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The volume presents a scholarly compilation of Hawaiian mythology, legends, genealogies and traditional narratives gathered by Abraham Fornander in the late‑19th century, with translations and extensive notes prepared by Thomas G. Thrum and later editors. It opens with a detailed contents list, followed by a prefatory essay that explains how Fornander, aided by native informants such as S. M. Kamakau, collected oral histories from across the islands. The first chapter then sets out the Hawaiian account of island formation, recounting the birth of the twelve islands from the deities Wakea, Papa and Hina, and introducing the foundational tale of Opuukahonua as the progenitor of the Hawaiian race. The text interweaves English translation with the original Hawaiian verses, offering both narrative and poetic forms of the traditional lore.
Written in a formal, academic style typical of early‑20th‑century museum memoirs, the language is precise yet occasionally ornate, reflecting the era’s reverence for indigenous sources. Readers with an interest in Polynesian anthropology, comparative mythology, or historic Hawaiian language material will find the work rewarding, as will scholars seeking primary accounts of native oral tradition preserved before the loss of many original chant‑keepers.
The opening · free to read
PREFATORY REMARKS.
There are twelve islands in this group and they are situated in the Pacific Ocean to the north of the Equator and between latitude 18° 54′ and 22° 17′, in west longitude 154° 54′. The wise people are not all agreed as to the origin of these islands, and some have thought that they appeared or grew up from the sea. But according to the history of Hawaii, the ideas of the learned historians were entirely different from that theory. According to the traditions of Wakea [1] and his wife Papa, these islands were the real children of this pair, being born of Papa and having Wakea for their father. Hawaii was the first child of Papa and Wakea, and some time afterwards Maui was born, and in this manner there were successive births of eleven islands. But Kahoolawe was not born of Papa and Wakea, but according to the tradition or legend of Haumea, Hina [2] was the one who gave birth to this island and it was called Kahoolawe.
In the tradition of Opuukahonua [3] it is therein claimed that the island of Hawaii was found by a fisherman, and that Opuukahonua was the progenitor of this race; and this is the story as told by the historian named Kahakuikamoana, one of the famous men belonging to the order of priesthood. It is handed down in mele or poetic form:
Then arose Hawaiinuiakea, 1 Arose from inside, from the inner darkness. Then appeared the island, the land, The row of islands of Nuumea, The group of islands on the borders of Tahiti. Maui was born an island, a land, 2 A dwelling place for the children of Kamalalawalu. Kuluwaiea of Haumea as the husband, 3 Of Hinanuiakalana as the wife Was born Molokai, a god, a priest, The first morning light [4] from Nuumea. Here stands the king, the heavenly one, [5] 4 The life-giving water-drops, from Tahiti. Lanai was found, an adopted child. It was Keaukanai who had married, 5 Had married with Walinuu from Holani, The sacred albino [6] of Uluhina. Kahoolawe was born, a foundling. [7] Uluhina then was called upon, 6 The navel of the little one was cut, The afterbirth of the child that was thrown Into the folds of the rolling surf, The froth of the heaving sea, Then was found the loin cloth for the child. Molokini the island Is the navel string, the island is the navel string. Now stands forth Ahukinialaa, 7 A chief from the foreign land, From the gills of the fish, From the overwhelming billows of Halehalekalani. Then was born Oahu, a wohi, [8] A wohi through Ahukinialaa. From Laakapu, who was the man, 8 From Laamealaakona a woman Who sickened of the child conception, Who sickened carrying the chief Nuupoki, At the sacred temple of Nonea During the lightning in the sacred night of Makalii. [9] Then was born Kauai, a chief, a prince, a kingly scion Of the chiefly cluster belonging to Hawaii; Hawaii the foremost head of the islands That was spread out by Kalani. [10] 9 The ships sailed freely to Holani, To the sacred precincts of freedom. Stand firm for the land of Kane Kanaloa, The barbed spear from Polapola, That pricked and uplifted Wanalia. Wanalia was the man 10 And Hanalaa was the woman, Of them was born Niihau, a land, an island, A land at the roots, [11] the stem of the land. There were three children among them, Born in the same day, Niihau, Kaula, ending with Nihoa. The mother then conceived no more, No island appeared afterwards. It is Kalani who consecrates the islands, 11 Exalted in Nuumea Among the royal cluster of Kaialea. It is the conqueror [12] who governs the islands. The thirds were joined together by Kalani; [13] Hilo, and Puna, and Kau were thrown in. Kalani stands forth with the priest And inspected Maui of Kama. [14] It was not long when he circuited the island Through the support given by Kalanimakahakona, The young brave that was foremost and highest, The great soldier of victories, The one who conquered Oahu, And the islands heard to their ends To the relief of Kauai through peace. All the islands were circled by Kalani, By Kalanialonoapii, [15] From the royal stem of Haloa. Then Hawaii the island became prominent; Became prominent and victorious.
According to this song (or mele) composed by Kahakuikamoana the historical legend of the derivation of these islands is explained, and it seems it was from Tahiti that the first people of this race came, but it is not made plain by the lines of this song how the race spread throughout the group. It is only the birth of the islands that is referred to and made plain by this history, tradition or recital of events, and it is well to look at the genealogy of the islands and see how they (the islands) became land according to the setting of historical events shown in the following chapter.
“Now cometh forth Hawaiinuiakea, Appeareth out of darkness. An island, a land is born, The row of islands from Nuumea; The group of islands at the borders of Tahiti.”
According to these lines of the song the origin of Hawaii is made clear and it would seem it arose from the ocean, which theory would agree with that of some of the scientific discoveries of the present day, and such is the belief of travelers.
In looking to ascertain the origin of Maui it would seem that it was the same as Hawaii’s, just appearing from out of the sea, and here are some of the lines of the mele composed by Kahakuikamoana before mentioned in Chapter I touching on that subject:
“Maui was born an island, a land, A dwelling place for the children of Kamalalawalu.”
As for Molokai the birth of that island is referred to in the lines of the same song in this wise:
“It was Kuluwaiea of Haumea who was husband, It was Hinanuialana the wife, Then was born Molokai, a god, a priest, A yellow flower [17] from Nuumea.”
It would seem that Kuluwaiea was a husband of Haumea, [18] but went after Hinanuialana who conceived Molokai, a god and priest.
As to the tradition in regard to Lanai, it is not stated where it appeared from, but it is told in the tradition that Lanai was a foster child. That is clearly shown in the mele of Kahakuikamoana in the fourth verse reading thus:
“Here stands the king, the heavenly one, The life-giving water-drops, from Tahiti. Lanai was found an adopted child.”
But in the tradition regarding Kahoolawe its origin is assured, it was born a foundling. Because Keaukanai was the man, he married with Walinuu, a woman from Holani, and Kahoolawe was the offspring of that union. And this is the way the mele runs in the fifth verse:
“Keaukanai is the one who married, Married with Walinuu from Holani, The sacred semen [19] of Uluhina. Kahoolawe was born a foundling.”
This is the strange thing in the tradition of Kahoolawe, it would seem Keaukanai belonged to Hawaii nei, and Walinuu came from Holani. In the traditions of Molokini it is said, it was from the loin cloth of Uluhina, a very high chief. He was a chief who cut the navel of new born babes. And this is the legend concerning Molokini: “When Walinuu gave birth to Kahoolawe Uluhina was called upon to come and cut the navel of the child Kahoolawe, and when he came and had cut the navel he took the placenta and girt it on as a loin cloth. He then threw it into the sea and Molokini arose formed from the afterbirth of Kahoolawe and the loin cloth of Uluhina,” the very name Molokini being a contraction of the words malo and Uluhina and should read this way in the song, verse 6:
“Uluhina then was called upon, The navel of the little one was cut, The afterbirth of the child that was thrown Into the folds of the rolling surf; The froth of the heaving sea, Then was found the loin cloth for the child. Molokini the island Is the navel string, The island is a navel string.”
In the tradition of Oahu, it is said Oahu was a very high chief, a prince of the blood, born of Ahukini-a-Laa and Laamea-laakona, and this is how it reads in verse 7:
“Now stands forth Ahukini-a-Laa, A chief from the foreign land; From the gills [20] of the fish; From the overwhelming billows of Halehalekalani. Then was born Oahu, a wohi, A wohi through Ahukinialaa By Laamealaakona, the wife.”
In the tradition of Kauai, it is said Oahu and Kauai had one mother and had different fathers. Because Ahukinialaa lived with Laamealaakona and Oahu was born a wohi, then Laakapu lived with Laamealaakona and Kauai was born and this is how the legend runs: When Laamealaakona first had the child-sickness when conceiving Kauai, she was in the sacred house in the enclosure of the heiau (temple) of Nonea, and on a day of the month of Makalii, the day in which the lightnings flashed around this heiau, that was the day Kauai was born, and this is the king who united with the royal line of Hawaii. And this is how the legend runs in the part concerning Kauai in the mele commencing with verse 8:
“From Laakapu who was a man, From Laamealaakona a woman Who sickened of the child conception, Who sickened carrying the chief Nuupoki At the sacred temple of Nonea During the lightning on the sacred night of Makalii. Then was born Kauai, a chief, a prince, a kingly scion, Of the chiefly cluster belonging to Hawaii; The foremost head of all the islands.”
So in looking over the histories of Oahu and Kauai, it is true, it seems as if they had one mother, for the voice indicates the resemblance.
In the traditions of Niihau, Kaula and Nihoa, they had the same parents, because Wanalia was the husband who lived with Hanalaa, a woman, and to them was born Niihau, Kaula and Nihoa. They were triplets, and with them the mother became barren. No islands were born afterwards. And the mele composed by Kahakuikamoana should read like this, in verse 10:
“Wanalia was the man And Hanalaa was the woman; Of them was born Niihau, a land, an island. There were three children of them Born in the same day; Niihau, Kaula, ending with Nihoa. The mother then conceived no more, No other island appeared afterwards.”
In looking for stories of these islands it is shown in that mele composed by the great historian, one of the chiefs’ most renowned historians of Hawaii nei. But we cannot certify to the absolute truth of the story; there are several other stories very much like these, but which one is the real truth it is hard to tell. In the story or tradition of Wakea the origin of these islands is plainly told, and there are also meles reciting the doings of Wakea with regard to the peopling of these islands. One of the songs was composed by Pakui, [21] a historian and a famous composer of songs, and he was classed among the high priests of the order of priesthood.
In the tradition of Opuukahonua it is told in that story that they were the progenitors of Hawaii nei. There were twenty-four generations before Wakea, and as there were seventy-five generations from the time of Wakea would make ninety-nine generations from Opuukahonua to that of Kamehameha, therefore, till the reign of Kamehameha IV makes one hundred and one generations.
Wakea Kahiko Luamea, [22] Papa that gives birth to islands was the wife, Tahiti of the rising and Tahiti of the setting sun was born, [23] Was born the foundation stones, Was born the heavenly stones, 5 Was born Hawaii; The first-born island, Their first-born child Of Wakea together with Kane And Papa of Walinuu the wife. 10 Papa conceived an island, Was sick of child-sickness with Maui. Then was born Mauiloa, an island; Was born with a heavenly front. A heavenly beauty, heavenly beauty, 15 Was caught in the kapa of waving leaves. [24] Mololani was a great one to Ku, to Lono, To Kane, and also to Kanaloa. Was born during the sacred pains. [25] Papa was prostrated with Kanaloa, an island, 20 Who was born as a birdling; [26] as a porpoise; A child that Papa gave birth to, Then Papa left and went back to Tahiti, Went back to Tahiti at Kapakapakaua. Wakea then slept with Kaula wahine 25 And Lanai Kaula was born, The first-born child of that wife. Then Wakea turned around and found Hina, Hina was found as a wife for Wakea, Hina conceived Molokai, an island; 30 Hina’s Molokai is an island child. The plover Laukaula told the tale That Wakea had slept with a woman. Fierce and fiery was the anger of Papa. Papa came back from within Tahiti; 35 Was angry and jealous of her rivals; Was wild and bad-tempered toward her husband, Wakea, And slept with Lua for a new husband. Oahu-a-Lua was born, Oahu-a-Lua, an island child; 40 A child of Lua’s leaf-opening days. [27] Went back and lived with Wakea. Papa was restless with child-sickness, Papa conceived the island of Kauai And gave birth to Kamawaelualanimoku. [28] 45 Niihau is the last droppings; Lehua was a border, And Kaula the closing one For the low coral islands; The low white-marked isles of Lono, 50 The Lord Lono of Kapumaeolani. [29] The rain dispelling conch [30] of Holani, The big-rain dispelling conch of Kahaimakana. It was the second lordly child, Kaponianai, From the I, the sacred I [31] of Kaponialamea. 55 The dark dye, blue dye, the black dye, [32] The anointed; the anointed destined to war; That is Papa-a. Papa-a. Hoohokukalani, The high chiefess, Hoohokukalani, [33] 60 The chiefess of the loud voice, Reverberating, crackling, sharpened. That is modified and pared down As leaves which are worn to thinness. Wakea was the resemblance, 65 It was Haloa [34] that was theirs, It was Piimai, Wailoa, and Kakaihili [35] That was settled by the royal owl, The owl of the still eyes [36] That sails on the beach and to windward 70 As a kite of the sacred chief That was folded and united in the same wohi That was Ahukaiolaa and was Laa- -a-. Laamaikahiki was the chief. Then Ahukinialaa, 75 Kukonaalaa, And the parent Laulialaa; The triplets of Laamaikahiki The sacred first-born of Laa Who were born on the same day. 80 The birth-water broke, gushed forth with the birth showing. The navel is Ahulumai, The royal navel, The very innermost royal heated navel. [37] The offspring of Kalani, the heavenly one, 85 Was Puaakahuoi, Kamalea and Makahiko of Piliwale, Kamaiolena, Kahaloalena, Halolenaula, Kalanimanuia, The highly praised one of Manuia. 90 The yellow dog that was reddened To beget full friendship, That is Kaunui of Kanehoalani. This is the water-gourd of Hoalani, It is Kaeho Kumanawa 95 At the liver near the chest bone, The changing thought [38] That controls the muscles of the eye Which is uncovered and unties the knot. The floating flower on the royal platform. 100 I am Kapuakahi [39] Kuaana from Kane, The wife who lived with Iwikauikaua [40] Who begat Kaneikauauwilani, The crest-breaking surf That breaks double; [41] 105 The high-combing wave that broke over the royal foam, The broken waves that suck and draw towards the deep, That twisted and absorbed Liloa, The one of the royal belt: Liloa of Paakaalana, the adept in heavenly lore. 110 The royal offspring was Hakau. The message that was shot outside was The sounding conch that disputes the claims of Umi, Which was a bravado of Umi’s at the royal precincts. [42] The great precinct of Mako 115 Of Makakaualii, the heavenly chief; The rift in the heavenly depths, The white thunder clap of Kapaikauanalulu. The water-stone of Hina of the sounding drops, The very topmost sprouting leaves of the heavenly bud. 120 From thence sprang Kuauwa, [43] a chiefly branch, Kamehameha that stands alone at Kawaluna. The lower step, the highest step at Hakawili That is heavy and burdened by the kapus. The sacred sweat from Maheha, [44] 125 The black lips that Hakau hung up on Hawaii.
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