Kaululaau was one of the sons of Kakaalaneo, brother of, and
joint ruler with, Kakae in the government of Maui. The latter was
the legitimate heir to the moiship, but, as he was weak-minded,
Kakaalaneo ruled jointly with him and was the real sovereign of the
little kingdom. The court of the brothers was at Lele (now Lahaina),
and was one of the most distinguished in the group.
The mother of Kaululaau was Kanikaniaula, of the family of Kamauaua,
king of Molokai, through his son Haili, who was the brother or
half-brother of Keoloewa and Kaupeepee. The latter, it will be
remembered, was the abductor of the celebrated Hina, of Hawaii,
and the family was of the old strain of Maweke.
Kaululaau was probably born somewhere between the years 1390 and
1400. He had a half-sister, whose name was Wao, and a half-brother,
Kaihiwalua, who was the father of Luaia, who became the husband
of a daughter of Piliwale, moi of Oahu, and brother of Lo-Lale. He
doubtless had other brothers and sisters, since his father was blessed
with two or more wives, but the legends fail to refer to them.
Kahekili, son of Kakae, and who became his successor in the moiship,
was of near the age of his cousin, Kaululaau, and the two princes
grew to manhood together. They were instructed by the same teachers,
schooled in the same arts and chiefly accomplishments, and chanted the
same genealogical meles. Yet in disposition and personal appearance
they were widely different.
From his youth Kahekili was staid, sober and thoughtful. Bred to the
knowledge that he would succeed his father as moi of the island,
he began early in life to prepare himself for the proper exercise
of supreme authority, and at the age of twenty was noted for his
intelligence, dignity and royal bearing. He had been told by a prophet
that one of his name would be the last independent king of Maui, and
the information rendered him solicitous for his future and drove many a
smile from his lips. Yet, with all his austerity and circumspection,
he was kind-hearted and affectionate, and his pastimes were such
as comported with his dignity. In height he was somewhat below the
chiefly medium, and his features were rugged and of a Papuan cast;
but all knew that he was royal in heart and thought, and the respect
due to him was not withheld.
Kaululaau was unlike his royal cousin in almost every respect. He was
noted alike for his intelligence, his manly beauty and his rollicking
spirit of mischief and merriment. He did not covet the sceptre. He
thought more of a wild debauch, with music, dancing and a calabash of
awa, than the right to command "downward" or "upward the face"; and
since Kahekili was the designated successor of his father, he claimed
the right, as a favored and tabu subject of the realm, to enjoy himself
in such manner as best accorded with his tastes. As he could not make
laws, he found a pleasure in breaking them. He was neither wantonly
cruel nor malignant, but recklessly wild and mischievous, and neither
the reproofs of his father nor the mild persuasions of his cousin were
sufficient to restrain him. His bantering reply to the latter was:
"When you become king I will act with more propriety. Two mois can
afford one wild prince."
He had a congenial following of companions and retainers, who assisted
him in his schemes of mischief. With feasting and hula dancing he would
keep the village in an uproar for a dozen consecutive nights. He would
send canoes adrift, open the gates of fish-ponds, remove the supports
of houses, and paint swine black to deceive the sacrificial priests. He
devised an instrument to imitate the death-warning notes of the alae,
and frightened people by sounding it near their doors; and to others he
caused information to be conveyed that they were being prayed to death.
Notwithstanding these misdemeanors, Kaululaau was popular with the
people, since the chiefs or members of the royal household were
usually the victims of his mischievous freaks. He was encouraged
in his disposition to qualify himself for the priesthood, under the
instruction of the eminent high-priest and prophet, Waolani, and had
made substantial advances in the calling, when he was banished to
the island of Lanai by his royal father for an offence which could
neither be overlooked nor forgiven.
At that time Lanai was infested with a number of gnomes, monsters
and evil spirits, among them the gigantic moo, Mooaleo. They ravaged
fields, uprooted cocoanut-trees, destroyed the walls of fish-ponds,
and otherwise frightened and discomfited the inhabitants of the
island. That his residence there might be made endurable, Kaululaau was
instructed by the kaulas and sorcerers of the court in many charms,
spells, prayers and incantations with which to resist the powers of
the supernatural monsters. When informed of these exorcising agencies
by Kaululaau, his friend, the venerable high-priest, Waolani, told
him that they would avail him nothing against the more powerful and
malignant of the demons of Lanai.
Disheartened at the declaration, Kaululaau was about to leave the heiau
to embark for Lanai, when Waolani, after some hesitation, stayed his
departure, and, entering the inner temple, soon returned with a small
roll of kapa in his hand. Slowly uncording and removing many folds
of cloth, an ivory spear-point a span in length was finally brought
to view. Holding it before the prince, he said:
"Take this. It will serve you in any way you may require. Its powers
are greater than those of any god inhabiting the earth. It has been
dipped in the waters of Po, and many generations ago was left by
Lono upon one of his altars for the protection of a temple menaced
by a mighty fish-god who found a retreat beneath it in a great cavern
connected with the sea. Draw a line with it and nothing can pass the
mark. Affix it to a spear and throw it, and it will reach the object,
no matter how far distant. Much more will it do, but let what I have
said suffice."
The prince eagerly reached to possess the treasure, but the priest
withdrew it and continued:
"I give it to you on condition that it pass from you to no other
hands than mine, and that if I am no longer living when you return
to Maui--as you some day will--you will secretly deposit it with my
bones. Swear to this in the name of Lono."
Kaululaau solemnly pronounced the required oath. The priest then handed
him the talisman, wrapped in the kapa from which it had been taken,
and he left the temple, and immediately embarked with a number of
his attendants for Lanai.
Reaching Lanai, he established his household on the south side of
the island. Learning his name and rank, the people treated him with
great respect--for Lanai was then a dependency of Maui--assisted in
the construction of the houses necessary for his accommodation, and
provided him with fish, poi, fruits and potatoes in great abundance. In
return for this devotion he set about ridding the island of the
supernatural pests with which it had been for years afflicted.
In the legend of "Kelea, the Surf-rider of Maui," will be found
some reference to the battles of Kaululaau with the evil spirits and
monsters of Lanai. His most stubborn conflict was with the gnome god
Mooaleo. He imprisoned the demon within the earth by drawing a line
around him with the sacred spear-point, and subsequently released
and drove him into the sea.
More than a year was spent by Kaululaau in quieting and expelling
from the island the malicious monsters that troubled it, but he
succeeded in the end in completely relieving the people from their
vexatious visitations. This added immeasurably to his popularity,
and the choicest of the products of land and sea were laid at his feet.
His triumph over the demons of Lanai was soon known on the other
islands of the group, and when it reached the ears of Kakaalaneo
he despatched a messenger to his son, offering his forgiveness and
recalling him from exile. The service he had rendered was important,
and his royal father was anxious to recognize it by restoring him
to favor.
But Kaululaau showed no haste in availing himself of his father's
magnanimity. Far from the restraints of the court, he had become
attached to the independent life he had found in exile, and could
think of no comforts or enjoyments unattainable on Lanai. The women
there were as handsome as elsewhere, the bananas were as sweet, the
cocoanuts were as large, the awa was as stimulating, and the fisheries
were as varied and abundant in product. He had congenial companionship,
and bands of musicians and dancers at his call. The best of the earth
and the love of the people were his, and the apapani sang in the
grove that shaded his door. What more could he ask, what more expect
should he return to Maui? His exile had ceased to be a punishment,
and his father's message of recall was scarcely deemed a favor.
However, Kaululaau returned a respectful answer by his father's
messenger, thanking Kakaalaneo for his clemency, and announcing that
he would return to Maui some time in the near future, after having
visited some of the other islands of the group; and three months later
he began to prepare for a trip to Hawaii. He procured a large double
canoe, which he painted a royal yellow, and had fabricated a number
of cloaks and capes of the feathers of the oo and mamo. At the prow
of his canoe he mounted a carved image of Lono, and at the top of one
of the masts a place was reserved for the proud tabu standard of an
aha alii. This done, with a proper retinue he set sail for Hawaii.