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
On this voyage from Hawaii he made land at Kailua, where he saw a
couple of women playing konane with their husbands. When Hauna saw the
game he knew at once by the position of the stones that the men were
beaten, so he said to the women: “You two are beaten, providing I was
to play you women. I know I can beat you two.” The women replied: “Here
is the konane board, go ahead and play.” Hauna said: “Let us delay the
game for a while until the messenger of Kakuhihewa passes by; after he
passes we will continue with the game. We must, however, cover up the
board with a piece of kapa; after that we can discuss as to our wagers,
and when that is settled we will begin.”
After Kuleonui had passed the place the bet was discussed and agreed on
in the following manner: the women said to Hauna: “We have nothing to
offer on our side excepting ourselves. If you beat us in this present
unfinished game you can take us as your property.” Hauna then said: “I
have two double canoes filled with things that are valuable; the chief
articles of value on the canoes, however, are a large number of feather
cloaks. If you two beat me, you two shall have the goods in the canoes
together with the men on board.” The women replied: “It is a bet.”
Hauna then said: “Let me make the first move.”
It was a fact that before the game was continued, and before the bets
were settled and the board covered with the piece of kapa, Hauna knew
very well that he was beaten; but upon seeing Kuleonui it gave him an
excuse to propose that the board be covered over until the messenger of
Kakuhihewa passed by. According to his request the board was covered
over. But when the kapa was removed, in order to continue the game,
Hauna caught up some of the stones which gave the women the best
advantage with the kapa. Hauna then made the first move and after a few
more moves the women were beaten. At this he said: “I have won you
two.” The women replied: “We have husbands of our own and we cannot see
how we can straighten out this difficulty.” The husbands of the two
women replied: “You two had better not consider us, because you made
your own bet and have lost it yourselves.” The husbands then said to
Hauna: “You can take the women as your own property, for you have won
them; they were not staked by others; they made the bet themselves.”
Because of this Hauna took the women and tied them together with a loin
cloth and led them to the place where the canoes were lying. Because
these women were led by Hauna, the place where this act took place was
given the name of Kaohao and it so remains to this day. The place is in
Kailua, Koolaupoko, Oahu.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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