Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3) : $b The Hawaiians' account of the formation of their islands and origin of their race, with the traditions of their migrations, etc., as gathered from original sources
History
Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3) : $b The Hawaiians' account of the formation of their islands and origin of their race, with the traditions of their migrations, etc., as gathered from original sources
Folklore -- Hawaii; Hawaii -- Social life and customs; Hawaiian language -- Texts; Legends -- Hawaii
When Umi said this, the old man was greatly frightened, but he stood up
and started off running, following the order of the king. After Nunu
had started, Omaokamau followed him to see how much ground he would
cover, wondering what the king was about. In running the old man’s feet
became entangled soon after he started and he fell down, but he got up
and kept on running; but he tripped on his feet and again fell, face
down, breathing very heavily. When Umi and the other old man, Kakohe,
came up to where he was lying face downward, Umi said to him: “Say, are
you exhausted?” All Nunu could say was “Hu.” After waiting for a while
Nunu recovered himself, and so Umi said to him: “From the point where
you started to this place where we are standing, covering two ahupuaas,
is the width of your land.” In making this remark to Nunu, Kakohe heard
it, so he said to himself: “So, that is the way the king is going to
give lands to his people. They must run until they fall down. He is
indeed justified in doing this, for we must bear our burden even as he
did when we made him work for us.” Umi then turned to Kakohe and said:
“Now you must run.” Kakohe then started off and Piimaiwaa accompanied
him. They ran until one ahupuaa was passed, when Kakohe fell down to
the ground and he remained there exhausted. When Umi arrived at the
place where Kakohe was lying, he said: “Exhausted, are you?” Kakohe
said “Hu.” This expression, “hu”, was intended to be for “u”, meaning
“yes”, but being so exhausted, the “u” was changed into “hu”. Umi then
said to Kakohe: “This is your land, one ahupuaa, while Nunu has two
ahupuaas. You two will make your own arrangements in reference to their
use.” Turning to both the old men, Umi continued: “All of the things
that are growing on your lands are yours, and you two shall do what you
wish with your lands without any reference to me; and you can leave the
same to your heirs after you.” [166] At the close of these remarks to
the old men they all returned to the Waipio Valley where they lived.
It became a common thing to see Umi practicing the art of throwing the
spear with his immediate followers, Koi, Omaokamau and Piimaiwaa. These
three men were the bravest of his followers and because of this fact
they were made his chief warriors. The one who was the strongest and
most skilful of the three, the one whose left arm was as good as his
right, was Piimaiwaa. Koi was good with his left and weak with his
right arm, and this was the case with Omaokamau.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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