HIIAKA'S BATTLE WITH PANA-EWA
The bird-spies sent out by Pana-ewa brought back contradictory
reports. The first pair reported that Hiiaka was being worsted. Soon
after another pair, garbling the facts, said "Our people are lying
down, but they are still alert and keep their eyes open. As for Hiiaka,
she has fallen into a deep sleep."
The situation was far from satisfactory and Pana-ewa despatched
another pair of birds to reconnoitre and report. It was not yet morning
and the night was dark; and they accordingly took the form of kukui
[22] trees, thinking thus to illuminate the scene of operations. The
intelligence they brought was confounding: "Our people," they said,
"are all dead, save those who have the form of kukui trees. Hiiaka
lies quietly sleeping in the road."
This account, though strictly in accord with the facts, was so
disconcerting to Pana-ewa that he burst forth in a rage, "Slaves,
liars! you're deceiving me. I'll wring your necks!" and he reached out
to execute his threat. The birds eluded him and found safety in flight.
Pana-ewa now saw that it was necessary to take the field in person at
the head of his regular forces, composed of the Namú and Nawá. The
disguise he chose for himself was that of an ohia-lehua tree. No
sooner had he taken that form than he found himself unable to move
hand or foot. A parasitic network of i-e-i-e embraced his body and a
multitude of aërial roots anchored him to the spot. It was the craft
of the sleeping girl that had done this. He had to content himself
with the unwarlike guise of the kukui tree.
While Hiiaka slept, her faithful servitor Paú-o-pala'e kept open eye
and detective ear to what was going on in the star-lit forest about
them. At the first glimmering of dawn her keen sense felt rather than
heard a murmurous rustle that broke the stillness and a movement,
as if the forest itself were advancing and closing in upon them. This
oncoming of the enemy was in such contrast to the onset of the yelping
pack on the previous day as to be most impressive. The sound that
touched her keen sense was not the joyous twitter and stir of nature
preparing to greet a new day; it was rather the distant mutter of the
storm, soon to be heard as the growl of the tempest, or the roar and
snarl of an enraged menagerie of wild beasts.
The woman felt her responsibility and, with the double intent of
summoning to their aid the friendly gods and of waking Hiiaka, she
lifted a solemn prayer:
Kuli'a, e Uli, [23] ka pule kala ma ola;
Kuli'a imua, i ke kahuna; [24]
Kuli'a i ke Alohi-lani. [25]
E úi aku ana au
I kupua oluna nei, e?
Owai kupua oluna nei, e?
O Ilio-uli [26] o ka lani;
O Ilio-ehu, [27] o Ilio-mea, [28] o ka lani;
O Ku-ke-ao-iki, [29] o Ku-ke-ao-poko, [30]
O Ku-ke-ao-loa [31] o ka lani;
O Ku-ke-ao-awihiwihi [32] ula o ka lani;
Ua ka ua, kahi wai, a na hoalii; [33]
O nei ka pali ma Ko-wawá; [34]
O Kupina'e, [35] o Ku-wawá;
O Ku-haili-moe; [36]
O Ha'iha'i-lau-ahea; [37]
O Mau-a-ke-alii-hea; [38]
Kánaka [39] loloa o ka mauna--
O Ku-pulupulu [40] i ka nahele,
O na Akua mai ka wao kele;
O Kuli-pe'e-nui [41] ai ahua;
O Kiké-alana; [42]
O Ka-uahi-noe-lehua;
O ke Kahuna i ka puoko [43] o ke ahi;
O I'imi, [44] o Lalama. [45]
Ku'i ke ahi, ka hekili;
Nei ke ola'i;
Olapa ka uila.
Lohe o Kane-hekili; [46]
Ikiiki ka maláma ia Ka-ulua. [47]
Elua wahine i hele i ka hikina a ka La--
O Kumu-kahi, [48] laua o Ha'eha'e: [49]
Ha'eha'e ka moe
O Kapo-ula-kina'u, [50] he alii;
E ho'i, e komo i kou hale,
O Ke-alohi-lani;
E auau i kou ki'owai kapu,
O Ponaha-ke-one;
E inu i kou puawa hiwa,
Awa papa [51] a ke Akua,
I kanaenae no Moe-ha-úna-iki, [52] e;
Hele a'e a komo
I ka hale o Pele.
Ua huahua'i Kahiki, lapa uwila:
Pele e, hua'i'na ho'i!
Hua'i'na a'e ana
Ka mana o ko'u Akua iwaho la, e!
O kukulu ka pahu [53] kapu a ka leo;
Ho'okikí [54] kanawai;
He kua [55] á kanawai;
He kai oki'a [56] kanawai;
He ala muku [57] no Kane me Kanaloa;
He ki [58] ho'iho'i kanawai,
No Pele, no ko'u Akua la, e!
TRANSLATION
Stand in the breach, O Uli;
Give heed to this plea for life;
To the front at the call of thy priest;
Come in the splendor of heaven!
I entreat these powers on high.
And who are these beings of might?
Ye somber Clouds that rampart the sky;
Ye warm Clouds and ye that gleam ruddy;
Ye Clouds that guard heaven's border;
Ye Clouds that mottle the heavenly vault;
Ye Clouds that embank the horizon;
Ye cloud-piles aglow in the sunlight.
Descend, O Rain; O Water, pour--
Torrential rush of the princes!
Rent be the wall of the crater;
Let its groans reëcho and fly!
Come, Ku who fashions the landscape;
She who crushes the leaves of aheä;
Goddess who guards the outer flame-tip;
Ye tall ones who dwell in the forest;
Ku, the hirsute god of the wilds;
With his fellows who carve the canoe;
Come bent-kneed terrace-consumer,
With crash and groan of lava-plate;
And reeking smoke that glooms the forest.
Come, Lord of the ruddy flame;
Fire-tongues that search and spread;
Fire-shafts that smite and crash.
Let earthquake groan and lightning flash.
Kane the god of lightning shall hear
And warm this frigid month Ulua.
Two women go to the Sun's east gate
To rouse goddess Kapo from sleep--
She of the black-spotted red robe.
O Kapo, reënter your Sun-temple
And bathe in your sacred water-pool--
Round as a gourd, scooped in the sand;
Drink from your black polished awa cup
Dark awa that's offered to the gods,
To placate the goddess of gentle snore;
Then enter the house of Pele.
Pele once burst forth at Kahiki;
Once again, O Pele, break forth;
Display thy power, my God, to the world;
Let thy voice sound out like a drum;
Reütter the law of thy burning back;
That thy dwelling is sacred, apart;
That Kane and Loa have limits;
That fixed and firm are Pele's laws!
For Pele, great Pele, is my God!
The sisters, uncles, aunts and other kindred of Hiiaka heard
this prayer of Paú-o-pala'e distinctly enough, and so did Pele;
and when they saw that she appeared indifferent and made no move,
they muttered among themselves. Then Ku-ili-kaua, a man of war and
a leader in battle, spoke up and, addressing Ka-moho-alii, said
"Why is it that she does not send warriors to the assistance of her
sister? The girl has fought most bravely all day and is worn out;
and there she lies fast asleep."
Ka-moho-alii thereupon bade Kilioe-i-ka-pua and Olu-wale-i-malo,
two handsome lads who were very dear to Pele (mau keiki punahele a
Pele)--her sons in fact--to go in to Pele and ask her sanction to
their going to the aid of Hiiaka.
When these two boys came into Pele's presence they found her poking
the fire with a stick (hoelo kapuahi). With a fine show of confidence,
they at once went and seated themselves in Pele's lap, one on her right
thigh and one on her left. Pele's looks softened as she contemplated
them, tears gathered in her eyes and she said, "What is the thought
in the heart? Speak." (Heaha ka hua i ka umauma? Ha'i'na.)
"Your commands." (O ka leo, [59] literally, the voice.)
At this Pele stood up and, leaving her own home-hearth, went over and
took her station in the fire-pit of Hale-ma'u-ma'u. Then, pointing
to the east, she said:
O ka leo o ke kanáka hookahi, mailuna mai;
Mailoko mai o ka leo o ka manu. [60]
O huli kai-nu'u [61] a Kane;
E wehe ka lani, hamama ka honua;
O wela Kahiki-ku me Kahiki-moe;
Ala mai o Ka-moho-alii
E moe ana iloko o ke ao polohiwa.
E Ku e, e ho'i ka amama [62] i ka lani;
E Ku e, e ho'i ke ola ia Hiiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele,
A ola loa no, a-a!
It was such a voice of utterance as this (leo) that the two boys who
went in before Pele desired. These two messenger-boys, by the way,
are, in another account, spoken of as birds.
The purpose of Kane in sending out this leo seems to have been to
rouse into activity the earth-strata, na papa honua.
TRANSLATION
The voice from above of a man supreme
Flies east, flies west, in the cry of a bird:
Curl over, thou yeasty billow of Kane!
Be rent, O Heaven, and quake, O Earth!
Kahiki's pillars, flame ye and burn!
Ka-moho-alii doth wake and rise
From his couch on banks of purple cloud.
To heaven return with thy tabu, O Ku!
Salvation, O Ku, for Hi'iaka--
Hi'iaka the darling of Pele!
Immortal life to her!
At this the gods of war sprang into array, as if unleashed by the words
of Pele. At their head marched Ku-lili-ai-kaua, a veteran who had
followed Pele in her voyage from Kahiki. With him, went Ke-ka-ko'i,
a guide (hookele) well acquainted with the forest trails. In the
van strode three weird figures (Ka-maiau, Ka-hinihini and Mápu)
bearing conchs, to which they ever and anon applied their lips and
sent forth resounding blasts. But even more thrilling and inspiring
than the horns of Triton was the voice of these gods of war as they
chanted their war-song:
MELE KA'I KAUA
Hulihia ka mauna, wela i ke ahi;
Wela mo'a-nopu ka uka o Kui-hanalei, [63]
I ke a pohaku Pu'u-lena [64] e lele mai iuka.
O Ke-ka-ko'i [65] ka hookele mai ka Lua;
O Ka-maiau [66] kani pololei, kani le'ale'a;
O ka Hinihini [67] kani kua mauna;
O ka Mápu [68] leo nui, kani kóhakohá;
O hulihia i ka ale ula, [69] i ka ale lani, [70]
I ka pu-ko'a, [71] i ka a'aka [72]--
I ke ahu a Lono [73] e!
E lono anei, e hookuli?
E hookuli i ka uwalo, e!
Eü, e hele no e!
Hé-he-hé-e-e!
TRANSLATION
The Mount is convulsed, it belches flame;
Fire-scorched is upland Kui-hanalei--
A hail of stones shot out with sulphur-blasts.
Ka-ko'i guides the warrior-van;
The rousing peals of pearly conch
And thrilling notes of woodland shells
Stir every heart with tuneful cheer.
Heaven's blue is turmoiled with fire-clouds--
Boiling fountains of flame and cinder--
Such the form we give to our message:
Will he heed it, or turn a deaf ear?
Ah, you see, he scorns our entreaty.
Be valiant! now forward to battle!
Hé-he-hé-e-e!
Thus chanting their battle-mele (mele ka'i kaua), these gods of
an old-time mythology marched, or flew, with resolute purpose to
their task of rescuing Hiiaka and her little band and of ridding
the land, at one and the same stroke, of their old entrenched foe,
Pana-ewa. Heaven and earth stirred at their onset. The visible
signs of their array were manifest in columns of seething fire-shot
clouds that hovered like vultures over the advancing army. Arrived at
striking distance, they let loose their lightning-bolts and sounded
their thunder-gongs. Earth and heaven at once became turmoiled in
one confused whirl of warring elements.
The warriors of Pana-ewa, who--in imitation of their chief--had for
the most part taken the guise of trees and other natural objects,
found themselves from the first fettered and embarrassed by a tangle of
parasitic vines, so that their thrusts against Hiiaka were of little
avail. Now comes the onset of the Pele gods in the tempest-forms
of hurricane, lightning, hail, and watery cloud-bursts that opened
heaven's flood-gates. Against these elemental forces the dryad-forms
of Pana-ewa's host could not stand for a moment. Their tree-shapes
were riven and torn limb from limb, engulfed in a swirling tide that
swept them down to the ocean and far out to sea.
Two staunch fighters remained, Kiha, who had chosen to retain the
honest dragon-form; and Pua'a-loa, a creature, like Kama-pua'a, in
the demi-shape of a boar, whom Pana-ewa, at the scent of disaster,
had thrust into the confinement of a secret cave. This manner of
retreat saved the twain from the immediate disaster by flood but
not from the vengeance of Pele's army. Detected in their lairs, they
were slain and their petrified bodies are pointed out to this day in
verification of this story.
The fate of Pana-ewa himself was most tragical. He no sooner had
taken the form of a kukui tree than he found himself overlaid and
entangled with meshes of parasitic growth; he could neither fight
nor fly. The spot on which he stood sank and became a swamp, a lake,
a sink; the foundations on which its bottom rested were broken up and
fell away. Pana-ewa, swallowed up in the gulf, was swept out to sea
and perished in the waves. Kane-lu-honua had broken up the underlying
strata and made of the place a bottomless sink.
(A reef is pointed out in the ocean opposite Papa'i which is the
remains of the body of the mo'o Pana-ewa.)
The part taken by Hiiaka in this last act of her deliverance
was hardly more than that of a spectator. She had but to look on
and witness the accomplishment of her own salvation. Having been
roused from the refreshment of sleep by the long-drawn recitative
of Paú-o-pala'e's prayer-mele (see pp. 37-40), she did her best to
cheer her two companions with assurances of coming deliverance and,
gathering her little brood about her, after the manner of a mother-hen,
figuratively, bade them cling to her, nestle under her wings, lest
they should be swept away in the flood of waters that soon began to
surge about them--a flood which carried far out to sea the debris of
battle--as already described.
The victory for Hiiaka was complete. Hawaii for once, and for all
time, was rid of that pestilential, man-eating, mo'o band headed by
Pana-ewa who, from the time of Pele's coming, had remained entrenched
in the beautiful forest-land that still bears the name--Pana-ewa.