(HAWAIIAN MYTHOLOGY)***


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[Illustration: KE-ALOHI-LANI]


LEGENDS OF GODS AND GHOSTS (HAWAIIAN MYTHOLOGY)

Collected and Translated from the Hawaiian

by

W. D. WESTERVELT

Author of "Legends of Old Honolulu" and
"Maui, a Demi-God of Polynesia"








[Illustration]

Boston, U.S.A.
Press of Geo. H. Ellis Co.
London
Constable & Co., Ltd.
10 Orange St., Leicester Sq., W.C.
1915

Copyright, 1915, by
William Drake Westervelt
Honolulu, H.T.




TABLE OF CONTENTS

    CHAPTER                                   PAGE
           INTRODUCTION                          v
        I. THE GHOST OF WAHAULA TEMPLE           1
       II. MALUAE AND THE UNDER-WORLD           14
      III. A GIANT'S ROCK-THROWING              21
       IV. KALO-EKE-EKE, THE TIMID TARO         26
        V. LEGENDARY CANOE-MAKING               29
       VI. LAU-KA-IEIE                          36
      VII. KAUHUHU, THE SHARK GOD OF MOLOKAI    49
     VIII. THE SHARK-MAN OF WAIPIO VALLEY       59
       IX. THE STRANGE BANANA SKIN              66
        X. THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN          74
       XI. HAWAIIAN GHOST TESTING               84
      XII. HOW MILU BECAME THE KING OF GHOSTS   94
     XIII. A VISIT TO THE KING OF GHOSTS       100
      XIV. KALAI-PAHOA, THE POISON-GOD         108
       XV. KE-AO-MELE-MELE, THE MAID OF THE
           GOLDEN CLOUD                        116
      XVI. PUNA AND THE DRAGON                 152
     XVII. KE-AU-NINI                          163
    XVIII. THE BRIDE FROM THE UNDER-WORLD      224
           APPENDIX:
               The Deceiving of Kewa           241
               Homeless and Desolate Ghosts    245
               Aumakuas, or Ancestor-ghosts    248
               The Dragon Ghost-gods           255
               Chas. R. Bishop                 259
               Partial List of Hawaiian Terms  260
               Press Notices                   264




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


    KE-ALOHI-LANI                      Frontispiece
                                      OPPOSITE PAGE
    IMAGES OF GODS AT THE HEIAU             12
    FROM A TARO PATCH                       28
    KUKUI-TREES, IAO VALLEY, MT. EEKE       50
    A TRUSTY FISHERMAN                      64
    THE MISTY PALI, NUUANU                 120
    DANCING THE HULA                       140
    BREADFRUIT-TREES                       160
    A YOUNG CHIEF OF HAWAII                188
    THE HOME OF THE DRAGONS NEAR HILO      198
    COCOANUTS                              222
    THE HOME OF KEWALU                     230
    FISH PLATES IN COLOR




                *       *       *       *       *

                          PRONUNCIATION

                *       *       *       *       *

Readers will have little difficulty in pronouncing names if they
remember _two_ rules:--

1. No syllable ends in a consonant, _e.g._, Ho-no-lu-lu, not Hon-o-lulu.

2. Give vowels the German sound rather than the English, _e.g._, "e"
equals "a," and "i" equals "e," and "a" is sounded like "a" in
"father."




                        INTRODUCTION


The legends of the Hawaiian Islands are as diverse as those of any
country in the world. They are also entirely distinct in form and
thought from the fairy-tales which excite the interest and wonder of the
English and German children. The mythology of Hawaii follows the laws
upon which all myths are constructed. The Islanders have developed some
beautiful nature-myths. Certain phenomena have been observed and the
imagination has fitted the story to the interesting object which has
attracted attention.

Now the Rainbow Maiden of Manoa, a valley lying back of Honolulu, is the
story of a princess whose continual death and resurrection were invented
to harmonize with the formation of a series of exquisite rainbows which
are born on the mountain-sides in the upper end of the valley and die
when the mist clouds reach the plain into which the valley opens. Then
there were the fish of the Hawaiian Islands which vie with the
butterflies of South America in their multitudinous combinations of
colors. These imaginative people wondered how the fish were painted, so
for a story a battle between two chiefs was either invented or taken as
a basis. The chiefs fought on the mountain-sides until finally one was
driven into the sea and compelled to make the deep waters his continual
abiding-place. Here he found a unique and pleasant occupation in calling
the various kinds of fish to his submarine home and then painting them
in varied hues according to the dictates of his fancy. Thus we have a
pure nature-myth developed from the love of the beautiful, one of the
highest emotions dwelling in the hearts of the Hawaiians of the long
ago.

So, again, Maui, a wonder-working hero like the Hercules of Grecian
mythology, heard the birds sing, and noted their beautiful forms as they
flitted from tree to tree and mingled their bright plumage with the
leaves of the fragrant blossoms.

No other one of those who lived in the long ago could see what Maui saw.
They heard the mysterious music, but the songsters were invisible. Many
were the fancies concerning these strange creatures whom they could hear
but could not see. Maui finally pitied his friends and made the birds
visible. Ever since, man has been able to both hear the music and see
the beauty of his forest neighbors.

Such nature-myths as these are well worthy of preservation by the side
of any European fairy-tale. In purity of thought, vividness of
imagination, and delicacy of coloring the Hawaiian myths are to be given
a high place in literature among the stories of nature vivified by the
imagination.

Another side of Hawaiian folk-lore is just as worthy of comparison.
Lovers of "Jack-the-Giant-Killer," and of the other wonder-workers
dwelling in the mist-lands of other nations, would enjoy reading the
marvelous record of Maui, the skilful demi-god of Hawaii, who went
fishing with a magic hook, and pulled up from the depths of the ocean
groups of islands. This story is told in a matter-of-fact way, as if it
were a fishing-excursion only a little out of the ordinary course. Maui
lived in a land where volcanic fires were always burning in the
mountains. Nevertheless it was a little inconvenient to walk thirty or
forty miles for a live coal after the cold winds of the night had put
out the fire which had been carefully protected the day before. Thus,
when he saw that some intelligent birds knew the art of making a fire,
he captured the leader and forced him to tell the secret of rubbing
certain sticks together until fire came.

Maui also made snares, captured the sun and compelled it to journey
regularly and slowly across the heavens. Thus the day was regulated to
meet the wants of mankind. He lifted the heavens after they had rested
so long upon all the plants that their leaves were flat.

There was a ledge of rock in one of the rivers, so Maui uprooted a tree
and pushed it through, making an easy passage for both water and man. He
invented many helpful articles for the use of mankind, but meanwhile
frequently filled the days of his friends with trouble on account of the
mischievous pranks which he played on them.

Fairies and gnomes dwelt in the woodland, coming forth at night to build
temples, massive walls, to fashion canoes, or whisper warnings. The
birds and the fishes were capable and intelligent guardians over the
households which had adopted them