TRICKSTER stories are generally in the form of contests with the
spirits who peopled the islands before the coming of man to
Hawaii, and are only occasion-ally told of animal figures. In
early days the southern islands of the group were all peopled by
spirits, each with its chief spirit, Kani-ka‘a of Hawaii,
Keoloewa or Ke-ahu-ali‘i of Maui, Pahulu of Lanai, Kaunolu of
Molokai, Halali‘i of Oahu. Lanai and Kahoolawe were long avoided
by settlers through fear of the spirits who were their sole
inhabitants. The Kaulu-laau of Lahaina who cleared Lanai of
spirits has never been connected with the voyager Kaulu but may
be a namesake. The tendency is to be seen on the one hand of
centering such exploits about a single figure, on the other hand
of a local detachment which gives rise to a distinct hero cycle
on each island or even from district to district, hence a
multiplication of trickster figures each with his own cycle of
ad-ventures, sometimes borrowed from district to district. Most
of the stories on record are