Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 2 (of 3): 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

BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE OF KAWELO.—HIS CHANGE TO OAHU AND FAME ATTAINED THERE.

Maihuna was the father and Malaiakalani was the mother of Kawelo, who was born in Hanamaulu, [1] Kauai. There were five children in the family. The first was Kawelomahamahaia; the second was Kaweloleikoo. These two were males; after these two came Kaenakuokalani, a female; next to her was Kaweloleimakua and the last child was Kamalama. Kaweloleimakua, or Kawelo is the subject of this story.

The parents of Malaiakalani [the mother] were people who were well versed in the art of foretelling the future of a child, by feeling of its limbs, and by looking over the child, they could tell whether it would grow up to be brave and strong, or whether it would some day rule as king. At the birth of the two older brothers of Kawelo, these old people examined them, but found nothing wonderful about them. This examination was followed by the two on Kawelo, upon his birth. After the examination the old people called the parents of Kawelo and said to them: “Where are you two? This child of yours is going to be a soldier; he is going to be a very powerful man and shall some day rule as king.” Because of these wonderful traits, the old people took Kawelo and attended to his bringing up themselves. It was after this that Kamalama, the younger brother of Kawelo was born.

Shortly after the birth of Kamalama, the grandparents of Kawelo moved over to Wailua, where they took up their residence, taking their grandchild Kawelo along with them. At this time, while Kawelo was being brought up, Aikanaka, the son of the king of Kauai was born, and also Kauahoa of Hanalei. All these three were born and brought up together. [2]

Kawelo as a child was a very great eater; he could not satisfy his hunger on anything less than all the food of one umu to a meal. Kawelo ate so much that his grandparents began to get tired of keeping him in food, so at last they began to search for something to entice Kawelo away from the house and in that way get him to forget to eat. One day they went up to the woods and hewed out a canoe. After it was brought down to the sea shore it was rigged up and given to Kawelo. As soon as Kawelo got the canoe he paddled it up and down the Wailua river, and after this it became an object of great interest to him every day.

When Kauahoa saw Kawelo with his canoe day after day enjoying himself, he got it into his mind to make himself something to enjoy himself with; so he made himself a kite, and after it was completed he flew it up. When Kawelo saw the kite he took a liking to it and so went home to his grandparents and requested them to make him a kite. [3] The grandparents thereupon made Kawelo a kite and after it was completed he took it out and flew it up. When Kauahoa saw Kawelo with a kite he came with his and they flew them together. While they were flying their kites, Kawelo’s kite became entangled with Kauahoa’s kite which caused Kauahoa’s to break away and it was carried by the wind till it landed at Koloa, to the west. The name of the place where the kite landed is known as Kahooleinapea to this day, because of the fall of Kauahoa’s kite there.

After Kauahoa’s kite was broken away, Kawelo looked at Kauahoa with the belief that surely Kauahoa would come and attack him; but since Kauahoa did not come Kawelo said within himself: “Kauahoa will never overcome me if we should ever meet in any future battle.” Kauahoa was a much larger boy than Kawelo, still he was afraid of him. [4]

After flying their kites, they went in swimming and riding down the rapids. In this Kawelo again showed himself to be more skilful than Kauahoa, which caused Kawelo to be more sure in his belief that Kauahoa will never overcome him in the future. Kawelo and Kauahoa were not separated from one another in the matter of their relationship; they were connected, and so was the young chief, Aikanaka. He was connected in blood to the two boys, a fact which made Aikanaka something like an older brother and lord to them. Everything Aikanaka wished was granted to him, whether in stringing wreaths, or other things, they never denied him anything.

While Kawelo and his grandparents were living at Wailua with Aikanaka and the others, Kawelo’s older brothers, together with their grandparents, left Kauai and came to live in Waikiki, Oahu. Kakuhihewa was the king of Oahu at this time. There was living with Kakuhihewa, a very strong man who was a famous wrestler. This man used to meet the older brothers of Kawelo in several wrestling bouts but they never could throw him down. The brothers of Kawelo were great surf riders, and they often went to ride the surf at Kalehuawehe. [5] After the surf ride they would go to the stream of Apuakehau and wash, and from there they would go to the shed where the wrestling bouts were held and test their skill with Kakuhihewa’s strong man; but in all their trials they never once were able to throw him.

While living separated from each other, the older brothers of Kawelo being in Oahu, their grandparents, who were with Kawelo in Wailua, after a while, began to long for a sight of the other grandchildren, so one day they sailed for Oahu, bringing Kawelo with them, and they landed at Waikiki where they were met by the older brothers of Kawelo. After deciding to make their home in Waikiki, Kawelo took up farming and also took unto himself a wife, Kanewahineikiaoha, the daughter of Kalonaikahailaau, and they lived together as husband and wife.

While Kawelo was one day working in his fields, he heard some shouting down toward the beach, so he inquired of his grandparents: “What is that shouting down yonder?” The grandparents answered: “It is your brothers; they have been out surf riding and are now wrestling with Kakuhihewa’s strong man. One of them must have been thrown, hence the shouting you hear.” When Kawelo heard this he became very anxious to go down and see it; but his grandparents would not consent. [6] On the next day, however, Kawelo went down on his own account and saw his older brothers surf riding with many others at Kalehuawehe. He asked for a board which was given him and he swam out with it to where his brothers were waiting for the surf, and they came in together. After the surf riding, they went to the stream of Apuakehau and took a fresh water bath; and from there they went to the shed where the wrestling bouts were to be held. Upon their arrival at the shed Kawelo stood up with the strong man to wrestle. At sight of this Kawelo’s older brothers said to him: “Are you strong enough to meet that man? If we whose bones are older cannot throw him, how much less are the chances of yourself, a mere youngster.” Kawelo, however, paid no heed to the remarks made by his brothers, but stood there facing the strong man. At this show of bravery the strong man said to Kawelo: “If I should call out, ‘Kahewahewa, it is raining’, [7] then we begin.” Kawelo then replied in a mocking way: “Kanepuaa, he is biting, wait awhile, wait awhile. Don’t cut the land of Kahewahewa, it is raining.” [8] While Kawelo was having his say, the strong man of Kakuhihewa was awarded the privilege of taking the first hold; and using his whole strength he attempted to throw Kawelo. Kawelo was almost thrown, but through his great strength and skill he was not. Kawelo, after mocking the man, took his hold and threw the strong man, who was thrown with Kawelo on top of him. This delighted the people so much that they all shouted.

When the older brothers of Kawelo saw how the strong man was thrown by their younger brother they were ashamed, and they returned home weeping and tried to deceive their grandparents. When they arrived at the house the grandparents asked them: “Why these tears?” They replied: “Kawelo threw stones at us. We are therefore going back to Kauai.” After the brothers of Kawelo had returned to Kauai, Kawelo and his wife and younger brother Kamalama lived on at Waikiki.

Not very long after this Kawelo began to learn dancing, but being unable to master this he dropped it and took up the art of war under the instruction of his father-in-law, Kalonaikahailaau. Kamalama also took up this art as well as Kanewahineikiaoha. After Kawelo had mastered the art of warfare, he took up fishing. Maakuakeke of Waialae was the fishing instructor of Kawelo.

Early in the morning Kawelo would get up and start out from Waikiki going by way of Kaluahole, Kaalawai, and so on to Waialae where he would chant out:

Say, Maakuakeke, Fishing companion of Kawelo, Wake up, it is daylight, the sun is shining, The sun has risen, it is up. Bring along our hooks Together with the fishing kit As well as our net. Say, Maakuakeke, The rattling paddles, The rattling top covering, The rattling bailing cup, wake up, it is daylight.

While Kawelo was chanting, Maakuakeke’s wife heard it, so she woke her husband up saying: “Wake up, I never heard your grandparents chant your name so pleasingly as has Kawelo this morning. No, not even your parents. This is the first time that I have heard such a pleasing chant.” Maakuakeke then woke up, made ready everything called out by Kawelo in the chant, went out, boarded the canoe and they set out. As they were going along, Maakuakeke called out to Kawelo in a chant as follows:

Say, Kawelo-lei-makua, stop. Say, offspring of the cliffs of Puna, The eyes of Haloa are above, My lord, my chiefly fisherman of Kauai.

“Yes, yes,” [9] replied Kawelo.

Maakuakeke then said to Kawelo: “Here is the place that we used to fish; and when the fish were caught we went shoreward, together with the wife and the child.” Kawelo replied: “This is not the fishing ground. The place for fish is at the cape of Kaena.” Kawelo also told Maakuakeke to sit securely in the canoe, lest he might be pitched over. With one stroke of the paddle by Kawelo, they passed outside of Mamala; [10] with the second stroke they were at Puuloa; [11] and on the third stroke they arrived at Waianae. When they arrived off Waianae, Kawelo picked up the kukui nuts, [12] chewed them and then blew it on the sea to calm it, so that the bottom could be seen, as they were fishing for the uhu. They fished from shallow to deep water and caught a number of fishes. On this going out into deep water, Maakuakeke knew that they would come to the place of Uhumakaikai [13] (a marvelous fish); therefore Maakuakeke said to Kawelo in chant, as follows:

O Kaweloleimakua, hearken! O offspring of the cliffs of Puna! The eyes of Haloa are above, My lord, my chiefly fisherman of Kauai.

“I am here, yes, I am here,” responded Kawelo.

Maakuakeke then said: “Let us return, it is late.” They then returned and in a short time they arrived at Waialae. Kawelo then took up two uhus, [14] one for Kamalama and one for his wife, Kanewahineikiaoha, and he came on home to Waikiki. Upon his arrival, he entered the Apuakehau stream and had a bath. After his bath, he returned to the house and then called out to his chief steward, Puikikaulehua, for food and meat. The chief steward then brought forty calabashes of poi and forty small packages of baked pork and placed them before Kawelo, who then began his meal. But these were not sufficient, and he again called for some more. The chief steward again brought the same quantity as before, [15] which amount satisfied his hunger.