Four great gods with a large retinue of lesser gods came from Kahiki to
the Hawaiian Islands. “Kahiki” meant any land beyond the skies which
came down to the seas around the Hawaiian group. These gods settled for
a time in Nuuanu Valley, back of the lands now known as Honolulu. These
four great gods were worshipped by the Polynesians scattered all over
the Pacific Ocean. Their names were Ku, Lono, Ka-ne and Kanaloa.
Ka-ne and Kanaloa were the water-finders, opening springs and pools
over all the islands, each pool known now as Ka-Wai-a-ke-Akua (The
water provided by a god).
In one of the very old Hawaiian newspapers the question was asked,
“What are the waters of Ka-ne?” The answers came: The heavy showers of
life-giving rain, the mountain stream swelling into a torrent lifting
and carrying away canoes, the rainbow-colored rain loved by Ka-ne, the
continually flowing brooks of the valleys and the fresh waters found
anywhere—these were the waters of Ka-ne.
It may reasonably be surmised that from the realization of the blessing
of fresh waters the ancient Polynesians as well as the Hawaiians looked
up to some waters to be found somewhere in the lands of the gods, which
were called “the waters of life of Ka-ne.” The Hawaiian legends said:
“If any one is dead and this water is thrown upon him, he becomes alive
again. Old people bathing in this water go back to their youth.” If the
common fresh water of the hills and plains was good, it was easy to
look beyond to something better.
The gods Ka-ne and Kanaloa were very closely allied to the farming
interests of the people of the long ago. Prayers were offered to them
in all the different stages of the process of farming. When a field was
selected some article of food was cooked and offered with the prayer:
“Here is food,
O Gods, Ka-ne and Kanaloa!
Here is food for us.
Give life to us and our family.
Life for the parents feeble with age.
Life for all in the household.
When digging and planting our land
Life for us—
This is our prayer. Amama.”
A similar prayer was made while cultivating the crops or harvesting the
ripened product.
It may be that the close connection of waters with plant growth made
these two gods the especial gods of farmers.
There was a host of other gods whose names were sometimes used in
prayers offered while farming. Each of these gods bore the name “Ka-ne”
(sometimes Ku or Lono would be substituted), followed by an adjective
showing some method of work, but all these names of lesser gods were
apparently used to explain the particular task desired, as when the
name “Ka-ne-apuaa” was mentioned in some prayers, the word “puaa” (pig)
carried the idea of digging or uprooting the soil.
Ka-ne and Kanaloa were great travellers. Together they journeyed over
Kauai, coming (according to an account written in the Kuokoa about 1868
by the Rev. J. Waiamau) from far-away lands. They appeared more like
men than gods, and the Kauai people did not worship them, so they
opened up only a few springs and crossed over to the island Oahu.
Throughout all the islands the awa root has been found. It was bitter
and very astringent, but when crushed and mixed with water the juice
became a liquor greatly loved by the people. “These two gods drank awa
from Kauai to Hawaii,” so the old legends say.
They journeyed along the coast of the island Oahu until they came to
Kalihi, one of the present suburbs of the city of Honolulu. For a long
time they had been looking up the hillsides and along the water courses
for awa [9]—but had not found what seemed desirable.
At Kalihi a number of fine awa roots were growing. They pulled up the
roots and prepared them for chewing. When the awa was ready Kanaloa
looked for fresh water, but could not find any. So he said to Ka-ne:
“Our awa is good, but there is no water in this place. Where can we
find water for this awa?”
Ka-ne said, “There is indeed water here.” He had a “large and strong
staff,” in some of the legends called a spear. This he took in his
hands and stepped out on the bed of lava which now underlies the soil
of that region. He began to strike the earth. Deep went the point of
his staff into the rock, smashing and splintering it and breaking open
a hole out of which water leaped for them to mix with their prepared
awa. This pool of fresh water has been known since the days of old as
Ka-puka-Wai-o-Kalihi (The water door of Kalihi). The gods, stupefied by
the liquor, lay down and slept. When at last they were weary of that
resting-place, they passed Nuuanu Valley and went into the most
beautiful rainbow valley of the world, Manoa Valley, the home of the
rainbow princess. This valley is one of the well-settled suburbs of
Honolulu.
Well-wooded precipices guard the upper end of the valley and make
difficult the path to the tops of the mountains rising thousands of
feet above.
Here the gods found most excellent awa, and Kanaloa cried, “O my
brother, this is awa surpassing any other we have found; but where
shall I go to find water?” Ka-ne replied, “Here in this hillside is
water.” So he took his staff and struck it fiercely against the
precipice by which they had found awa. Rapidly the rocks were broken
off. The precipice crept back from the mighty strokes of the god and a
large pool of clear, cool water appeared among the great stones which
had fallen. There they mixed awa and water and drank again and again
until the sleep of the drunkard came and they rested by the fountain
they had made. This pool is still at the head of Manoa Valley, and to
this day is called Ka-Wai-a-ke-Akua (The water provided by a god).
The servants of hundreds of chiefs have borne water from this place to
their thirsty masters.
In the days of Kamehameha I. very often messengers came from this pool
of water of the gods with calabashes full of water swinging from the
ends of sticks laid over their shoulders. When they came near any
individual or group of Hawaiians they had to call out loudly, giving
warning so that all by whom they passed could fall prostrate before the
gift of the gods to the great king.
Ka-ne and Kanaloa made many springs of fresh waters in all the
different islands. Sometimes a watchman refused to let them take the
desired awa—the legends say that they called such persons stingy, and
caught them and put them to death. At Honuaula they broke a large place
and made a great fish-pond.
They went to Kohala, Hawaii, and found a temple in which they lived for
a long time, and the people of Hawaii thought they were gods. Therefore
they brought sacrifices and offered worship, and Ka-ne and Kanaloa were
satisfied to remain as two of the gods of the islands.
This idea of “striking a rock for water springs” is not connected with
or derived in any way from Biblical sources. The tool used by Hawaiians
for centuries for digging was called the o-o, which was but little more
than a sharp-pointed stick or staff, which was a lever as well as a
spade. There is nothing in the legend beyond the expression of a desire
to locate water springs as a gift from the gods.