The Incredible Myths and Legends of Hawaii

For Indigenous Hawaiians, tales (or mo‘ōlelo) are greater than myths or legends; they’re their social, cultural, and religious material.

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early each tradition around the globe has its personal distinctive myths, legends, and origin tales, all of which have been primarily based on oral traditions that bridged the previous and current. These tales inform us of who we’re, how we must always reside, and the place we come from. However for the Indigenous Hawaiian folks, these tales are usually not “myths” however residing, historic truths built-in into their every day lives, ancestry, perception methods, and religious practices.

Right here, grasp storyteller and neighborhood chief within the Waipi’o Valley, Kumu Micah Kamohoalii, recounts how mo‘ōlelo reveals not solely the origin tales of the Gods and Goddesses but additionally impart the sacred genealogical lineages that join the Hawaiian folks to the land, vegetation, and parts.  

Ancestral Storytelling

“Our tales train us the legal guidelines of the land and remind us tips on how to behave as folks. Our tales are a highway map. Tales inform us what’s righteous, what’s sacred,” says Kumu Micah. Hawaiian family tree and storytelling are deeply interwoven, and plenty of origin tales of deities might be traced again to the ancestral ties of notable neighborhood members and the Hawaiian folks as a complete.

Tales (or mo‘ōlelo) have been typically carried out and handed down by means of hula dance. However after the American overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom within the late 1800s, merely talking or instructing the Hawaiian language and performing hula was unlawful. Then, within the Seventies, Native storytelling was revived throughout the Hawaiian Renaissance, a political and cultural motion led by key figures corresponding to Kumu Micah’s ancestor Edith Kanaka’ole, who fought to vary the legal guidelines and fearlessly devoted her life to sharing the normal tales of her folks.

“We use the phrase mo‘ōlelo, or the historical past of how we turned, because the phrase fantasy type of implies one thing is fabricated or a fable,” he says. “After we say this land or mountain that we’re preventing for is our ancestor, our kupuna, we’re actually saying it’s our ancestor. It’s the identical grandmother we have been born from; The taro plant isn’t just our staple meals; it’s our grandparent. These tales lay the muse for who we’re, they usually proceed on and remind us who we’re.”

At first: Wakea & Papahānaumoku

[Edited from Kumu Micah Kamohoalii, as told to Amber C. Snider]

“In our cosmology or our family tree, there was a person named Wakea. Gods may take completely different types of folks and parts, and he took the shape often known as Wakea, the God of the Sky, and he married a lady named Papahānaumoku.

Papa means “floor of the earth” or issues which are flat. Hāna means “to provide start,” and moku means “island,” which accurately means “Papa who offers start to the islands.” Wakea, which suggests “expanse of the sky,” meets Papa, they usually mate. Their first little one is named Ho’ohokukalani, which suggests “those who make stars.” In our chants, she’s the celestial deity, the one who put the planets and stars within the sky.

Then, the heavens and the earth, Wakea and Papa, mated once more and gave start to Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is the one of many solely mountains that’s ‘born’–the remainder of them are born with the islands. Our chants say that Mauna Kea was one of many youngsters of heaven and earth, therefore why the mountain is so huge; he was actually born from the ocean flooring as much as turn out to be the most important, oldest little one who was born with Hawaii Island. He’s his personal entity in itself, and since he’s the oldest little one, he’s essentially the most sacred one.

That’s why the Hawaiians battle for the mountain. When the telescope was projected to be constructed on the mountain, we fought in opposition to it as a result of we’ve chanted this family tree because the starting of the Hawaii folks. This mountain is our ancestor.”

The Beginning of Hāloa

“Then Wakea decides to sleep together with his daughter. In virtually all of mythology by Native peoples, some type of incest occurs someplace that creates a unique stroke and turns into what it’s immediately. But it surely’s not likely thought-about incest as a result of they weren’t human: there are beings that have been procreating to create new life.

So Wakea and Ho’ohokukalani give start to a child, a extra human kind of child. The story says that he had dedicated a sin by taking his daughter to mattress as a substitute of his spouse, so their first little one was stillborn and the newborn died. They took the newborn and buried it within the earth, and returned the newborn to the grandmother, Papahānaumoku.

That first little one, who was an providing to the grandparent, turned the primary taro or kalo plant. From that grave, the taro grew.”

The First Hawaiian

“Wakea and Ho’ohokukalani mated once more and had a second little one, and that one survived: the primary human. However as a result of Wakea and Ho’ohokukalani dedicated this type of incest, the primary human was born with a defect: they have been born with out magical powers. They couldn’t management the celebrities, earth, winds, or rain. The primary human was known as ​​Hāloa, which suggests ‘the lengthy breath,’ and that’s the place all of the Hawaiians got here from. Hāloa’s older brother is the taro. The primary child needed to die as a result of he turned the staple or the sustenance for the remainder of the kids to come back. He turned the meals that everyone eats and nourishes all of us.

The oldest within the household is taken into account extra sacred as a result of they’ve extra duty. It’s their job to make sure that the household is fed and the kids are taken care of as a result of the dad and mom are working. It’s the identical factor in our tales–the primary little one died and have become the meals to feed all the remainder of the siblings that adopted.

Normally, the firstborn is given to the grandparents in our Hawaiian households, virtually adopted by the grandparents. The grandparents will instill all their data and tales of the historical past into that first grandchild as a result of that grandchild turns into the following educated useful resource within the household. In the identical means, the oldest within the household feeds the household; they’re additionally now actually feeding the household spiritually, rearing and instructing and guiding them.”

Revering the Ancestors: The Sacred Taro, Poi

The taro plant, or Kalo, is very revered in Hawaiian tradition. It’s not solely their principal staple, filled with vitamins and nutritional vitamins, however has deep religious significance. Kalo is used to make poi (“Foreigners name it purple soup,” says Kumu Micah), and since Kalo is the primary little one, he’s thought-about an elder. There’s at all times poi current throughout a Hawaiian occasion or ceremony as a result of you may’t have a celebration with out inviting your elders. “If there’s a battle in the home, someone will get up and search for the poi bowl and canopy it as a result of we don’t battle in entrance of our grandparents,” says Kumu Micah.

“We additionally ensure our grandparents are at all times clear as a result of it’s our job to look after them. If you eat poi, you just remember to pull from the center of the bowl and that it doesn’t hit the edges of the bowl. If you end consuming it, you scrape the edges of the bowl to ensure all of it’s within the center and that it’s good and clear, and presentable. If there’s poi on the sidewalls of the bowl, folks will say that individual is kapulu, which suggests they’re very sloppy and don’t know tips on how to maintain their grandparents.”

“We come from the celebrities…”

Practically all the weather within the human physique come from the celebrities. Our bodily make-up, pores and skin, organs, and all the things in us have been as soon as a part of a star dispersed by means of supernovas throughout the Huge Bang. Curiously sufficient, this truth has been a part of the Hawaiian mo‘ōlelo for 1000’s of years. “The primary little one born is the Star Goddess, who mates with Wakea, the God of the Sky, they usually give start to the primary human. In fact, we knew that as a result of why else would the mom of the primary Hawaiian be the Star Deity?” says Kumu Micah.

“In our chants, it says that we come from the celebrities; that we’re descendants of the celebrities. It’s humorous as a result of foreigners would come and say, ‘Oh, it’s so cute, they’re chanting about how they’re star folks,’ after which scientists discovered that we truly do come from the celebrities.”

The Solstices and Equinoxes

As an earth-worshiping society, the vegetation and elemental forces are additionally the physique types and manifestations of the Hawaiian Gods. “When it rains, it’s Lono. When the vegetation develop, it’s Lono. After we have a look at the volcano, and it erupts, that’s Pele,” says Kumu Micah. Hawaiian faith can be primarily based on the motion of the solar and the pure processes of the land. Kane, the God of Life, daylight, and freshwater, is well known throughout the Summer season Solstice. His brother Kanaloa (the polar reverse) is the God of the Underworld, darkness, deep oceans, and saltwater and is well known throughout the Winter Solstice. “If you fall asleep, we are saying you go into the realm of Kanaloa. If you’re rising or waking up, you’re within the realm of Kane,” says Kumu Micah. On this sense, the Gods are additionally their calendar.

The equinoxes additionally play an enormous half in Hawaiian tradition. The God of agriculture and rain, Lono, is related to the Fall Equinox, whereas Ku is well known throughout the Spring Equinox. “Any vegetation rising within the floor are Lono, in addition to the animals that dig the bottom, just like the pig. The pig is the manifestation of Lono as a result of he’s the one who tills the earth. Lono can be the God of the Rain: the rain hits the earth and begins rising vegetation; that’s all Lono. We are saying in Hawaiian Kino Lau–Kino is physique and Lau is leaf. Through the Fall Equinox, it’s the wet season, and we maintain the Makahiki pageant, with ceremonies and video games, and it’s all related to Lono,” says Kumu Micah.

“Within the spring equinox, when new life is capturing out of the bottom, when issues turn out to be contemporary and new, that’s the god, Ku. Ku actually means “to face,” so when the brand new shoots of the vegetation begin to come out of the bottom and stand and rise, it’s Ku. However Ku can be the God of battle, and the other is Lono, who’s the God of peace. “Historically, you couldn’t battle with the opposite kings or villages throughout the time of Lono as a result of he was the God of peace. When Hawaiians fought, it was strategic, virtually civilized. Even immediately, if you wish to battle somebody, we are saying ‘Okay, let’s meet right here, and also you carry your loved ones, and we’ll carry ours’–it’s not a sneak assault. Everyone abided by the Gods and the calendar. If you wish to battle, it’s important to do it within the springtime. We might be associates now, and when March rolls by, we will meet on the hill and have at it. It’s all about stability,” he says.

“Folks say, ‘What does Lono appear like?’ And we are saying, ‘You see the rain and vegetation? That’s Lono.’ After we get freshwater, we are saying, ‘That is Kane.’ After we go into the ocean and scoop the water up, that’s Kanaloa. We worship this as a result of it’s such a strong component and power,” he says.

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Pele

Maybe the preferred deity in Hawaii is Pele, the Goddess of the Volcano and Hearth, whose lava has formed the island. “She’s so filled with rage and love. She’s the deity of drama, and who doesn’t love cleaning soap opera?” says Kumu Micah. Pele teaches Hawaiians tips on how to share, deal with their elders, and bear in mind who they’re–she’s an instantaneous instructor and corrector. There are literally thousands of tales of her visiting folks earlier than a volcanic eruption, as both a stupendous lady or an previous hag, to check and/or warn them of the approaching lava. “In the event you disrespected Pele, your own home burned down straight away,” says Kumu Micah. As a tradition with deep reverence for his or her elders, or kupuna, treating elders with respect, feeding them, and caring for them is extraordinarily essential.

In a single story that was handed right down to Micah by his grandparents, it was mentioned that earlier than an enormous eruption, Pele would go down the mountain, showing as an previous hag, and ask for meals. If she was denied or refused, her wraith was imminent. “In the future, she went to a lady’s home and requested her: ‘Oh, I see you’re cooking the breadfruit. Can I’ve a bit? I’m an previous woman, a kupuna.’ And the woman says, ‘Sorry, I don’t have any to spare. You may simply depart.’ Disguised because the previous lady, Pele says, ‘Are you positive? You don’t have just a bit piece you may spare?’ And the woman says, ‘No, I don’t have something for you.’ Pele leaves and goes to a different home, the place a lady can be cooking the breadfruit and asks for a bit. The woman says: ‘I’m truly making this for my household Goddess Pele. However I don’t assume she’d thoughts me sharing it with you, so I can spare some for you.’ And so they eat collectively.

Then Pele says: “Tonight when the lava comes down from the mountain, be sure to put 4 kapa flags (constituted of the Hawaiian tea leaf) across the boundaries round your property. It’s laborious to see at the hours of darkness, so I wish to ensure I do know the place your own home is. Thanks for sharing your breadfruit with me.” And the woman realizes that Pele had visited her.

Pele does the identical factor down on the ocean by King Kamehameha’s fish pond. Once more, she is refused meals. In order that night time, the mountain erupts, lava pours down the slopes, and consumes the fish pond and the primary woman’s home and her household, however spares the second since she shared her meals and revered her kupuna.

“The kahuna, or priest, prays about it and says, ‘Right this moment someone angered Pele and denied her the fish. The one approach to cease this circulate is for the King to make an providing to her.’ When King Kamehameha hears what occurred, he cuts his hair off and says, ‘Pele, you’re my ancestor, I’m a descendant of you, and I’m sorry for the actions of my folks. They forgot tips on how to share. They forgot tips on how to be Hawaiian. They forgot to maintain their grandparents. I give you my hair–my mana, my energy–since my sacredness, household, and DNA are in my hair. I reduce off all my sacred hair for you.’

He throws his hair within the volcano, and the lava stops.” And that’s one story of the Goddess Pele.

Mo‘ōlelo and Mana

Non secular vitality and sacred energy are often known as mana in Hawaiian. It’s the life power inside all issues and might be particularly felt whereas performing or observing the hula dances. Hula relies on mo‘ōlelo, oral storytelling earlier than written language was established; it’s the bodily illustration of these tales and consistently carried out so the following technology may preserve it going. Hula permits for the circulate and transmission of that sacred life power, because the performer and observer “faucet into” a better frequency. “You may’t reside in that area on a regular basis,” says Kumu Micah, “however we will enter that realm and join with ancestors, the winds, the rains, and the bushes.”

Tales and rituals certainly maintain great energy–and it’s these tales that haven’t solely formed the cultural and religious identification of the Hawaiian folks but additionally comprise very important classes for us all on how we will reside consciously, deal with the earth with respect, and maintain one another.

Editor’s Word: Per the Hawaii Tourism Board, Fodor’s acknowledges “the correct use of the Hawaiian language, ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i,’ which incorporates the ‘okina [‘], a consonant, and the kahakō [ō] or macron.” The Hawai‘i Board on Geographic Names was created to “guarantee uniformity and standardize spelling of geographic names to speak unambiguously about locations, decreasing the potential for confusion.” With a view to guarantee our readers the very best expertise studying our Hawaii journey guides, we observe the standardized spelling, however hope to reveal readers to the significance and cultural significance of the written Ōlelo Hawai‘i language.