Hawaiian Folk Tales | Page 9

stick, said: "Now, there is one thing more to try."
And he rubbed the top of the alae's head till it was red with blood, and
the red spot remains there to this day.

III
PELE AND THE DELUGE
Rev. A. O. Forbes
All volcanic phenomena are associated in Hawaiian legendary lore with
the goddess Pele; and it is a somewhat curious fact that to the same
celebrated personage is also attributed a great flood that occurred in
ancient times. The legends of this flood are various, but mainly

connected with the doings of Pele in this part of the Pacific Ocean. The
story runs thus:
Kahinalii was the mother of Pele; Kanehoalani was her father; and her
two brothers were Kamohoalii and Kahuilaokalani. Pele was born in
the land of Hapakuela, a far-distant land at the edge of the sky, toward
the southwest. There she lived with her parents until she was grown up,
when she married Wahialoa; and to these were born a daughter named
Laka, and a son named Menehune. But after a time Pele's husband,
Wahialoa, was enticed away from her by Pele-kumulani. The deserted
Pele, being much displeased and troubled in mind on account of her
husband, started on her travels in search of him, and came in the
direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Now, at that time these islands were
a vast waste. There was no sea, nor was there any fresh water. When
Pele set out on her journey, her parents gave her the sea to go with her
and bear her canoes onward. So she sailed forward, flood-borne by the
sea, until she reached the land of Pakuela, and thence onward to the
land of Kanaloa. From her head she poured forth the sea as she went,
and her brothers composed the celebrated ancient mele:
O the sea, the great sea! Forth bursts the sea: Behold, it bursts on
Kanaloa!
But the waters of the sea continued to rise until only the highest points
of the great mountains, Haleakala, Maunakea, and Maunaloa, were
visible; all else was covered. Afterward the sea receded until it reached
its present level. This event is called the Kai a Kahinalii (Sea of
Kahinalii), because it was from Kahinalii, her mother, that Pele
received the gift of the sea, and she herself only brought it to Hawaii.
And from that time to this, Pele and all her family forsook their former
land of Hapakuela and have dwelt in Hawaii-nei, Pele coming first and
the rest following at a later time.
On her first arrival at Hawaii-nei, Pele dwelt on the island of Kauai.
From there she went to Kalaupapa, [1] on the island of Molokai, and
dwelt in the crater of Kauhako at that place; thence she departed to
Puulaina, [2] near Lahainaluna, where she dug out that crater.

Afterward she moved still further to Haleakala, where she stayed until
she hollowed out that great crater; and finally she settled at Kilauea, on
the island of Hawaii, where she has remained ever since. [3]

IV
PELE AND KAHAWALI
From Ellis's "Tour of Hawaii"
In the reign of Kealiikukii, an ancient king of Hawaii, Kahawali, chief
of Puna, and one of his favorite companions went one day to amuse
themselves with the holua (sled), on the sloping side of a hill, which is
still called ka holua ana o Kahawali (Kahawali's sliding-place). Vast
numbers of the people gathered at the bottom of the hill to witness the
game, and a company of musicians and dancers repaired thither to add
to the amusement of the spectators. The performers began their dance,
and amidst the sound of drums and the songs of the musicians the
sledding of Kahawali and his companion commenced. The hilarity of
the occasion attracted the attention of Pele, the goddess of the volcano,
who came down from Kilauea to witness the sport. Standing on the
summit of the hill in the form of a woman, she challenged Kahawali to
slide with her. He accepted the offer, and they set off together down the
hill. Pele, less acquainted with the art of balancing herself on the
narrow sled than her rival, was beaten, and Kahawali was applauded by
the spectators as he returned up the side of the hill.
Before starting again, Pele asked him to give her his papa holua, but he,
supposing from her appearance that she was no more than a native
woman, said: "Aole! (no!) Are you my wife, that you should obtain my
sled?" And, as if impatient at being delayed, he adjusted his papa, ran a
few yards to take a spring, and then, with this momentum and all his
strength he threw himself upon it and shot down the hill.
Pele, incensed at his answer, stamped her foot on the