🧚 Pili and Noho · page 2

Pau-o-palae saw the danger.125 From her home on the island Hawaii, she saw the dragons shaking Hiiaka.126 Then she sent her power and took many kinds of trees and struck the dragons.127 The roots twisted around the dragons, entangling their feet and tails, and scratching eyes and faces.128

The dragons tried to shake off the branches and roots—the leaf bodies of the wilderness, and one let go the pa-u of Hiiaka, and the other let go the neck.129 Pau-o-palae called all the wind bodies of the forest and sent them to aid Hiiaka, the forces of the forest, and the wind spirits.130

At last Hiiaka turned to say farewell to Wahine-omao because the next fight with the dragons in their new bodies might prove fatal.131

The dragons were now stronger than before.132 They leaped upon her, one on each side.133 The strong winds blew and the storm poured upon her, while the dragons struck her to beat her down.134 But all kinds of ferns were leaping up rapidly around the place where the dragons renewed the fight.135 The ferns twisted and twined around the legs and bodies of the dragons.136

Hiiaka shook her magic skirt and struck them again and again, and the bodies of these dragons were broken in pieces.137 Then the wind ceased, the storm passed away, and the sky became clear.138 But it was almost evening and darkness was falling fast.139

The natives have for many years claimed that Hiiaka found the time too short to climb the precipice, catch the ghost of Lohiau and carry it and the body down to the house prepared for her work, therefore she uttered this incantation:140

“O gods!141 Come to Kauai, your land.142 O pearl-eyed warrior (an idol) of Halawa!143 O Kona! guardian of our flesh!144 O the great gods of Hiiaka!145 Come, ascend, descend, Let the sun stop over the river of Hea.146 Stand thou still, O sun!”147

The sun waited and its light rested on the precipice and pierced the deep shadows of the cave in which the body lay while Hiiaka sought Lohiau.148

Hiiaka heard the spirit voice saying, “Moving, moving, you will find me in a small coconut calabash fastened in tight.”149 Hiiaka followed the spirit voice and soon saw a coconut closed up with feathers.150 Over the coconut a little rainbow was resting.151 She caught the coconut and went back to the body of Lohiau.152 It had become very dark in the cave, but she did not care, this was as nothing to her.153 She took the bundle of the body of Lohiau and said: “We have the body and the spirit, we are ready now to go down to our house.”154

Then she called the spirits of the many kinds of ferns of Pau-o-palae to take the body down.155 The fern servants of Pau-o-palae carried the bundle of the body down to the house.156

Hiiaka said to her friend: “You ask how the spirit can be restored into the body.157 It is hard and mysterious and a work of the gods.158 We must gather all kinds of ferns and maile and lehua and flowers from the mountains.159 We must take wai-lua (flowing water) and wai-lani (rain) and put them into new calabashes to use in washing the body.160 Then pray.161 If my prayer is not broken [interrupted or a mistake made], he will be alive.162 If the prayer is broken four times, life will not return.”163

The servants of Pau-o-palae, the goddess of ferns, brought all manner of sweet-scented ferns, flowers, and leaves to make a bed for the body of Lohiau, and to place around the inside of the house as fragrant paths by which the gods could come to aid the restoration to life.164

There were many prayers, sometimes to one class of gods and sometimes to another.165 The following prayer was offered to the au-makuas, or ghost-gods, residing in cloud-land and revealing themselves in different cloud forms:166

“Dark is the prayer rising up to Kanaloa, Rising up to the ancient home Kealohilani.167 Look at the kupuas above sunset!168 Who are the kupuas above?169 The black dog of the heavens, The yellow dog of Ku in the small cloud, Ku is in the long cloud, Ku is in the short cloud, Ku is in the cloud of red spots in the sky.170 Listen to the people of the mountains, The friends of the forest, The voices of the heavens.171 The water of life runs, life is coming, Open with trembling, to let the spirit in, A noise rumbling, The sound of Ku.172 The lover sent for is coming.173 I, Hiiaka, am coming.174 The lover of my sister Pele, The sister of life, Is coming to life again.175 Live, Live.”176

After each one of the prayers and incantations the body was washed in the kind of water needed for each special ceremony.177 Thus days passed by; some legends say ten days, some say a full month.178 At last the body was ready for the incoming of the spirit.179

The coconut shell in which the spirit had been kept was held against the body, the feet and limbs were slapped, and the body rubbed by Wahine-omao while Hiiaka continued her necessary incantations until the restoration to life was complete.180

Many, many days had passed since the fiery and impetuous Pele had sent her youngest sister after the lover Lohiau.181 In her restlessness Pele had torn up the land in all directions around the pit of fire with violent earthquakes.182 She had poured her wrath in burning floods of lava over all the southern part of the island.183 She had broken her most solemn promise to Hiiaka.184

Whenever she became impatient at the delay of the coming of Lohiau, she would fling her scorching smoke and foul gas over Hiiaka’s beautiful forests—and sometimes would smite the land with an overflow of burning lava.185

Sometimes she would look down over that part of Puna where Hopoe dwelt and hurl spurts of lava toward her home.186 At last she had yielded to her jealous rage and destroyed Hopoe and her home and then burned the loved spots of restful beauty belonging to Hiiaka.187

Hiiaka had seen Pele’s action as she had looked back from time to time on her journey to Kauai.188 Even while she was bringing Lohiau back to life, her love for her own home revealed to her the fires kindled by Pele, and she chanted many songs of complaint against her unfaithful sister.189

Hiiaka loyally fulfilled her oath until she stood with Lohiau on one of the high banks overlooking Ka-lua-Pele, the pit of Pele in the volcano Kilauea.190 Down below in the awful majesty of fire were the sisters.191

Wahine-omao went down to them as a messenger from Hiiaka.192 One of the legends says that Pele killed her; another says that she was repulsed and driven away; others say that Pele refused to listen to any report of the journey to Kauai and hurled Wahine-omao senseless into a hole near the fire-pit, and raved against Hiiaka for the long time required in bringing Lohiau.193

Hiiaka at last broke out in fierce rebellion against Pele.194 On the hill where they stood were some of the lehua trees with their brilliant red blossoms.195 She plucked the flowers, made wreaths, and going close to Lohiau hung them around his neck.196

All through the long journey to the crater Lohiau had been gaining a full appreciation of the bravery, the unselfishness, and the wholly lovable character of Hiiaka.197 He had proposed frequently that they be husband and wife.198 Now, as they stood on the brink of the crater with all the proof of Pele’s oath-breaking around them Hiiaka gave way entirely.199 She chanted while she fastened the flowers tightly around him and while her arms were playing around his neck:200

“Hiiaka is the wife.201 Caught in the embrace with the flowers.202 The slender thread is fast.203 Around him the leis from the land of the lehuas are fastened.204 I am the wife—The clouds are blown down Hiding the sea at Hilo.”205

Lohiau had no longer any remnant of affection for Pele.206 Hiiaka had fulfilled her vow and Pele had broken all her promises.207 Lohiau and Hiiaka were now husband and wife.208 Pele had lost forever her husband of the long sleep.209

Pele was uncontrollable in her jealous rage.210 One of the legends says that even while Lohiau and Hiiaka were embracing each other Pele ran up the hill and threw her arms around his feet and black lava congealed over them.211 Then she caught his knees and then his body.212 Lava followed every clasp of the arms of Pele, until at last his whole body was engulfed in a lava flow.213 His spirit leaped from the body into some clumps of trees and ferns not far away.214

Another legend says that Pele sent her brother Lono-makua, with his helpers, to kindle eruptions around Lohiau and Hiiaka.215 This could not harm Hiiaka, for she was at home in the worst violence of volcanic flames, but it meant death to Lohiau.216

Lono-makua kindled fires all around Lohiau, but for a long time refrained from attacking him.217

Hiiaka could not see the pit as clearly as Lohiau, so she asked if Pele’s fires were coming.218 He chanted:219

“Hot is this mountain of the priest.220 Rain is weeping on the awa.221 I look over the rim of the crater.222 Roughly tossing is the lava below.223 Coming up to the forest— Attacking the trees— Clouds of smoke from the crater.”224

The lava came up, surrounding them.225 Tossing fountains of lava bespattered them.226 Wherever any spot of his body was touched Lohiau became stone.227 He uttered incantations and used all his powers as a sorcerer-chief.228 The lava found it difficult to overwhelm him.229 Pele sent increased floods of burning rock upon him.230 Lohiau’s body was all turned to stone.231 His spirit fled from the pit to the cool places of a forest on a higher part of the surrounding mountains.232

Hiiaka was crazed by the death of Lohiau.233 She had fought against the eruption; now she caught the lava, tore it to pieces, and broke down the walls toward the innermost depths of their lava home.234 She began to open the pit for the coming of the sea.235

Pele and her sisters were frightened.236 Pele called Wahine-omao from her prison and listened to the story of Hiiaka’s faithfulness.237 Chagrined and full of self-blame, she told Wahine-omao how to restore happiness to her friend.238

Wahine-omao went to Hiiaka and softly chanted by the side of the crazy one who was breaking up the pit.239 She told the story of the journey after Lohiau and the possibility of seeking the wandering ghost.240

Hiiaka turned from the pit and sought Lohiau.241 Many were the adventures in ghost-land.242 At last the ghost was found.243 Lohiau’s body was freed from the crust of lava and healed and the ghost put back in its former home.244 A second time Hiiaka had given life to Lohiau.245

Hiiaka and Lohiau went to Kauai, where, as chief and chiefess, they lived happily until real death came to Lohiau.246

Then Hiiaka returned to her place in the Pele family.247 It was said that Wahine-omao became the wife of Lono-makua, the one kindling volcanic fire.248

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