Legends resembling old testament history

Author:

Hyde, C. M.

Title:

Legends resembling old testament history

Periodical:

Hawaiian Folk Tales

Year:

1907

Pages:

p. 15-30

Subject:

Folklore Hawaiian gods Legends

Summary:

This document describes the Hawaiian folk tales and how the legends resemble the history of the Old Testament. The legends make reference to the Hawaiian account of the creation of Kane, Ku, and Lono (Sunlight, Substance, and Sound), a triad named Ku-Kaua-Kahi (a Supreme Unity), reverence due to Hi-ka-po-loa, Oi-e (a Most Excellent), gods who existed from ‘mai ka po mia (from the time of night, darkness, and chaos), whose will broke the night into pieces and allowed light to enter into space, created the heavens (three in number), as a place in which to dwell with the Earth as their foot stool (he keehina honua a Kane), followed by the creation of the sun, moon, stars. Legends also speak of the first man who was made from red earth (lepo ula, or alaea), and the spittle of the gods (wai nao), in the likeness of Kane and the first woman who was created from one of the ribs (lalo puhaka) of the man, and how the two were progenitors of mankind. The chants do not speak of the creation of animals but from pure tradition, it may be inferred that the earth, at the time of its emergence from the watery chaos was stocked with vegetable and animal. The animals specifically mentioned as having been created by Kane were hogs (puaa), dogs (ilio), and lizards or reptiles (moo). Legends of Wela-ahi-lani, states that after Kane destroyed the world by fire due to the wickedness of the people then living, he organized it as it now is and created the first man and woman with the assistance of Ku and Lono in nearly the same manner as mentioned in the legends of Kumuhonua. In this legend man is called, Wela-ahi-lani and the woman is called Owe. Hawaiian traditions also make reference to an original ancestral seat of mankind, Kalana-i-hau-ola (Kalana with the life-giving dew), and speaks of the land in the heart of Kane (Aina-i-ka-kaupo-o-Kane), a paradise (Pali-uli or blue mountain), and the land of the divine water of Kane (Aina-wai-akua-a-Kane), that is a sacred or tabooed land and how man must be righteous and not sinful in order to enter Pali-uli. Reference is made to a breadfruit (the Ulu Kapu a Kane), that was tabooed for Kane and a sacred apple tree (the Ohia hemolele), and how the tabooed fruit from these trees were connected with the trouble and death of the first man and woman. Legends speak of angels or spirits (I kini a kua), who were created from the spittle of the gods (I kuhaia), who were to be the servants or messengers of the gods. Reference is made of the spirits who revolted because they were denied awa (permission to be worshiped), who were conquered by Kane, and thrust down into uttermost darkness (ilalo loa I ka po). The chief of these evil spirits was called Kanaloa, Milu, or the ruler of Po (darkness). Reference is also made to a primordial lord of the Hawaiian inferno who was called Manua. The inferno was referred to as Po-pau-ole, Po-kua-kini, Po-kini-kini, Po-papa-ia-owa, Po-ia-milu. Milu, and according to other legends, was a chief of superior wickedness on earth who was thrust down into Po, but who was both inferior and posterior to Manua. Legend states that this inferno of many names, one of which was Ke-po-lua-ahi (the pit of fire), was not an entirely dark place and makes reference to light, of some kind, and fire. Kanaloa is referred to the spirit of evil, the origin of death, the prince of Po, or chaos, and yet a revolted, disobedient spirit, who was conquered and punished by Kane. The introduction and worship of Kanaloa, as one of the great gods in the Hawaiian group, can be traced back only to the time of the immigration from the southern groups, some eight hundred years ago. In the more ancient chants he is never mentioned in conjunction with Kane, Ku, and Lono, and even in later Hawaiian mythology he never took precedence of Kane. The legends further tell of when Kane, Ku, and Lono were creating the first man from the earth, that Kanaloa was present and, in imitation of Kane, attempted to make another man out of the earth. When this clay model was ready and he called to it to become alive, no life came to it. Kanaloa became very angry, and said to Kane, “I will take your man, and he shall die.” Hence the first man got his other name Kumu-uli, which means a fallen chief, he ‘lii kahuli. A Hawaiian legend also states that the oldest son of the first man (Kumuhonua), was called Laka and the next was called Ahu. The legend tells of how Laka was a bad man who killed his brother Ahu. Reference is also made to a flood (Kaiakahinalii), that came upon the earth and destroyed all living beings; that Nuu, by command of his god, build a large vessel with a house on top of it which was called and is referred to in chants as ‘He waa halau Alii o ka Moku’ (the royal vessel), in which he and his family, consisting of his wife, Lilinoe, his three sons and their wives were saved. When the flood subsided, Kane, Ku, and Lono entered the waa halau of Nuu and told him to go out. He did so and found himself on Mauna Kea.

URL:

http://books.google.com/books?id=OkG2JFLnweYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hawaiian+Folk+Tales&hl=en

Collection:

Monographs