Showing posts with label Kauai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kauai. Show all posts

Saturday, July 20, 2013

► Maria P. Chamberlain's Kauai Trip

"The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, January 16, 1959 - "Clarice B. Taylor's Tales about Hawaii"

     Like other missionary children, Warren and Evarts, the eldest sons of Maria and Levi Chamberlain, were sent to the East coast at the ages of 5 and 7 for an education.

     Honolulu December 5th, 1846
     "My Dear Son Evarts,
     "It is almost a year since your beloved father left home.  
     "He was just one month on his way to China. He found the climate cold, damp and disagreeable. His health suffered - and he was advised by two physicians - to continue his voyage to the U.S. - he sailed the 1st of April in the ship Lucas, with Capt. & Mrs. Miller for New York.
     "I long to hear of his safe arrival and that you have been permitted to see your father's face again -.

VISITS KAUAI
     "After G(eneral) M(eeting) Mrs. Dibble, the widow of Rev. Sheldon Dibble, withher three little children - came and stayed with us five months - while Mrs. D. was at our house, I had an opportunity to visit Kauai - we sailed in the evening and arrived at Dr. Smith's in the morning (at Koloa).

     "Mr. Pogue, an unmarried gentleman, is the minister at Koloa. He rode with me to Waiole, a station where Messers Jonson and Wilcox reside. We performed a journey of 80 miles in two days. We spent one day and a half visiting our friends. We crossed several deep rivers, some of which we forded and others we had to take a canoe.

     "It was a novel sight to me, to see our horses with their bodies all covered with water, their heads only to be seen, snorting to get their breath.

6 DAY TRIP
     "We had an opportunity soon after my return to take passage home in a whale ship. We were six days going up to Honolulu. The health of the ladies was much improved.

     "We enjoyed much pleasure in our visit of three weeks at Kauai, and felt thankful again to reach our own island Oahu.

     "Mrs. Dibble has recently gone to housekeeping next door to ours. She would go to America - but for fear of being molested by the Mexican privateers. -

     "Your ever affectionate Mother

     "Maria P. Chamberlain."

     NEXT: Molokai Trip

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

► The Power of the Stone: Daddy Bray

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin - Thursday, January 8, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

     "My Uncle Kaniho told me that the stone god demonstrated its powerful mana (spiritual power) in a marvelous way.

     David k. Bray Sr. was continuing the story of how the stone god "walked to his house" and became the source of his spiritual power as a kahuna in a modern world.

     "One day a rainbow appeared before their house in Kohala. Kaniho;s father Ku-amoo announced that some alii or great person was approaching.

     "Soon appeared two strangers carrying  pig, chicken, awa and puau wrapped in ti leaves like offerings.

     "The strangers announced themselves as kahuna from Kauai. They asked to see the god Ke Alii. They knelt before it, prayed and made offerings.

KNEW PRAYERS
     "To my Uncle's surprise, they knew the correct prayers and addressed the stone by name Ku-ka-ili-moku.

     "The rainbow which hung over the house disappeared and the Kauai priests sat down to explain their mission.

     "It seems that they were keepers of the female god similar in appearance to Ku-ka-pihe. They claimed their god had been brought from Tahiti at the same time as ours by the High Priest Paao.

     "The Kauai goddess had come to her priests in a dream and told them of the male god on Hawaii and bring back the male god so that the two could be reunited.

     "Now Kuamoo did not want to give up his god, the source of his spiritual power. He sparred for time.

     "There followed a contest in chanting in which the Kauai priests tried to outdo Kuamoo. We Hawaiians call such a contest Hoopapa, the art of debating.

WINS ALL
     "The winner not only wins the contest, he takes away the spiritual power or skill of the loser.

     "The chanting went on through the day and night. Kuamoo's memory never failed him because he felt secure in the power of his god.

     "Finally the Kauai priests gave in and conceded that Kuamoo had the greater spiritual power. They said nothing more about taking the god - but invited Kuamoo to come to Kauai and get the female companion.

NEXT: Kaniho

Saturday, March 30, 2013

► Pele on the Island of Oahu and Maui

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tuesday, December 1, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

     Just before Pele left the Island of Kauai, she made one more attempt to build a home above Waimea Canyon. She dug with Pa-oa on the brink of the canyon and left a red mound which is today known as Puu-ka-Pele.

     It may be seen on the edge of the canyon today and is a favorite lookout for tourists.

     Pele then came to the Island of Oahu. She knew from her experience at Puu-ka-Pele that Paloa (spelled differently from previous stories) her digging stick, would not dig a deep place on a mountain side., yet she went ahead a dug a hole on the plains back of Moanalua. The crater filled with salt water and was named Ke-alia-paa-kai and is know today as Salt Lake.

     Since she could not dig deep into a mountain side and establish firm foundations, Pele confined her diggings to the sea shore, notably at Leahi, now Diamond Head.

DISGUSTED
     Disgusted with Oahu, Pele and her family migrated across the channel to the Island of Maui. There they lived contently for many years in the great crater Haleakala. 

     From her high cloudland in Nuu-mea-lani (raised dias of heaven), the sea-queen Nakamaka (varied spelling from previous stories) watched Pele's craters filling with water and laughed with glee. The long residence in Haleakala crater made her determined to fight it out with Pele. She lured Pele to the high plateau land above the hedland of Kauiki Nui, off Hana.

     The two sisters fought a battle hand to hand. Namaka succeeded in tearing the lava bones of Pele and scattering them around on the land that is called Na-iwi-o-Pele (The bones of Pele). Visitors may see some of those bones to this day.

     Namaka went back to Nuu-me-lani delighted to think that Pele was dead and would never again annoy her.

     Namaka was misatken. She had destroyed the mortal body of Pele but not her immortal spirit.

TO KILAUEA
     Pele took on another mortal body and led her family across the ocean to the coast of Puna, Hawaii. They landed at a small fishing village and Pele led the way up the mountainside until she came to the pit called Kilauea.

     There was no one at home, so she dug into the pit and made a home for herself and family.

     The reason no one was at home is that the firegod Ailaau had seen pele coming and had run away. Perhaps he hid in some of the caves on Mauna Loa. He has never been seen since.

     Pele dug and dug at Kilauea with her magic stick. She found Hale-mau-mau and Kilauea to her liking. Far off in Nuu-mea-lani Namaka knew Pele was still alive. She saw the spirit of her sister standing over Kilauea.

NEXT: Gifts for Pele

Thursday, March 28, 2013

► A Canoe for Pele

 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, November 27, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

    Father Ku kept his word and provided Pele with a large sea-going double canoe. It was large enough for the big family and contained enough food to last for months.

     The one who prepared the canoe was Ka-moho-alii, King of the Sharks, and Pele's eldest brother. Kamohoalii put his relatives in charge of the canoe.They were Kane - the Whirlwind, Ke-aumiki (The Strong Current) and Keauka (The Moving Seas).

     Pele first visited Bora Bora in the Society Islands and then spent a lot of time visiting mysterious ancestral Islands and finally came to Niihau.

     It is because she came to the Hawaiian Islands that you read that Pele brought the ocean to Hawaii.

     The real truth is that Namaka kept up her quarrel with Pele and followed where ever she went. It was in reality Namaka who brought the ocean to Hawaii. Since Namaka was Queen of the Seas, the ocean naturally followed where she traveled.

     Pele kept in the canoe her magic digging tool, Pa-oa. During her travels, Pele used Pa-oa to dig holes in the sandy beaches. She hoped to dig a home for herself and family. But, Pele was always disappointed. Every time she dug a hole, she would find Namaka filling the hole with water and putting out Pele's fires.

     Pele was well received and lavishly entertained on the Island of Niihau - but she found the Island small and quickly passed over to Kauai.

     It was on this Island in Haena she met the first of her famous lovers. He was a mortal named Lohiau. Pele transformed herself into a maiden and was married to Lohiau. However, she was not satisfied with her mortal life because she could not dig a fire-hole at Haena to make a home.

     Legends from Kauai about Pele differ from the popular legends coming from the Big Island.

     Kauai people say that Pele was the daughter of Kanehoalani and Hina. Others say Kane-hao-lani was her brother and Hina was the goddess who created the great tidal wave on which Pele arrived from her south Sea home.


     It really doesn't matter, because those names mean nothing today. The older legends which gave Ku as Pele's father follow the pattern which makes the great god Ku progenitor of mortals.


     The Kauai folks make matters more confusing by saying that Pele spent much time searching the Islands of the South sea for her stolen husband.


     Our story of Pele is a condensation of the Pele stories run in Hoku-o-ka-(P)pikapika (Star of the Pacific) in 1861 and Ke Kuokoa in 1864 and 1865.




For personal interest, I've highlighted a part of the text. As a previous long time resident of Kauai, I've learned the same version of this mo'olelo from Kauai kupuna.