Kii: Rob Weir
FORNANDER COLLECTION
OF HAWAIIAN ANTIQUITIES AND
FOLK-LORE
THE HAWAIIANS' ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THEIR ISLANDS
AND ORIGIN OF THEIR RACE, WITH THE TRADITIONS OF THEIR
MIGRATIONS, Etc., AS GATHERED FROM ORIGINAL SOURCES
BY ABRAHAM FORNANDER
Author of "An Account of the Polynesian Race" WITH TRANSLATIONS EDITED AND ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES BY THOMAS Q. THRUM
SECOND SERIES
Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
Volume V
Honolulu, h. i.
Bishop Museum Press
1918-1919
Pg. 136-153
KALUAOPALENA and Mahinui, the daughter of Hina, were the father and mother of Palila, who was born in Kamooloa, in Koloa, Kauai ; but he was brought up in the temple of Humuula. Palila at his birth was in the form of a piece of cord and was therefore thrown away in a pile of rubbish, the parents not knowing that it was a child, and furthermore they were disappointed upon seeing the cord. When Palila was born, Hina [the grandmother] was living in the temple of Humuula up in the mountains ; but through her supernatural powers she saw the birth of Palila, so she came down to Mahinui and Kaluaopalena and asked them : "Where is the child that was born a short time ago?" Mahinui and Kaluaopalena replied: "There was no child, it was a piece of cord; it is lying there in that rubbish pile." Hina went over to the place and took up the piece of cord from amongst the rubbish and bundled it up in a piece of white kapa and returned to her home.
After Hina arrived at her home in the temple of Humuula, away up in the mountains in a very lonely spot, she unwrapped the bundle of Palila and put it into another piece of white kapa. This was done at three different times, when it began to assume human form. After the lapse of a full period of ten days, the body of Palila was complete in its form. Hina then built a shelf from the uluhe fern and placed the child upon it. After the child had reached the age when it could take food, it was given nothing but bananas.
Alanapo was another very sacred place ; it was also a temple and was located in the land of Humuula. It was the resort of spirits and a place noted for the strength and braveness of the people brought up in it. When Hina saw that the child was full grown she took him to the temple of Alanapo and brought him up with the spirits, where he was educated in the arts of warfare and in all the training proper for the development of great strength. After the years of training his two hands were equally developed and could deal out death to all his enemies. In his daily life and bringing up, he had a twofold character; that of a spirit and of a human being.
One half of Kauai at this time was under the control of Namakaokalani, who was constantly at war with Kaluaopalena [the father of Palila, the ruler of the other half of Kauai]. Three battles had already been fought by the two and there remained but one more when Namakaokalani, if victorious, would conquer the whole island of Kauai.
It was Hina's usual custom to go down to observe the progress of the contending parties ; she did this every time there was a battle. On this occasion Hina went down and arrived before the commencement of hostilities; she felt that Palila was coming down to see the battle, so upon meeting Kaluaopalena she said to him : "You must be on the watch this day. The first warrior who will come to you will be Namakaokalani from Moloaa; don't call him. The second will be Lupeakawaiowainiha, who is a warrior; don't call him. But, when a warrior comes twirling his war club on the left, that will be Palila, your own son, who comes from the temple of Alanapo. He will be the warrior by whose aid you will conquer the whole of Kauai. Call him to you; if perchance he will be pleased with you, you will live; but if he gets angry you will be slain together with your men."
Soon after Hina departed on her way to see the battle, Palila woke from his sleep. When he looked about him and saw that Hina was not around, he rose, took up his war club, Huliamahi by name, given to him by the gods, and came out of the sacredness of Alanapo. He continued on his way until he was outside of the limits of Humuula, and went through a forest of tall trees until he arrived at a rise looking toward the sea. This rise is Komoikeanu. When Palila arrived at this rise he looked down and saw two great armies gathered at Paa. Palila knew by the action of the men that a battle was about to be fought and against his father Kaluaopalena. He therefore turned and proceeded along the upper part of Hanapepe through the brush and tall trees. When Palila got into the forest he swung his club, Huliamahi, knocking down the trees. By reason of the falling of the trees one on top of another, they kept on falling until the trees standing around one of the armies were also knocked down, destroying a large portion thereof, leaving Kaluaopalena's intact. Those who heard Hina announce the coming of Palila were all afraid upon seeing the forest mowed down, therefore Namakaokalani immediately sent his messengers to ask Kaluaopalena to call off the battle and to make peace.
When Kaluaopalena heard the message, he refused to call the battle off, saying: "I will not call the battle off until I am victorious, for I have laid awake nights until my head was made heavy planning for this battle. I know that I will conquer the whole of Kauai this day." The reason why Kaluaopalena said this was because he had heard that Palila was coming to meet him, and it was also this which caused the other side to sue for peace. On whichever side Palila swung his club no trees or shrubs remained standing, and none grow to this day.
While Palila was on his way to meet Kaluaopalena, Namakaokalani the warrior from Moloaa, with his war club, came to meet Kaluaopalena. This war club was so large that it required eighty men to carry it, forty at one end and forty at the other. When Namakaokalani arrived in the presence of Kaluaopalena, he stood up his war club, called Kawalowai, in the presence of the people; but Kaluaopalena would not call him to come on his side; he was so ashamed that he thereupon returned to Moloaa. After Namakaokalani came Lupeakawaiowainiha, another great warrior. It is said that every time he urinated the land would be flooded. He, too, came with his war club, called Kalalea. This war club was so large that it required one hundred and twenty men to carry it. When he arrived in the presence of Kaluaopalena, he took his war club and twirled it over his head and then down under his chin, causing the people to shout with admiration at his cleverness; but Kaluaopalena would not call him and he was so ashamed that he went home to Hanalei. Kaluaopalena, according to the instructions from Hina was patiently waiting for Palila and consequently did not utter a word when the two warriors stood before him.
After these two warriors came Palila. While he was yet a mile distant from Kaluaopalena, Palila swung his war club, Huliamahi, causing all the trees to fall with the exception of one lehua tree, it being the supernatural body of Palila himself. The trees in falling killed many. None escaped except Kaluaopalena's people, who were standing away from the trees. Those who ran and hid in the woods were killed.
When Palila arrived in the presence of Kaluaopalena, Kaluaopalena came crawling to Palila, and when near him fell flat, face down, and called out : "Ye heavenly offspring, hold out your club." Palila inquired: " Where shall it be? Toward the uplands, toward the lowlands, to the east or downward ?" Kaluaopalena answered : "At the killing of the pig and the red fish." Palila then pushed his war club, Huliamahi, downward until only the point of it remained above ground. That was the land of Waihohonu, therefore its miry condition to this day and its deep depression. At this all the people fell down, not one daring to remain standing for fear of death.
It was a law with Palila that whenever he laughed the kapu would end; people could then stand up, speak, or run about. The people did not, however, know this, so they remained lying down. While they were all in this position Hina arrived and she stood on a little rise called Alea [known as Maunakilika at the present time], with the robe of Palila, called Hakaula and the malo of Palila called Ikuwa. Hina then uncovered herself to nakedness, and rolled over the backs of the people, which caused Palila to laugh and released the kapu, when they all arose. The reason of this laughter was her own condition, called Lehokukuwau. She then approached Palila, circumcised and bound him with oloa kapa? after which they returned up to Alanapo.
After Palila had been in Alanapo more than ten days the desire to go and fight the chiefs of other lands and the demi-gods of the deep began to grow in him until at last he decided to go and meet them. Before he left Alanapo he had a premonition of meeting Kamaikaahui, a human shark which was living in Maui.
Kamaikaahui at this time was living at Muolea, Hana, Maui. He had come through three different forms: first that of a rat; second, a bunch of bananas; and third, that of a shark. It was when he was very small that he had the form of a rat, but on climbing a banana tree he changed into a bunch of bananas. After a while when the owner of the patch of bananas came to pick the bunch he took the top hands only, leaving the lower ones, when it changed into a human being having a shark's mouth and teeth in the back below the neck, and it thereupon began to have a desire for human flesh.
Kamaikaahui's occupation was that of a farmer, and to suit his taste he had his fields near the public highway. While at his work he could see the people on their way sea bathing or on their way to fish. As people passed down he would ask: "What kind of bathing are you going to have?" "We are going to leap from the rocks." He would then say: "Your feet will be bitten/' After the people had passed on their way to the sea, he would then follow on behind and jump into the sea and begin to bite off the feet of the bathers. This was carried on every time the people went bathing and they never once suspected him. If the people were on their way to dive for fish their heads would be bitten off and eaten by Kamaikaahui.
It was his custom to always have a piece of kapa wrapped around his back and he never went without it, because it was to cover up the mouth at his back, for he did not wish to have it seen. One day during one of the king's working days at which Kamaikaahui was present, with the piece of kapa on his back, the people having seen him thus covered at all times made up their mind to see why his back was always covered. A general order was therefore issued in which everybody was requested to uncover their back. This was followed by everybody except Kamaikaahui. When he was requested to uncover his back he at once attempted to escape and ran off, threw down his clothes and jumped into the sea where he turned into a shark. The place where he left his clothes is to this day known as Kauhalahala, given to it because he successfully escaped from the hands of the people.
After transforming himself into a shark he came to Waipahu in Waikele, Oahu, where he remained. As soon as he was settled in the place he again followed the same practice that he did in Maui. Every time he got his opponent under him his mouth at the back would bite and eat the man. This was done so often that the people of Ewa began to get afraid of him, and he lived as a king over them.
On the day that Palila decided to leave home, he took up his war club, Huliamahi, and came out of Humuula and stood on the knoll of Komoikeanu, swung his war club, pointed it in front of him and let the club fly. As the club flew he hung on to one end of it and he was carried by it until he landed on the cliff of Nualolo on the top of the hill of Kamaile, the hill from which the fire sticks are thrown. As he stood on the hill he first looked towards Kahiki, then towards Oahu; then making up his mind to come to Oahu, he pushed his war club ahead of him and again he was carried by it until he landed on the Kaena point at Waianae.
After leaving Kaena he came to Kalena, then on to Pohakea, then to Maunauna, then to Kanehoa, then to the plain of Keahumoa and looking toward Ewa. At this place he stood and looked at the dust as it ascended into the sky caused by the people who had gathered there; he then pushed his war club toward Honouliuli. When the people heard something roar like an earthquake they were afraid and they all ran to Waikele. When Palila arrived at Waikele he saw the people gathered there to witness the athletic games that were being given by the king of Oahu, Ahuapau by name. His palace was situated at Kalaepohaku, close to Wailuakio at Kapalama.
Ahuapau was a kapu chief and he was kept covered up away from the wind and rain. On going out he was carried from place to place inclosed in a palanquin, so high and sacred was his rank. He had two very fast runners, called Iomea and Ioloa. Every time the king traveled to Waikele to witness the games he would climb into his palanquin and be covered up and would only venture out in this way, whether on the way down or on the way home. This king had a certain fear of Kamaikaahui and because of this fear he had issued an order, that whoever was able to chase Kamaikaahui out of Oahu, or was able to kill him, that he would make that person the chief ruler of Oahu.
When Palila arrived at the place he remained on the outside of the crowd and said that if Kamaikaahui would see him he would run away. When this was carried to the king Palila was sent for and as he stood in the presence of the king, the king addressed him, saying: "If it is true that Kamaikaahui will run away from you this day, then you will be the first one to enter my sacred temple." Soon after this Palila made himself known to Kamaikaahui. At sight of Palila, Kamaikaahui attempted to escape by running into the sea, but Palila pushed out his club, forcing Kamaikaahui to come back. He was then caught and uncovered and the people saw his mouth and sets of teeth at his back ; he was then killed.
Papakolea was a farmer and his wife was Koiuiu; they lived at Leleo. It was promised him that when his crops were ripe that the temple of Kanelaauli, at Kahehuna, just at the base of Punchbowl hill, would be opened to the public.
When Papakolea saw Palila he said to Ahuapau, the king: "Say, here is the young man who will conquer the whole island for you ; give him your daughters to wife." Ahuapau had two daughters, Kaalamikioi and Kalehuawai. Upon hearing this the priest Kahikoluamea said: "Don't give him your daughters yet; let us wait a while. He is not quite human as he is partly spirit, being so by the influence of Mahinui, his mother. He has been brought up under strict kapus in the temple of Alanapo by the spirits and is therefore not quite human." At this Ahuapau asked: "What are we to do then?" Kahikoluamea replied: "Put him on the palanquin and let your runners carry him with all haste into the temple, where he shall be kept under a strict kapu until we have worked over him and have transformed him into a perfect human being, when everything will be well." Palila was then placed in the palanquin and he was carried off by the two runners into the temple of Kanelaauli, at Kahehuna, without allowing a single breath of wind to strike him. The king Ahuapau in the meantime walked on the ground for the first time and the wind also for the first time blew on him.
After Palila was carried into the temple of Kanelaauli the priests inquired: "What is this?" The runners answered: "It is a kapued chief from Alanapo, Kauai. Let the railing of the temple be put up, let the drum be beaten and the coconut rattlers rattle." On the next day the priests worked on Palila and he was also properly circumcised. He was then transformed into a perfect human being. After the ceremonies Palila was allowed to live with his wives, the daughters of Ahuapau. Soon after this Ahuapau told Palila to make a circuit of Oahu, to which Palila consented.
But before starting out Palila asked Ahuapau : "Are there any lawless obstructions along the road surrounding Oahu?" "None," said Ahuapau. This was, however, a lie, as Ahuapau was even at this time determined to have Palila killed. Palila then said to Ahuapau: "Yes, I am going on my way and in case I meet some one who will attempt to harm me, I will first kill him and then I will return and kill you and all your men." At this Ahuapau was frightened and told of Olomana, who was living at Kaelepulu in Koolau and was a great warrior. Palila then said: "I will not kill you now; but had you kept it from me you would have been killed."
Palila then climbed to the top of Punchbowl hill and looked around him. From this place he walked up to the Nuuanu pali, pushed his war club ahead of him, holding on to one end and flew to Kaelepulu, where he saw Olomana standing.
Olomana was a very tall man, he being twelve yards to the shoulders, and thirteen in height. He was a very brave man and was much feared. No chief or warrior dared face him. If he stood on the windward side the other side would be a perfect calm; his height also shaded the sun.
When Palila saw Olomana, he jumped up with his war club, Huliamahi, and stood on the shoulders of Olomana. Olomana then turned and said to Palila: "Where are you from, you haughty youngster ? No one has ever dared, before this day, to climb up my shoulders ; and here you have done it." Palila then answered : "I am Palila who was brought up in Alanapo, the temple of the gods from the very beginning of all things, and I have come to fight you." When Olomana heard this, he was sorely afraid, for he knew that those who come from the temple of Alanapo are men richly endowed with supernatural powers and very great warriors ; so Olomana begged : "Let me live, Palila." Palila replied: "I cannot save you; you shall indeed die, for your works have been of evil." Palila then struck him, cutting him in two; one portion flew toward the sea, being Mahinui, and the other portion remained where he stood, being the present hill of Olomana. It was because of this that the hill is so sharp at the peak. This was how Olomana, the great soldier of Oahu, was killed by Palila.
After Palila had completed the circuit of Oahu, he went along to the rise at Kaimuki and then down to Waialae ; from this place he proceeded to Wailupe and then on to Maunalua where Kahului, a fisherman of that place, was living. Upon seeing him Kahului called, so Palila went to Kahului and they sat down and began to talk on various matters. That afternoon the men and women came along the shore in the pools to catch minnows for bait, for aku fishing for tomorrow." Palila again asked: "How about us two?" "But I have no one to assist me in paddling the canoe because I have a very large one, it being seven fathoms in length." Palila then said : "The two of us will paddle it in order to make it go." They then started out and caught some minnows which they kept for the next day.
In the early morning when they came out they found that all the others had gone before them ; so Kahului thought they would not be able to get their canoe into the sea ; he then turned to Palila and said: "We will not be able to get our canoe into the sea as there are no men to assist us. Palila replied: "You get in front and lift while I lift the afte^ part here; but you must not look behind." Palila gave the canoe one shove and it floated in the sea ; he then jumped in the fore part of the canoe and took up nine paddles while Kahului jumped into the after part and took up his paddle. After they were ready to start Palila took up one paddle and with one stroke broke it in two ; so he took up another paddle and that too was broken ; this was kept up until all the nine paddles were broken. Kahului then said to Palila : "Let us return for we have no more paddles to work the canoe with." Palila then took up his war club and used it as a paddle; he took but one stroke and they went skimming along beyond Kawaihoa, then on to Kolo, the great fishing grounds.
When Kahului saw how fast they were traveling he admitted the great strength displayed by Palila. Upon arriving at the fishing grounds Kahului proceeded to fish, but after several trials he was unable to catch any aku, for all his hooks were broken. After a time Palila asked: "When are we to catch some fish?" Kahului replied: "The sea is full of fish, but the trouble is I cannot catch any. Here I have lost several hooks, but I have not been able to land a single fish. I have used up all my hooks except one." Palila then said : "You come in front here and paddle our canoe along, and I will come and fish." This was done by Kahului.
Palila then took up his war club and tied the bait on to it and let it down to the sea. The fish then gathered on to the club in great numbers. When Palila saw this he jerked up the club and the fish dropped into the canoe. He repeated this several times until the canoe was loaded down deep with fish. They then returned to the landing. When they reached the landing Palila said to Kahului : "You go on ahead and broil me some of the fish and I will lift the canoe ashore." Palila then gave the canoe one shove and it landed high and dry and onto its blocks.
After the fish was cooked they sat down to their meal. After a few days Palila left Kahului because he was too stingy, and he again continued on his journey along the coast until he arrived on the rise of Hanauma, where he stood and looked at the heat as it ascended from the pili grass at Kaunakakai, Molokai. He then pushed out his war club ahead of him which flew through the air and he was carried to Kaluakoi. Here he discarded a portion of his person which turned into the point of Kalaeokalaau, which is seen to this day, so named in honor of Palila.
There was at this place a large stick of wood to which was given the name of Hooneenuu. Because of this name, Hooneenuu, Palila took a dislike to Molokai, so he again pushed out his war club and flew to Kaunolu, Lanai. From this place he crossed over to Kahoolawe and from there to Pohakueaea in Honuaula. At this place he sat down and rested.
After resting for some time he pushed out his spear and flew to Kaula in Hamakua, Hawaii, the dividing line separating the districts of Hilo and Hamakua. From this place he continued on until he found Lupea, a sister of Hina, who was living above Kaawalii; she was one of Palila's attendants. Lupea is a hau tree to this day, and wherever the malo of Palila was spread out to dry no hau tree has grown even to this day. This was caused by the god Ku, the god of Palila, a god of supernatural power. There was at Hilo a temple also called Humuula, like the one on Kauai, which was also sacred, and furthermore it was also under the control of the spirits and was just as powerful.
The king of Hilo at this time was Kulukulua, and Wanua was the king of Hamakua. The two were at war with each other. The greatest warrior of Hamakua was Moananuikalehua and his war club was called Koholalele. This war club was so large that it required four hundred men to carry it. The next in greatness was Kumunuiaiake, a warrior of note. His spear was made from the mamane wood of Kawaihae ; it was ten fathoms in length and he could throw this spear over a distance greater th^n the length of an ahupaaa. Puupuukaamai was another great warrior. His long pololu spear was made from the koaie wood, a very hard wood growing in the mountains. This spear was so long that it could be served as a wind break, and it could also be used to dam a stream; it could kill twelve hundred men at one stroke. All these three warriors were fighting on the side of Wanua, the king of Hamakua.
When Palila arrived at Kaula he took up the game of rolling the calabash which was played on the highway. He never once left the place and was known by everybody that passed along the highway as a man who did nothing else. In the battles that were being fought, a great many of the men of the army of Hamakua were being killed that no one could account for. This was carried on for many days and still no one could tell who was doing the killing. In the conflict, however, some of the men often heard a voice calling out:
A make na'u na Palila,
Na kama a ka Wale wale,
Na ka hanai a Lupea,
Na ka 00 kani i ke kuahiwi nei la,
Na ke 'kua ikaika na Ku.
Slain by me, Palila,
By the offspring of Walewale,
By the ward of Lupea,
By the 00 bird that sings in the forest,
By the mighty god Ku.
The call was the only thing the men could hear ; they were not able to see the person for he traveled at such great speed. The people had a suspicion, however, that it was Palila himself; but when the matter was discussed a good many said that it could not be Palila for he does not go to battle ; all he did was to roll the calabash on the highway; he does not appear to be a soldier and he has not been seen going from place to place. At the battle that was fought at Kukaiau in Hamakua, Palila at last showed himself before the people and the chiefs of the two contesting armies, and also before the three great warriors Moanonuikalehua, Kumunuiaiake and Puupuukaamai.
In the conflict it was seen that the soldiers in the Hamakua army were stronger than those in the Hilo army and a great many Hilo soldiers fell before the men of Hamakua. In the din and uproar the voices of the three great warriors were often heard boasting and calling out: "What great soldier will fight for the Hilo side?"
When Palila heard this boastful challenge from the three great warriors, he requested of Kulukulua, the Hilo king, to order that the general conflict be stopped and to put up the two best men from the two sides and let them fight, the side putting up the best man to win and in this way decide the battle. When this was agreed on by the two kings, the soldiers were lined up on the two sides, leaving a clear field in the middle for the contestants.
As soon as the field was cleared off Moanonuikalehua came forward with his war club, Koholalele, and began twirling it on the right and on the left ; on each occasion Palila did not make a move, but as Moanonuikalehua kept on twirling, Palila held out his war club, Huliamahi, which struck the club of Moanonuikalehua, sending it flying to Waipio. At the same time Palila brought his club down and then up, catching the three warriors and killing them all. Palila then proceeded to cut out their lower jaws. After this was done he began the slaughter of the Hamakua men and allowed none to escape him. This victory made Kulukulua, the king of Hilo, master of Wanua, the king of Hamakua.
After the battle Palila and the king returned to Kaula and from there to a rise above where a large lehua tree was standing. He then hung up the jaws of all the men killed by him, and the tree was named Kahakaauwae, the hanging place of the jaws. Palila after this became the king of Hilo, while Kulukulua served under him. Palila was king until his death.
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