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
Placing the calabash before Kakuhihewa he asked Lanahuimihaku: “Who is
this?” They answered: “This is Pumaia, the child of Wanua who was the
chief of Hamakua, also a younger brother (cousin) [281] of
Keawenuiaumi. He lived with us, and having learnt that we were few in
number, deserted, and at our battle at Puumaneo he was slain by
Keawenuiaumi. We secured his bones, put them away in a gourd, and these
are the bones.”
Hauna drew out the bones of another chief from the calabash and said to
Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another uncle (father) of yours, Hilohamakua,
the chief of Hilo, child of Kulukulua, a younger brother (cousin) of
your father. He also lived with us, and because there were so few of us
left and joined the rebels on the other side, and at the battle fought
on Puumaneo your father slew him, stripped his bones and put them in
the gourd.” Then Lonoikamakahiki reached for it and chanted:
That is Hilo! That is Hilo!
That is Hilo of the incessant rains,
The increasing rains,
The ceaseless rains of Hilo.
That is Hamakua of the steep cliffs.
The ti leaf of Kamae is tramped down,
Hamakua is indeed withered.
Here are some more!
Placing the bundle in front of Kakuhihewa, he asked Lanahuimihaku and
others: “Who is this?” They answered: “It is Hilohamakua, Kulukulua’s
child, the chief of Hilo, a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi.
He lived with us, and ascertaining how few we were, went away, and at
the battle fought on Puumaneo was slain by Keawenuiaumi. His bones were
stripped, put away in the container, and this is he.”
Thus three chiefs were accounted for, leaving three more, when Hauna
spoke up: “Here is another chief, another uncle of yours, being a
younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. He resided with us, and
because of our meagerness, deserted, and at the battle fought on
Puumaneo he was slain by Keawenuiaumi. The bones were stripped and also
put away in a gourd.”
Lonoikamakahiki then took up Lililehua, the child of Hua-a, the chief
of Puna and chanted before Kakuhihewa:
Lililehua
Is drifting to Waimea,
For Molokai is storm-bound.
When the wind [282] sweeps there below,
My husband then enters the house at Mana.
We two reposed at Wawaenohu
And witnessed the weeping of the deity. [283]
Here are some more!
This bundle was placed before Kakuhihewa, who inquired who it was.
Lanahuimihaku and the others answered: “This is Lililehua, the chief of
Puna, the child of Hua-a. He had a beautiful country where even the
pandanus and the lehua enter the sea, being the only sweet-scented land
on Hawaii. This chief had his home with us; a younger brother (cousin)
of Keawenuiaumi, but knowing our numerical weakness, deserted us, and
at the battle fought on Puumaneo we slew him, stripped all his bones,
put them in a container, and this is he.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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