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
One day when Aukelenuiaiku entered the eating house, to have something
to eat, while so doing, Namakaokahai secretly opened the box containing
the god of Aukelenuiaiku. Looking in she saw the axe and the knife. She
then took up the axe and ran her fingers over the edge, cutting her
fingers so they bled. Namakaokahai then said: “How strange! here my
husband has some very good things which he is hiding from me!” After
looking over these things she closed the box and put it away. When
Aukelenuiaiku finished his meal he returned and sat down. Namakaokahai
then asked him, pretending not to have seen what was in the box,
saying: “Say, what useful things did you bring with you when you came?”
Aukelenuiaiku then picked up the box and opening it, he took out the
axe and knife and gave them over to his wife, saying: “These two things
which I have brought with me from the land of Kuaihelani are very good
and useful. These two things together with my god are the three things
of the greatest value.” The wife then asked him: “What are these things
good for?” “The axe will cut a log of wood in two. The knife is also
useful, for it can cut any tough thing you have.” When Namakaokahai
heard this she said to her husband: “Say, your valuable things together
with mine we will leave with our child.”
Further on in our story we will see the supernatural powers of
Namakaokahai, and how it was impossible to kill her, although she was
cut up with the axe; by which acts we will know that she was not human.
After talking about the axe and knife, Namakaokahai said to her
husband: “You proceed and cut me into pieces with the axe.”
Aukelenuiaiku said: “How strange of you to ask me to do such a thing as
to cut you up, my own wife! How can I do such a thing, for it will mean
your death? Rather let me cut up some other person with this axe, or my
opponent in some fight, not you, my own flesh.” The wife replied: “You
might give this axe to someone else and thus deprive our child of such
a useful thing. Therefore I want you to try it on me.” And because
Namakaokahai insisted on it, the husband finally gave in, whereat she
was much pleased. When this consent was given Namakaokahai stretched
out her legs and Aukelenuiaiku severed them with the axe.
CHAPTER IX.
HOW AUKELENUIAIKU AND NAMAKAOKAHAI SHOWED THEIR USEFUL THINGS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account