrilled his listeners. What occurred between Keeaumoku and the old poet during their repast that evening will never be known; but certain it is that henceforth Keeaumoku never doubted the final success of Kamehameha, and when, in the summer of 1785, the latter retired discomfited from an invasion of Hilo, Keeaumoku smiled as he said to his chief: “Thus far you have only

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE CANNIBALS OF HALEMANU. A POPULAR LEGEND OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. Although barbarous to the extent to which a brave, warm-hearted and hospitable people were capable of becoming, every social, political and religious circumstance preserved by tradition tends to show that at no period of their history did the Polynesians proper—or the Hawaiian branch of the race, at least—practise cannibalism. In their migrations from the southern coasts of Asia to their final homes in the Pacific, stopping,

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I.

I.

Learning of the death of his daughter, Kokoa in his rage slew a near kinsman of the chief and made a feast of his body, to the great delight of his followers. They were cannibals, but the fact was not known to their neighbors, as they had thus far restrained their appetites for human flesh, and avoided all mention to others of their propensity for such food. Their relish for it, however, was revived by the feast provided by the wrath of Kokoa, and they were not sorry to leave the lands they had

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II.

II.

Now confident of his strength and satisfied with his skill, Napopo returned to Oahu in the canoe which so many had failed to win. Landing at Waialua, he by some means learned that his sister, Kaholekua, the wife of Lotu, had been killed by her husband. Arming himself with a spear and knife of sharks’ teeth, Napopo proceeded to Halemanu. Arriving at the house barring the entrance to the stronghold, he was met at the door by Lotu. Their recognition was cold. The eyes of Lotu gleamed with satisfact

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

KAIANA, THE LAST OF THE HAWAIIAN KNIGHTS. KAMEHAMEHA, KAAHUMANU, CAPTAIN COOK, AND THE FINAL CONQUEST. Among the distinguished Hawaiian chiefs connected with the final conquest and consolidation of the group by Kamehameha the Great, and standing in the gray dawn of the close of the eighteenth century, when the islands were rediscovered by Captain Cook and tradition began to give place to recorded history, was Kaiana-a-Ahaula. He was one of Kamehameha’s greatest captains, and the events of his li

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I.

I.

To this record of the tangled relationships of the chiefly families of the group at that period may be added the intimations of tradition that Peleioholani, a chief of Kauai, was the actual father of Kalaniopuu, and that Kahekili, the moi of Maui, was the real father of Kamehameha; and in proof of the latter the acts and admissions of Kahekili are cited. But these scandals may very properly be dismissed as the offspring of the hatred and jealousies of later years. Kamehameha was born at Kohala w

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II.

II.

How were the devotion and kindness of the simple natives requited? By eating out the substance of the people, violating the tabus of the priests and trampling upon the edicts of the king. Cook became exacting, dictatorial and greedy, and from his conduct it almost seemed that he began to consider himself in reality the god for whom he was mistaken by the superstitious natives. Under the circumstances, his departure for the leeward islands of the group, on the 4th of February, was regarded with s

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III.

III.

Kaiana had been left to guard the district of Kona during the absence of Kamehameha, and that was the only division left unoccupied by Keoua. Kamehameha landed with his forces at Kawaihae, and Keoua fell back with his army to Paauhau. There and at Koapapa a two days’ battle was fought, when Keoua retreated to Hilo, and Kamehameha retired to Waipio to recruit his losses. Stopping for a few days to divide the lands of the district among his chiefs, Keoua started on his return to Kau. His path led

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IV.

IV.

The God “Kumauna,” Four Miles above Hilea, Hawaii. (HUGE FACE DELINEATED IN THE CLIFF.) Kaiana’s father was Ahaula, who was the son of Keawe, king of Hawaii, by a mother whose name is now unknown. The mother of Kaiana was Kaupekamoku, a granddaughter of Ahia, of the family of Hilo, from whom the present sovereign of the islands draws his strain. The birthplace of Kaiana is not recorded, but he was probably reared in the neighborhood of Hilo, and thoroughly instructed in all the chiefly accomplis

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V.

V.

Summoning his district chiefs to muster their quotas of canoes and armed men, Kamehameha prepared for the conquest of Oahu and a final struggle for the mastery of the group. It is said that his army numbered sixteen thousand warriors, some of them armed with muskets, and that so great was the number of his canoes that they almost blackened the channels through which they passed. The army embarked from Hawaii early in 1795, and, after touching at Lahaina for refreshments, landed for final prepara

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

KAALA, THE FLOWER OF LANAI. A STORY OF THE SPOUTING CAVE OF PALIKAHOLO. Beneath one of the boldest of the rocky bluffs against which dash the breakers of Kaumalapau Bay, on the little island of Lanai, is the Puhio-Kaala , or “Spouting Cave of Kaala.” The only entrance to it is through the vortex of a whirlpool, which marks the place where, at intervals, the receding waters rise in a column of foam above the surface. Within, the floor of the cave gradually rises from the opening beneath the water

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I.

I.

As Kaala scattered flowers before the chief her graceful movements and modesty were noted by Kaaialii, and when he saw her face he was enraptured with its beauty. Although young in years, he was one of Kamehameha’s most valued lieutenants, and had distinguished himself in many battles. He was of chiefly blood and bearing, with sinewy limbs and a handsome face, and when he stopped to look into the eyes of Kaala and tell her that she was beautiful, she thought the words, although they had been fre

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II.

II.

Suddenly he stopped. The footprints for which he was watching had now disappeared from the Palawai path, and for a moment he stood looking irresolutely around, as if in doubt concerning the direction next to be pursued. In his uncertainty several plans of action presented themselves. One was, to see what information could be gathered from Kaala’s mother at Mahana, another to follow the Palawai valley to the sea, and a third to return to Kealia and consult a kaula . While these various suggestion

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III.

III.

“I am dying, but I am happy, for you are here.” He sought to encourage her. He told her that he had come to save her; that the gods, who loved her and would not let her die, had told him where to find her; that he would take her to his home in Kohala, and always love her as he loved her then. She made no response. There was a sad smile upon her cold lips. He placed his hand upon her heart, and found that it had ceased to beat. She was dead, but he still held the precious burden in his arms; and

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLES. THE LAST GREAT DEFENDER OF THE HAWAIIAN GODS. On the 1st of October, 1819, a fleet of four canoes bearing the royal colors set sail from Kawaihae, in the district of Kohala, on the northwestern coast of Hawaii. The canoes were large and commodious, and were occupied by between sixty and seventy persons, a portion of whom were females. The most of the men were large, muscular and over six feet in height, while the dress and bearing of many of the women indicated th

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I.

I.

The results of this growing scepticism were frequent violations of the tabu . To check this seditious tendency summary punishments were inflicted. A woman was put to death for entering the eating apartment of her husband, and Jarvis relates that three men were sacrificed at Kealakeakua, a short time before the death of Kamehameha—one of them for putting on the maro of a chief, another for eating a forbidden article, and the third for leaving a house that was tabu and entering one that was not. K

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II.

II.

He was present at the royal feast at Kailua when Liholiho publicly violated the tabu and decreed the destruction of the temples. He saw Hewahewa, the venerable high-priest, who had been to an extent his religious guide and instructor, cast the first brand upon the heiau where they had so often worshipped together and sought the counsels of the gods. At first all this seemed to be a horrible dream, but the burning temples and frantic rejoicings of the populace soon convinced him that it was a bew

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

Makakehau beheld from the rocky springs of Pulou the vanguard of an approaching kona —scuds of rain and thick mist rushing with a howling wind across the round valley of Palawai. He knew the storm would fill the cave with a wild and sudden rush of waters, and destroy the life of his beautiful Puupehe. Every moment was precious. He flung aside his calabashes of water, and at the top of his speed started down the mountain. With mighty and rapid strides he crossed the great valley, where he met the

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

THE STORY OF LAIEIKAWAI. A SUPERNATURAL FOLK-LORE LEGEND OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. Early in the spring of 1885 a party of six or eight ladies and gentlemen—the writer being of the number—made a carriage circuit of the island of Oahu. Ample preparations for the little journey had been made by the governor of the island, and the marshal of the kingdom acted in the double capacity of guide and escort. A score of attending natives accompanied the party on horseback, and a delightful week or more wa

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Prefatory.

Prefatory.

The father of Laieikawai was Kahauokapaka, chief of the two Koolau districts, comprising the entire windward side of the island of Oahu, and her mother’s name was Malaekahana. Soon after their marriage he made a vow that if her children should prove to be girls they were to be put to death, at least until a son should be born to them. In accordance with this savage vow the first four of Malaekahana’s children, all being daughters, were slain without mercy. When her time again drew near, by the a

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I.

I.

In a dream Waka had been directed by Kapukaihaoa to remove Laieikawai to some securer place, and had accordingly taken her to Malelewaa, a secluded spot on the north side of Molokai. Following the rainbow, the prophet arrived in the evening at Waikolu, just below Malelewaa; but that night Waka was again advised in a dream to remove at once to the island of Hawaii and dwell with her ward at Paliuli. They departed at dawn, and at Keawanui met a man getting his canoe ready to sail to Lanai, and eng

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II.

II.

The chief and his party left Haneoo, and the next day arrived at Kauhola, in the district of Kohala, Hawaii, where a boxing-match was in progress. Aiwohikupua was challenged to a contest by Ihuanu, the champion of Kohala. The challenge was accepted, and in the struggle Ihuanu was killed. They next landed at Paauhau, in Hamakua, to witness another boxing-match. The local champion was Haunaka. He was invited to a contest with Aiwohikupua, but, learning something of the prowess of the chief, he dec

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III.

III.

Halaaniani persuaded her to swim farther out to sea with him, telling her not to look back, as he would let her know when they reached his surf. After swimming for some time she remonstrated, but he induced her to continue on with him. At last he told her to look back. “Why,” said she, in amazement, “the land is out of sight, and Kumukahi, the sea-god, has come to stir the waves!” “This is the surf of which I told you,” he replied; “we will wait and go in on the third roller. Do not in any case

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IV.

IV.

We will now return to Kahalaomapuana, who was sent to a far-distant land in search of her brother, in the hope of making him the husband of Laieikawai. For four months the great moo swam with her in his mouth, and they arrived at last at Kealohilani. But the guardian of the place was absent on a visit to the Moon, and they awaited his return for twenty days. On his arrival he was greatly alarmed at the sight of the gigantic reptile, lying with his head in the house and his tail in the sea, and w

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V.

V.

LOHIAU, THE LOVER OF A GODDESS. THE LEGEND OF HIIAKA, THE IMMORTAL, AND THE PRINCE OF KAUAI. Of all the legends of the adventures with mortals of Pele, the dreadful goddess of the volcanoes, the most weird and dramatic is the one relating to her love for Lohiau, a prince of the island of Kauai, whose reign was probably contemporaneous with that of Kealiiokaloa, of Hawaii, during the early part of the sixteenth century. The story is not only a characteristic relic of the recklessly imaginative an

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

LOHIAU, THE LOVER OF A GODDESS. THE LEGEND OF HIIAKA, THE IMMORTAL, AND THE PRINCE OF KAUAI. Of all the legends of the adventures with mortals of Pele, the dreadful goddess of the volcanoes, the most weird and dramatic is the one relating to her love for Lohiau, a prince of the island of Kauai, whose reign was probably contemporaneous with that of Kealiiokaloa, of Hawaii, during the early part of the sixteenth century. The story is not only a characteristic relic of the recklessly imaginative an

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I.

I.

Glancing at the beautiful stranger from time to time in the midst of his performances, Lohiau at length became so fascinated that he failed to follow the music, when he yielded the instrument to another and seated himself beside the enchantress. In answer to his inquiry she informed the prince that she was a stranger in Kauai, and had come from the direction of the rising sun. Gazing into her face with a devouring passion, Lohiau smilingly said: “You are most welcome, but I cannot rejoice that y

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II.

II.

After many other adventures with monsters and evil spirits, which Hiiaka was able to control and sometimes punish, the party reached the coast at a place called Honoipo, where they found a number of men and women engaged in the sport of surf-riding. As they were about to start for another trial, in a spirit of mischief Hiiaka turned their surf-boards into stone, and they fled in terror from the beach, fearing that some sea-god was preparing to devour them. Observing a fisherman drawing in his li

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III.

III.

The canoe of Paoa had scarcely left the shores of Puna before a strange craft swept in from the ocean, and was beached at the spot from which Hiiaka and her companion had embarked less than half a day before. It was a huge cowrie shell, dazzling in the brilliancy of its colors, and capable of indefinite expansion. Its masts were of ivory, and its sails were mats of the whiteness of milk. Both seemed to be mere ornaments, however, since the shell moved quite as swiftly through the water without w

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

KAHAVARI, CHIEF OF PUNA. A STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF THE GODDESS PELE. Between Cape Kumakahi, the extreme eastern point of the island of Hawaii, and the great lava flow of 1840, which burst forth apparently from a long subterranean channel connecting with the crater of Kilauea, and went down to the sea at Nanawale over villages and groves of palms, is a small historic district which, notwithstanding the repeated volcanic disturbances with which it has been convulsed in the past, the chasms with

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CHARACTERS.

CHARACTERS.

KAHALAOPUNA, THE PRINCESS OF MANOA. A LEGEND OF THE VALLEY OF RAINBOW Manoa is the most beautiful of all the little valleys leaping abruptly from the mountains back of Honolulu and cooling the streets and byways of the city with their sweet waters. And it is also the most verdant. Gentle rains fall there more frequently than in the valleys on either side of it, and almost every day in the year it is canopied with rainbows. Sometimes it is called, and not inappropriately, the Valley of Rainbows.

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I.

I.

To this she assented, and while she was absent Kauhi stood by the door, moodily watching the bright light playing above the pond where she was bathing. He was profoundly impressed with her great beauty, and would have given half the years of his life to clasp her in his arms unsullied. The very thought intensified his jealousy; and when his mind reverted to the disgusting objects upon whom he believed she had bestowed her favors, he resolved to show her no mercy, and impatiently awaited her retu

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II.

II.

Fearing that the spirit of the murdered girl might be able to assume a living appearance, and thus impose upon the judges, Kauhi had consulted the priests and sorcerers of his family, and was advised by Kaea to have the large and tender leaves of the ape plant spread upon the ground where Kaha and her attendants before the tribunal were to be seated. “When she enters,” said the kaula , “watch her closely. If she is of flesh her weight will rend the leaves; if she is merely a spirit the leaves wh

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EXPLANATORY NOTE.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

Aa , the root of any vegetation. Ae , the affirmative; yes. Ao , light. Aaakoko , a vein or artery. Auwina la , afternoon. Akane , an intimate friend. Aole , the negative; no. Ai , food of any kind. Auhau , any tax due to a chief. Au , a current; the gale. Auwae , the chin. Aumoe , midnight. Aouli , the sky. Aumakua , the spirit of a deceased ancestor. Ailo , chiefs permitted to eat with the king. Ahiahi , evening. Aha-alii , chiefs of accepted and irrevocable rank. Aha , a sacred tabu prayer, d

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A.

A.

Auwae , the chin. Aumoe , midnight. Aouli , the sky. Aumakua , the spirit of a deceased ancestor. Ailo , chiefs permitted to eat with the king. Ahiahi , evening. Aha-alii , chiefs of accepted and irrevocable rank. Aha , a sacred tabu prayer, during which any noise was death. Ahi , fire. Ahinahina , the color of gray. Aka , a shadow. Akua , a spirit or god. Akepaa , the liver. Akemama , the lungs. Aku , a mythical bird, sacred to the high priesthood. Ala , a path, road or way. Ala-nui , a great p

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E.

E.

Ia , general name for fish. Ie , a vine for decorating idols. Iu , a sacred or tabued place. Ihe , a javelin used in war. Io , the human flesh. Ihimanu , a fish tabu to women. Ihu , the nose. Iku-nuu , of the royal strain. Iku-pau , of the priestly or sacred strain. Ili , the smallest division of land; the bark; the skin. Imu , an oven for cooking. Ilio , a dog; a stingy person. Imu-loa , an oven for baking men. Ipu , a calabash; a vessel; a container. Iliahi , sandal-wood. Iwi , a small bird wi

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I.

I.

Imu , an oven for cooking. Ilio , a dog; a stingy person. Imu-loa , an oven for baking men. Ipu , a calabash; a vessel; a container. Iliahi , sandal-wood. Iwi , a small bird with yellow feathers; the bone. O , a fork, or pointed implement used in eating. Oo , a bird with yellow feathers, used in making royal mantles. Oa , the rafters of a house. Oi-e , a name for the godhead. Oala , a club thrown in battle. Ohia , a native apple-tree; the fruit of the ohia . Ohia-apane , a species of ohia wood u

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O.

O.

Ola , life. Omaomao , green. One , sand. Onionio , striped. Olai , an earthquake. Onini , a surf-board. Omo , a narrow stone adze. Oma , a space between two armies where sacrifices were made; the prime minister, or first officer under the king. Opelu , a fish sacred to the priesthood. Opu , the stomach. Owili , a surf-board made of wiliwili wood. Ua , a sea-bird; rain. Uau , a large marine bird. Uala , a potato. Uila , lightning. Uha , the thigh. Uhi , a yam. Ulu , the bread-fruit. Ukeke , an an

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U.

U.

Ulu-maika , a game of rolling round stone disks. Ulaula , red; the sacred color. Uliuli , blue. Ulunu , a pillow or head-rest. Unauna , a tabu mark. Unihipili , the spirit of a deceased person. Umiumi , the beard or whiskers. Hanai , a foster-child. Haiao , a day sacrifice. Haole , a foreigner. Hanuhanu , an ancient pastime. Hala , the pandanus-tree. Hakaolelo , a chief’s spy; informer; reporter of events. Haa , a singing dance. Haipo , a night sacrifice. Haku , a lord; a master. Hakoko , wrestl

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H.

H.

Hailima , the elbow. Hanauna , a relative. Hale , a house or dwelling. Hale-alii , the house of the chief; the royal mansion. Hale-lole , a tent or cloth house. Hale-koa , a fort or house of war. Hale-lua , a grave or sepulchre. Haili , a ghost; a name for a temple. Hawane , the cocoa palm. Hau , a lascivious dance, or hula . Hekili , thunder. Heenalu , surf-riding. Heihei , foot-racing; a large drum. Heie , the servant of a seer who reported his prophecies. Heiau , a temple or place of worship.

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K.

K.

Kanaka-maoli , an actual slave. Kaikamahine , a girl or daughter. Kaiki-kane , a male child. Kaikunane , a brother. Kaikuahine , a sister. Kaliko , spotted. Kaioloa , the ceremony of putting a maro on a god by the women of a chief. Kaumaha , a sacrifice to the gods. Kaumihau , a tabu by the high-priest, when a hog was baked, and men were temporarily separated from their wives. Kakuai , an offering to the gods at daily meals, generally of bananas. Kahoaka , the spirit of a living person, claimed

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L.

L.

Lenalena , yellow, the royal color. Lei , a wreath of flowers or feathers. Lepa , a flag or ensign. Lehua , an aromatic shrub. Liliha , the fat of hogs. Loko , a lake or pond. Lima , the hand. Lou , a hook; a fish-hook. Loulu , a cocoanut. Luawai , a well. Luakina , the house of sacrifice in a temple. Luau , a feast. Lua , an ancient practice of killing by breaking bones. Luna , an overseer. Lunapai , a war messenger of a king or chief. Maa , a sling for throwing stones. Mahu , steam. Maiuu , th

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M.

M.

Manamana-wawae , a toe. Manu , general name for birds. Makuakane , a father or uncle. Makuahine , a mother or aunt. Mahini , the moon. Mahini-hou , the new moon. Mahini-peopeo , the full moon. Makani , the wind. Makani-ino , a storm. Makalii , the beginning of the Hawaiian new year. Maliu , a deified deceased chief. Maia , a general name for plantains and bananas, tabu to women. Malaolao , evening twilight. Mano , the shark; every species was tabu to women. Makaainani , the common people. Maro ,

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N.

N.

Pa , a dish or platter; a fence or wall. Pau , a short skirt worn by women; completed, finished. Pahale , a lawn or other enclosure. Pahu , a general name for a drum. Papa , a board; a sledge used in the pastime of holua . Papalina , the cheek. Paliuli , paradise. Pahi , general term for a knife or cutting instrument. Pakiko , an ancient war implement. Palala , any tax paid to a chief. Panalaau , a distant possession of lands. Papapaina , a table of any kind. Pahoa , a dagger, generally of wood.

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P.

P.

Panalaau , a distant possession of lands. Papapaina , a table of any kind. Pahoa , a dagger, generally of wood. Palaoa , a carved ivory talisman worn around the neck by chiefs. Pali , a precipice. Paiai , pounded taro for making poi . Pahoehoe , lava. Pawa , a garden; a small cultivated field. Pea , an elevated cross before a heiau , signifying sacred. Peleleu , a large double war canoe. Pepeiao , the ear. Pipi , an oyster; clam; shell-fish. Poi , the paste of taro . Po’i , a cover or lid. Poo ,

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W.

W.

Wahine-hoao , the real wife. Wili , lightning. Wiliwili , a light wood from which surf-boards were made....

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Corrections

Corrections

The following corrections have been applied to the text:...

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