Some of the most unique legends of the nations have centered around
imagined monsters. Centaurs, half man and half horse, thronged the
dreams of Rome. The Hawaiians knew nothing about any animals save the
fish of the seas, the birds of the forests, and the chickens, the dogs
and the pigs around their homes. From the devouring shark the Hawaiian
imagination conceived the idea of the shark-man who indulged in
cannibalistic tendencies. From the devastations of the hogs they built
up the experiences of an rude vicious chief whom they called Kamapuaa,
who was the principal figure of many rough exploits throughout the
islands. Sometimes he had a hog’s body with a human head and limbs,
sometimes a hog’s head rested on a human form, and sometimes he assumed
the shape of a hog—quickly reassuming the form of a man. Kalakaua’s
legends say that he was a hairy man and cultivated the stiff hair by
cutting it short so that it stood out like bristles, and that he had
his body tattooed so that it would have the appearance of a hog. In
place of the ordinary feather cloak worn by chiefs he wore a pigskin
with its bristles on the outside and a pigskin girdle around his waist.
The legends say that he was born at Kaluanui, a part of the district of
Hauula or Koolau coast of the island Oahu. His reputed father was
Olopana, the high chief of that part of the island, and his mother was
Hina, the daughter of a chief who had come from a foreign land. Other
legends say that his father was Kahikiula (The Red Tahiti), a brother
of Olopana. These brothers had come to Oahu from foreign lands some
time before. Fornander always speaks of Olopana as Kamapuaa’s uncle,
although he had taken Hina as his wife.
The Koolauloa coast of Oahu lies as a luxuriant belt of ever-living
foliage a mile or so in width between an ocean of many colors and dark
beetling precipices of mountain walls rising some thousands of feet
among the clouds.
From these precipices which mark the landward side of a mighty extinct
crater come many mountain streams leaping in cascades of spray down
into the quiet green valleys which quickly broaden into the
coral-reef-bordered seacoast. From any place by the sea the outline of
several beautiful little valleys can be easily traced.
One morning while the sunlight of May looked into the hidden recesses
and crevices of these valleys, bringing into sharp relief of shadow and
light the outcropping ledges, a little band of Hawaiians and their
white friends lay in the shade of a great kamani [43] tree and talked
about the legends which were told of the rugged rock masses of each
valley, and the quiet pools of each rivulet. Where the little party lay
was one of the sporting-places of Kamapuaa the “hog-child treated in
the legends as a demi-god.” Not far away one of the mountain streams
had broadened into a quiet bush-shaded lakelet with deep fringes of
grass around its borders. Here the legendary hog-man with marvellous
powers had bathed from time to time. A narrow gorge deep shadowed by
the morning sun was the place which Kamapuaa had miraculously bridged
for his followers when an enemy was closely pursuing them. Several
large stones on the edges of the valleys were pointed out as the
monuments of various adventures. An exquisitely formed little valley
ran deep into the mountain almost in front of the legend-tellers. Far
away in the upper end where the dark-green foliage blended with still
darker shadows the sides of the valley narrowed until they were only
from sixty to seventy feet apart, and unscalable precipices bent toward
each other, leaving only a narrow strip of sky above. On the right of
this valley is a branch-gorge down which fierce storms have hurled
torrents of waters and mist. The upper end has been hollowed and
polished in the shape of a finely rounded canoe of immense proportions.
It was from this that the valley took its name Ka-liu-waa, possibly
having the meaning, “the leaky canoe.” Some of the legends say that
this was Kamapuaa’s canoe leaning against the precipice and always
leaking out the waters which fell in it. Lying toward the west was a
very fertile and open tract of land, Kaluanui, where Kamapuaa was said
to have been born of Hina. After his birth he was thrown away by
Kahiki-houna-kele, an older brother, and left to die. After a time
Hina, the mother, went to a stream of clear, sweet water near her home
to bathe. After bathing she went to the place where she had left her
pa-u, or tapa skirt, and found a fine little hog lying on it. She
picked it up and found that it was a baby. She was greatly alarmed, and
gave the hog-child to another son, Kekelaiaika, that he might care for
it, but the older brother stole the hog-child and carried it away to a
cave in which Hina’s mother lived. Her name was Kamaunuaniho. The
grandmother knew the hog-child at once as her grandson endowed with
marvellous powers, and since the gods had given him the form of a hog
he should be called kama (child), puaa (hog). Then she gave to the
older brother kapa quilts in which to place Kamapuaa. These were made
in layers; six sheets of kapa cloth formed the under quilt for a bed
and six sheets the upper quilt for a cover. In these Kamapuaa slept
while his brother prepared taro [44] and breadfruit for his food. Thus
the wonderful hog ate and slept usually in the form of a hog until size
and strength came to him. Then he became mischievous and began to
commit depredations at night. He would root up the taro in the fields
of his neighbors, and especially in the field of the high chief
Olopana. Then he would carry the taro home, root up ferns and grass
until he had good land and then plant the stolen taro. Thus his
grandmother and her retainers were provided with growing taro, the
source of which they did not understand.
His elder brother prepared an oven in which to cook chickens. Kamapuaa
rooted up the oven and stole the chickens. This brother
Kahiki-houna-kele caught the hog-child and administered a sound
whipping, advising him to go away from home if he wanted to steal, and
especially to take what he wanted from Olopana. Adopting this advice,
Kamapuaa extended his raids to the home of the high chief. Here he
found many chickens. Kamapuaa quickly killed some, took them in his
mouth and threw many more on his back and ran home. The morning came
before he had gone far and the people along the way saw the strange
sight and pursued him. By the use of charms taught him by his
sorceress-grandmother he made himself run faster and faster until he
had outstripped his pursuer. Then he carried his load to his
grandmother’s cave and gave the chickens to the family for a great luau
(feast).
Another time he stole the sacred rooster belonging to Olopana, as well
as many other fowls. The chief sent a large number of warriors after
him. They chased the man who had been seen carrying the chickens. He
fled by his grandmother’s cave and threw the chickens inside, then fled
back up the hillside, revealing himself to his pursuers. They watched
him, but he disappeared. He dropped down by the side of a large stone.
On this he seated himself and watched the people as they ran through
the valley calling to each other. The high grass was around the stone
so that for a long time he was concealed. For this reason this stone
still bears the name Pohaku-pee-o-Kamapuaa (Kamapuaa’s-hiding-stone).
After a time a man who had climbed to the opposite ridge cried out, “E,
E, there he is sitting on the great stone!” This man was turned into a
stone by the magic of Kamapuaa. The pursuers hastened up the hillside
and surrounded the stone, but no man was there. There was a fine black
hog, which they recognized as the wonderful one belonging to
Kamaunuaniho. So they decided that this was the thief, and seized it
and carried it down the hill to give to the high chief Olopana. After
getting him down into the valley they tried to drive him, but he would
not go. Then they sent into the forest for ohia poles and made a large
litter. It required many men to carry this enormous hog, who made
himself very heavy.
Suddenly Kamapuaa heard his grandmother calling: “Break the cords!
Break the poles! Break the strong men! Escape!” Making a sudden turn on
the litter, he broke it in pieces and fell with it to the ground. Then
he burst the cords which bound him and attacked the band of men whom he
had permitted to capture him. Some legends say that he killed and ate
many of them. Others say that he killed and tore the people.
The wild life lived by Kamapuaa induced a large band of rough lawless
men to leave the service of the various high chiefs and follow Kamapuaa
in his marauding expeditions. They made themselves the terror of the
whole Koolau region.
Olopana determined to destroy them, and sent an army of four hundred
warriors to uproot Kamapuaa and his robbers. It was necessary for them
to hasten to their hiding-places, but they were chased up into the
hills until a deep gorge faced them. No way of escape seemed possible,
but Kamapuaa, falling on the ground, became a long hog—stretching out
he increased his length until he could reach from side to side of the
deep ravine—thus he formed a bridge over which his followers escaped.
Kamapuaa, however, was not able to make himself small quickly enough to
escape from his enemies. He tried to hide himself in a hole and pull
dead branches and leaves over himself; but they soon found him, bound
him securely, and tied him to a great stone which with “the stone of
hiding” and “the watcher” are monuments of the legends to this day.
The people succeeded in leading the hog-man to Olopana’s home, where
they fastened him, keeping him for a great feast, which they hoped to
have in a few days, but Kamapuaa, Samson-like, broke all his bonds,
destroyed many of his captors—wantonly destroyed coconut-trees and taro
patches, and then went back to his home.
He knew that Olopana would use every endeavor to compass his
destruction. So he called his followers together and led them up
Kaliuwaa Valley, stopping to get his grandmother on the way. When he
came to the end of the valley, and the steep cliffs up which his people
could not possibly climb, he took his grandmother on his neck and
leaned back against the great precipice. Stretching himself more and
more, and rubbing against the black rocks, at last he lifted his
grandmother to the top of the cliffs so that she could step off on the
uplands which sloped down to the Pearl Harbor side of the island. Then
the servants and followers climbed up the sides of the great hog by
clinging to his bristles and escaped. The hollow worn in the rocks
looked like a hewn-out canoe, and was given the name Ka-waa-o-Kamapuaa
(The canoe of Kamapuaa). Kamapuaa then dammed up the water of the
beautiful stream by throwing his body across it, and awaited the coming
of Olopana and his warriors.
An immense force had been sent out to destroy him. In addition to the
warriors who came by land, a great fleet of canoes was sent along the
seashore to capture any boats in which Kamapuaa and his people might
try to escape.
The canoes gathered in and around the mouth of the stream which flowed
from Kaliuwaa Valley. The warriors began to march along the stream up
toward the deep gorge. Suddenly Kamapuaa broke the dam by leaping away
from the waters, and a great flood drowned the warriors, and dashed the
canoes together, destroying many and driving the rest far out to sea.
Uhakohi is said to be the place where this flood occurred.
Then Kamapuaa permitted the people to capture him. They went up the
valley after the waters had subsided and found nothing left of Kamapuaa
or his people except a small black hog. They searched the valley
thoroughly. They found the canoe, turned to stone, leaning against the
precipice at the end of the gorge. They said among themselves, “Escaped
is Kamapuaa with all his people, and ended are our troubles.”
They caught the hog and bound it to carry to Olopana. As they journeyed
along the seashore their burden became marvellously heavy until at last
an immense litter was required resting on the shoulders of many men. It
was said that he sometimes tossed himself over to one side, breaking it
down and killing some of the men who carried him. Then again he rolled
to the other side, bringing a like destruction. Thus he brought trouble
and death and a long, weary journey to his captors, who soon learned
that their captive was the hog-man Kamapuaa. They brought him to their
king Olopana and placed him in the temple enclosure where sacrifices to
the gods were confined. This heiau was in Kaneohe and was known as the
heiau of Kawaewae. It was in the care of a priest known as Lonoaohi.
Long, long before this capture Olopana had discovered Kamapuaa and
would not acknowledge him as his son. The destruction of his
coconut-trees and taro patches had been the cause of the first violent
rupture between the two. Kamapuaa had wantonly broken the walls of
Olopana’s great fish-pond and set the fish free, and then after three
times raiding the fowls around the grass houses had seized, killed and
eaten the sacred rooster which Olopana considered his household fetish.
When Olopana knew that Kamapuaa had been captured and was lying bound
in the temple enclosure he sent orders that great care should be taken
lest he escape, and later he should be placed on the altar of sacrifice
before the great gods.
Hina, it was said, could not bear the thought that this child of hers,
brutal and injurious as he was, should suffer as a sacrifice. She was a
very high chiefess, and, like the Hinas throughout Polynesia, was
credited with divine powers. She had great influence with the high
priest Lonoaohi and persuaded him to give Kamapuaa an opportunity to
escape. This was done by killing a black hog and smearing Kamapuaa’s
body with the blood. Thus bearing the appearance of death, he was laid
unbound on the altar. It was certain that unless detected he could
easily climb the temple wall and escape.
Olopana, the king, came to offer the chants and prayers which belonged
to such a sacrifice. He as well as the high priest had temple duties,
and the privilege of serving at sacrifices of great importance. As was
his custom he came from the altar repeating chants and prayers while
Kamapuaa lay before the images of the gods. While he was performing the
sacrificial rites, Kamapuaa became angry, leaped from the altar,
changed himself into his own form, seized the bone daggers used in
dismembering the sacrifices, and attacked Olopana, striking him again
and again, until he dropped on the floor of the temple dead. The
horrified priests had been powerless to prevent the deed, nor did they
think of striking Kamapuaa down at once. In the confusion he rushed
from the temple, fled along the coast to his well-known valleys,
climbed the steep precipices and rejoined his grandmother and his
followers.
Leading his band of rough robbers down through the sandalwood [45]
forests of the Wahiawa region, he crossed over the plains to the
Waianae Mountains. Here they settled for a time, living in caves. Other
lawless spirits joined them, and they passed along the Ewa side of the
island, ravaging the land like a herd of swine. A part of the island
they conquered, making the inhabitants their serfs.
Here on a spur of the Waianae Mountains they built a residence for
Kama-unu-aniho, and established her as their priestess, or kahuna. They
levied on the neighboring farmers for whatever taro, sweet-potatoes
[46] and bananas they needed. They compelled the fishermen to bring
tribute from the sea. They surrounded their homes with pigs and
chickens, and in mere wantonness terrorized that part of Oahu.