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 Kihapiilani arrived in the presence of Pao, a rainbow appeared at
the same time. Pao then said: “My lord is swift of foot.” She then
greeted Kihapiilani. Kihapiilani returned the greeting. After the
greetings had been exchanged, Pao invited Kihapiilani to come in, and
then she asked him: “What brings my lord here on this hot day?” The
chief replied: “I have come in search of someone who will cause the
death of my brother Piilani, for he has treated me shamefully.” Pao
then replied: “There in the lowlands of Kalepolepo lives the one who
will assist you in killing your enemy. You go down till you reach
Kalepolepo and look for a man whose face is covered over with filth. He
is the one.” At the close of the directions of Pao, Kihapiilani
proceeded on his way to Kalepolepo, where in time he found the man
described to him and he went up to meet him. As he was approaching the
man, the man saw him and said: “What is the object of the chief’s
journey that has brought him here?” The chief, Kihapiilani, then said:
“I have come to your presence by the direction of the prophetess Pao,
for she told me that you have the means of fulfilling my desire, that
is, something that will aid me in killing my brother Piilani, the one
who has shamelessly abused me.”
When the man of learning heard the words of Kihapiilani, he ordered his
canoe men to prepare the canoe for a trip to Hawaii. When the
preparation was complete, Kihapiilani boarded the canoe and they set
sail for Hawaii, to meet his sister Piikea and his brother-in-law Umi.
That same evening they landed at Waipio. As soon as they landed,
Kihapiilani proceeded to the house where Piikea was living and entered
it. When his sister saw him, she sprang on him and wept. At the end of
their weeping Piikea asked: “How are you getting along with your
brother?” Kihapiilani answered his sister, saying: “We do not get along
at all; my brother ill-treats me; he gets angry, abuses me, and has no
love for me. That is why I have come to you, to tell you of these
things.” When Piikea heard this, she cried in a loud voice, recounting
their life in their early days while living with their parents and of
their childhood wanderings here and there, carefree and happy. While
Piikea was wailing, Umi, who was in another house, heard it and he
wondered why his wife was crying; but after a while he was told that it
was because his brother-in-law, Kihapiilani had arrived. Soon after
this Piikea came out of her house, still crying in a loud voice, and
began disrobing and acting the part of one bereft of her mind. In doing
this, Piikea was but acting her part; she had her senses about her all
right enough, but she did this to impress on her husband Umi that a
very great wrong had been committed, to rouse him to action.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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