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HAWAIIAN HISTORICAL LEGENDS1

By W. D. WESTERVELT Author of “Maui the Demi-God of Polynesia”; “Legends of Old Honolulu”; “Hawaiian Gods and Ghosts”; “Around the Poi-bowl”; “Hawaiian Volcanoes,” etc.2

ILLUSTRATED3

New York Chicago Fleming H. Revell Company London and Edinburgh4

To my wife, Caroline Castle Westervelt, and my son, Andrew Castle Westervelt, this sixth of my books on Hawaiian Literature is heartily dedicated.5

PREFACE6

From mist to sunshine—from fabled gods to a constitution and legislature as a Territory of the United States—this is the outline of the stories told in the present volume.7 This outline is thoroughly Hawaiian in the method of presentation.8 The old people rehearsed stories depending upon stories told before.9 They cared very little for dates.10 This is a book of stories related to each other.11

Veiled by the fogs of imagination are many interesting facts concerning kings and chiefs which have been passed over untouched—such as the voyages of the vikings of the Pacific, who left names and legends around the islands.12 For instance, Hilo, in the island of Hawaii, is named after Whiro, a noted viking who sailed through many island groups with his brother, Punga, after whom the district of Puna is named.13 Ka-kuhi-hewa, ruler of Oahu, was the King Arthur of the Hawaiians, with a band of noted chiefs around his poi-bowl.14 Umi was a remarkable king of the island Hawaii.15 Many individual incidents of these persons are yet to be related.16

The Hawaiian language papers since 1835, Fornander’s Polynesian Researches, and many of the old Hawaiians have been of great assistance in searching for these “fragments of Hawaiian history,” now set forth in this book.17

W. D. W.18

PRONUNCIATION19

In reading Hawaiian words do not end a syllable with a consonant, and pronounce all vowels as if they were Italian or French.20

a = a in father. e = e in they. i = i in pin. o = o in hold. u = oo in spoon.21

This is a fairly good rule for the pronunciation of all Polynesian words.22

CONTENTS23

CHAPTER PAGE24

I. Maui the Polynesian 13 II.25 Maui Seeking Immortality 19 III.26 The Water of Life 24 IV.27 A Viking of the Pacific 35 V. Home of the Polynesians 41 VI.28 Sons of Kii 47 VII.29 Paao from Samoa 65 VIII.30 Moikeha the Restless 79 IX.31 Laa from Tahiti 86 X.32 First Foreigners 93 XI.33 Captain Cook 100 XII.34 The Ivory of Oahu 114 XIII.35 The Alapa Regiment 125 XIV.36 The Last Prophet of Oahu 143 XV.37 The Eight of Oahu 149 XVI.38 The Red Mouth Gun 155 XVII.39 The Law of the Splintered Paddle 162 XVIII.40 Last of the Tabu 176 XIX.41 First Hawaiian Printing 183 XX.42 The First Constitution 189 XXI.43 The Hawaiian Flag 200 Index 21744

ILLUSTRATIONS45

FACING PAGE46

Idols by Which Captain Cook Was Worshipped Title page Spear Throwing Contest 62 Chiefs in Feather Cloaks and Helmets 88 Landing of Warriors 134 Hawaiian Grass Houses 172 First Leaflet Printed, 1822 184 Title Page of First Hymn Book, 1823 186 First Bible Printing, 1827 18847

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