The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai Part 48

12. KALAEPUNI

The older brother of Kalaehina and son of Kalanipo and Kamelekapu, is born and raised in Holualoa, Kona, in the reign of Keawenuiaumi. He is mischievous and without fear. At 6 he can outdo all his playmates, at 20 he is fully developed, kills sharks with his hands and pulls up a _kou_ tree as if it were a blade of gra.s.s. The king hides himself, and Kalaepuni rules Hawaii. The priest Mokupane plots his death. He has a pit dug on Kahoolawe, presided over by two old people who are told to look out for a very large man with long hair like bunches of _olona_ fiber. Once Kalaepuni goes out shark killing and drifts to this island.

The old people give him fish to eat, but send him to the pit to get water; then throw down stones on his head until he dies, at the place called Keanapou.

13. KALAEHINA

The younger brother of Kalaepuni can throw a canoe into the sea as if it were a spear, and split wood with his head. He proves his worth by getting six canoes for his brother out of a place where they were stuck, in the uplands of Kapua, South Kona, Hawaii. He makes a conquest of the island of Maui; its king, Kamalalawalu, flees and hides himself when Kalaehina defies his taboo. There he rules until Kapakohana, the strong usurper of Kauai, wrestles with him and pushes him over the cliff Kaihalulu and kills him.[1]

14. LONOIKAMAKAHIKE

Lonoikamakahike was king of Hawaii after Keawenuiaumi, his father, 64 generations from Wakea. According to the story, he is born and brought up at Nap.o.o.po, Hawaii, by the priests Loli and Hauna. He learns spear throwing from Ka.n.a.loakuaana; at the test he dodges 3 times 40 spears at one time. He discards sports, but becomes expert in the use of the spear and the sling, in wrestling, and in the art of riddling disputation, the _hoopapa_. He also promotes the wors.h.i.+p of the G.o.ds. While yet a boy he marries his cousin Kaikilani, a woman of high rank who has been Ka.n.a.loakuaana's wife, and gives her rule over the island until he comes of age. Then they rule together, and so wisely that everything prospers.

Kaikilani has a lover, Heakekoa, who follows them as they set out on a tour of the islands. While detained on Molokai by the weather, Lonoikamakahike and his wife are playing checkers when the lover sings a chant from the cliff above Kalaupapa. Lonoikamakahike suspects treachery and strikes his wife to the ground with the board. Fearful of the revenge of her friends he travels on to Kailua on Oahu to Kekuhihewa's court, which he visits incognito. Reproached because he has no name song, he secures from a visiting chiefess of Kauai the chant called "The Mirage of Mana." In the series of bets which follow, Lonoikamakahike wins from Kakuhihewa all Oahu and is about to win his daughter for a wife when Kaikilani arrives, and a reconciliation follows. The betting continues, concluded by a riddling match, in all of which Lonoikamakahike is successful.

But his wife brings word that the chiefs of Hawaii, enraged by his insult to her person, have rebelled against him, only the district of Kau remaining faithful. In a series of battles at Puuanahulu, called Kaheawai; at Kaunooa; at Puupea; at Puukohola, called Kawaluna because imdertaken at night and achieved by the strategy of lighting torches to make the appearance of numbers; at Kahua, called Kaiopae; at Halelua, called Kaiopihi from a warrior slain in the battle; finally at Puumaneo, his success is complete, and Hawaii becomes his.

Lonoikamakahike sails to Maui with his younger brother and chief counsellor, Pupuakea, to visit King Kamalalawalu, whose younger brother is Makakuikalani: In the contest of wit, Lonoikamakahike is successful.

The king of Maui wishes to make war on Hawaii and sends his son to spy out the land, who gains false intelligence. At the same time Lonoikamakahike sends to the king two chiefs who pretend disaffection and egg him on to ruin. In spite of Lanikaula's prophecy of disaster, Kamalalawalu sails to Hawaii with a fleet that reaches from Hamoa, Hana, to Puakea, Kohala; he and his brother are killed at Puuoaoaka, and their bodies offered in sacrifice.[1]

Lonoikamakahike, desiring to view "the trunkless tree Kahihikolo," puts his kingdom in charge of his wife and sails for Kauai. Such are the hards.h.i.+ps of the journey that his followers desert him, only one stranger, Kapaihiahilani, accompanying him and serving him in his wanderings. This man therefore on his return is made chief counsellor and favorite. But he becomes the queen's lover, and after an absence on Kauai, finds himself disgraced at court. Standing without the king's door, he chants a song recalling their wanderings together; the king relents, the informers are put to death, and he remains the first man in the kingdom until his death. Nor are there any further wars on Hawaii until the days of Keoua.

[Footnote 1: One of the most popular heroes of the Puna, Kau, and Kona coast of Hawaii to-day is the _kupua_ or "magician," Kalaekini. His power, _mana_, works through a rod of _kauila_ wood, and his object seems to be to change the established order of things, some say for good, others for the worse. The stories tell of his efforts to overturn the rock called Pohaku o Lekia (rock of Lekia), of the bubbling spring of Punaluu, whose flow he stops, and the blowhole called Kapuhiokalaekini, which he chokes with cross-sticks of _kauila_ wood.

The double character of this magician, whom one native paints as a benevolent G.o.d, another, not 10 miles distant, as a boaster and mischief-maker, is an instructive example of the effect of local coloring upon the interpretation of folklore. Daggett describes this hero. He seems to be identical with the Kalaehina of Fornander.]

15. KEAWEIKEKAHIALII

This chief, born in Kailua, Kona, has a faithful servant, Mao, who studies how his master may usurp the chief s.h.i.+p of Hawaii. One day while Keaweikekahialii plays at checkers with King Keliiokaloa, Mao approaches, and while speaking apparently about the moves of the game, conveys to him the intelligence that now is the time to strike. Mao kills the king by a blow on the neck, and they further slay all the 800 chiefs of Hawaii save Kalapanakuioiomoa, whose daughter Keaweikekahialii marries, thus handing down the high chief blood of Hawaii to this day.

[Footnote 1: Mr. Stokes found on the rocks at Kahaluu, near the _heiau_ of Keeku, a petroglyph which the natives point to as the beheaded figure of Kamalalawalu.]

16. KEKUHAUPIO

One of the most famous warriors and chiefs in the days of Kalaniopuu and of Kamehameha, kings of Hawaii, was Kekuhaupio, who taught the latter the art of war. He could face a whole army of men and ward off 400 to 4,000 spears at once. In the battle at Waikapu between Kalaniopuu of Hawaii and Kahekili of Maui, the Hawaii men are put to flight. As they flee over Kamoamoa, Kekuhaupio faces the Maui warriors alone. Weapons lie about him in heaps, still he is not wounded. The Maui hero, Oulu, encounters him with his sling; the first stone misses, the G.o.d Lono in answer to prayer averts the next. Kekuhaupio then demands with the third a hand-to-hand conflict, in which he kills Oulu.

C. LOVE STORIES

1. HALEMANO

The son of Wahiawa and Kukaniloko is born in Halemano, Waianae, and brought up in Kaau by his grandmother, Kaukaalii. Dreaming one day of Kamalalawalu, the beauty of Puna, he dies for love of her, but his sister Laenihi, who has supernatural power, restores him to life and wins the beauty for her brother. First she goes to visit her and fetches back her wreath and skirt to Halemano. Then she shows him how to toll the girl on board his red canoe by means of wooden idols, kites, and other toys made to please her favorite brother.

The king of Oahu, Aikanaka, desires Halemano's death in order to enjoy the beauty of Puna. They flee and live as castaways, first on Molokai, then Maui, then Hawaii, at Waiakea, Hilo. Here the two are estranged.

The chief of Puna seduces her, then, after a reconciliation, the Kohala chief, k.u.moho, wins her affection. Halemano dies of grief, and his spirit appears to his sister as she is surfing in the Makaiwi surf at Wailua, Kauai. She restores him to life with a chant.

In order to win back his bride, Halemano makes himself an adept in the art of singing and dancing (the _hula_). His fame travels about Kohala and the young chiefess Kikekaala falls in love with him. Meanwhile the seduced wife has overheard his wonderful singing and her love is restored. When his new mistress gives a _kilu_ singing match, she is present, and when Halemano, after singing eight chants commemorating their life of love together, goes off with the new enchantress, she tries in vain to win him back by chanting songs which in turn deride the girl and recall herself to her lover. He soon wearies of the girl and escapes from her to Kauai, where his old love follows him. But they do not agree. Kamalalawalu leaves for Oahu, where she becomes wife to Waiahole at Kualoa. Two Hawaii chiefs, Huaa and Kuhukulua, come with a fleet of 8,000 canoes, make great slaughter at Waiahole, and win the beauty of Puna for their own.

2. UWEUWELEKEHAU

Olopana, king of Kauai, has decreed that his daughter, Luukia, shall marry none but Uweuwelekehau, the son of Ku and Hina in Hilo, and that he shall be known when he comes by his chiefly equipment, red canoe, red sails, etc. Thunder, lightning, and floods have heralded this child's birth, and he is kept under the chiefly taboo. One day he goes to the Kalopulepule River to sail a boat; floods wash him out to sea; and in the form of a fish he swims to Kauai, is brought to Luukia and, changing into a man, becomes her lover. When Olopana hears this, he banishes the two to Mana, where only the G.o.ds dwell. These supply their needs, however, and the country becomes so fertile that the two steal the hearts of the people with kindness, and all go to live at Mana. Finally Olopana recognizes his son-in-law and they become king and queen of Kauai, plant the coconut grove at Kaunalewa, and build the temple of Lolomauna.

3. LAUKIAMANUIKAHIKI

Makiioeoe, king of Kuaihelani, has an amour with Hina on Kauai and, returning home, leaves with Hina his whale-tooth necklace and feather cloak to recognize the child by, and bids that his daughter be sent to him with the full equipment of a chief. Meanwhile he prepares a bathing pool, plants a garden, and taboos both for his daughter's arrival.

Laukiamanuikahiki is abused by her supposed father, and, discovering the truth, starts out under her mother's direction to find her real father.

With the help of her grandmother she reaches Kuaihelani. Here she bathes in the taboo pool and plucks the taboo flowers. She is about to be slain for this act when her aunt, in the form of an owl, proclaims her name, and the chief recognizes his daughter. Her beauty s.h.i.+nes like a light.

Kahikiula, her half brother, on a visit to his father, becomes her lover. When he returns to his wife, Kahalaokolepuupuu in Kahikiku, she follows in the shape of an old woman called Lupewale. Although her lover recognizes her, she is treated like a servant. In revenge she calls upon the G.o.ds to set fire to the dance house, and burns all inside. Kahikiula now begs her to stay, but she leaves him and returns to Kuaihelani.

4. HOAMAKEIKEKULA

"Companion-in-suffering-on-the-plain" is a beautiful woman of Kohala, Hawaii, born at Oioiapaiho, of parents of high rank, Hooleipalaoa and Pili. As she is in the form of an _ala_ stone, she is cast out upon the trash; but her aunt has a dream, rescues her through a rainbow which guides her to the place, and wraps her in red _tapa_ cloth. In 20 days she is a beautiful child. Until she is 20 she lives under a strict taboo; then, as she strings _lehua_ blossoms in the woods, the _elepaio_ bird comes in the form of a handsome man and carries her away in a fog to be the bride of Kalamaula, chief's son of Kawaihae. She asks for 30 days to consider it, and dreams each night of a handsome man, with whom she falls in love. She runs away and, accompanied by a rainbow, wanders in the uplands of Pahulumoa until Puuhue finds her and carries her home to his lord, the king of Kohala, Puuonale, who turns out to be the man of her dream. Her first child is the image Alelekinakina.

5. KAPUAOKAOHELOAI