Kukali, according to the folk-lore of Hawaii, was born at Kalapana, the
most southerly point of the largest island of the Hawaiian group. Kukali
lived hundreds of years ago in the days of the migrations of Polynesians
from one group of islands to another throughout the length and breadth
of the great Pacific Ocean. He visited strange lands, now known under
the general name, Kahiki, or Tahiti. Here he killed the great bird
Halulu, found the deep bottomless pit in which was a pool of the fabled
water of life, married the sister of Halulu, and returned to his old
home. All this he accomplished through the wonderful power of a banana
skin.
Kukali's father was a priest, or kahuna, of great wisdom and ability,
who taught his children how to exercise strange and magical powers. To
Kukali he gave a banana with the impressive charge to preserve the skin
whenever he ate the fruit, and be careful that it was always under his
control. He taught Kukali the wisdom of the makers of canoes and also
how to select the fine-grained lava for stone knives and hatchets, and
fashion the blade to the best shape. He instructed the young man in the
prayers and incantations of greatest efficacy and showed him charms
which would be more powerful than any charms his enemies might use in
attempting to destroy him, and taught him those omens which were too
powerful to be overcome. Thus Kukali became a wizard, having great
confidence in his ability to meet the craft of the wise men of distant
islands.
Kukali went inland through the forests and up the mountains, carrying no
food save the banana which his father had given him. Hunger came, and he
carefully stripped back the skin and ate the banana, folding the skin
once more together. In a little while the skin was filled with fruit.
Again and again he ate, and as his hunger was satisfied the fruit always
again filled the skin, which he was careful never to throw away or lose.
The fever of sea-roving was in the blood of the Hawaiian people in those
days, and Kukali's heart burned within him with the desire to visit the
far-away lands about which other men told marvelous tales and from which
came strangers like to the Hawaiians in many ways.
After a while he went to the forests and selected trees approved by the
omens, and with many prayers fashioned a great canoe in which to embark
upon his journey. The story is not told of the days passed on the great
stretches of water as he sailed on and on, guided by the sun in the day
and the stars in the night, until he came to the strange lands about
which he had dreamed for years.
His canoe was drawn up on the shore and he lay down for rest. Before
falling asleep he secreted his magic banana in his malo, or loin-cloth,
and then gave himself to deep slumber. His rest was troubled with
strange dreams, but his weariness was great and his eyes heavy, and he
could not arouse himself to meet the dangers which were swiftly
surrounding him.
A great bird which lived on human flesh was the god of the land to which
he had come. The name of the bird was Halulu. Each feather of its wings
was provided with talons and seemed to be endowed with human powers.
Nothing like this bird was ever known or seen in the beautiful Hawaiian
Islands. But here in the mysterious foreign land it had its deep valley,
walled in like the valley of the Arabian Nights, over which the great
bird hovered looking into the depths for food. A strong wind always
attended the coming of Halulu when he sought the valley for his victims.
Kukali was lifted on the wings of the bird-god and carried to this hole
and quietly laid on the ground to finish his hour of deep sleep.
When Kukali awoke he found himself in the shut-in valley with many
companions who had been captured by the great bird and placed in this
prison hole. They had been without food and were very weak. Now and then
one of the number would lie down to die. Halulu, the bird-god, would
perch on a tree which grew on the edge of the precipice and let down its
wing to sweep across the floor of the valley and pick up the victims
lying on the ground. Those who were strong could escape the feathers as
they brushed over the bottom and hide in the crevices in the walls, but
day by day the weakest of the prisoners were lifted out and prepared for
Halulu's feast.
Kukali pitied the helpless state of his fellow-prisoners and prepared
his best incantations and prayers to help him overcome the great bird.
He took his wonderful banana and fed all the people until they were very
strong. He taught them how to seek stones best fitted for the
manufacture of knives and hatchets. Then for days they worked until they
were all well armed with sharp stone weapons.
While Kukali and his fellow-prisoners were making preparation for the
final struggle, the bird-god had often come to his perch and put his
wing down into the valley, brushing the feathers back and forth to catch
his prey.
Frequently the search was fruitless. At last he became very impatient,
and sent his strongest feathers along the precipitous walls, seeking for
victims.
Kukali and his companions then ran out from their hiding-places and
fought the strong feathers, cutting them off and chopping them into
small pieces.
Halulu cried out with pain and anger, and sent feather after feather
into the prison. Soon one wing was entirely destroyed. Then the other
wing was broken to pieces and the bird-god in his insane wrath put down
a strong leg armed with great talons. Kukali uttered mighty invocations
and prepared sacred charms for the protection of his friends.
After a fierce battle they cut off the leg and destroyed the talons.
Then came the struggle with the remaining leg and claws, but Kukali's
friends had become very bold. They fearlessly gathered around this
enemy, hacking and pulling until the bird-god, screaming with pain, fell
into the pit among the prisoners, who quickly cut the body into
fragments.
The prisoners made steps in the walls, and by the aid of vines climbed
out of their prison. When they had fully escaped, they gathered great
piles of branches and trunks of trees and threw them into the prison
until the body of the bird-god was covered. Fire was thrown down and
Halulu was burned to ashes. Thus Kukali taught by his charms that Halulu
could be completely destroyed.
But two of the breast feathers of the burning Halulu flew away to his
sister, who lived in a great hole which had no bottom. The name of this
sister was Namakaeha. She belonged to the family of Pele, the goddess of
volcanic fires, who had journeyed to Hawaii and taken up her home in the
crater of the volcano Kilauea.
Namakaeha smelled smoke on the feathers which came to her, and knew that
her brother was dead. She also knew that he could have been conquered
only by one possessing great magical powers. So she called to his
people: "Who is the great kupua [wizard] who has killed my brother? Oh,
my people, keep careful watch."
Kukali was exploring all parts of the strange land in which he had
already found marvelous adventures. By and by he came to the great pit
in which Namakaeha lived. He could not see the bottom, so he told his
companions he was going down to see what mysteries were concealed in
this hole without a bottom. They made a rope of the hau tree bark.
Fastening one end around his body he ordered his friends to let him
down. Uttering prayers and incantations he went down and down until,
owing to counter incantations of Namakaeha's priests, who had been
watching, the rope broke and he fell.
Down he went swiftly, but, remembering the prayer which a falling man
must use to keep him from injury, he cried, "O Ku! guard my life!"
In the ancient Hawaiian mythology there was frequent mention of "the
water of life." Sometimes the sick bathed in it and were healed.
Sometimes it was sprinkled upon the unconscious, bringing them back to
life. Kukali's incantation was of great power, for it threw him into a
pool of the water of life and he was saved.
One of the kahunas (priests) caring for Namakaeha was a very great
wizard. He saw the wonderful preservation of Kukali and became his
friend. He warned Kukali against eating anything that was ripe, because
it would be poison, and even the most powerful charms could not save
him.
Kukali thanked him and went out among the people. He had carefully
preserved his wonderful banana skin, and was able to eat apparently ripe
fruit and yet be perfectly safe.
The kahunas of Namakaeha tried to overcome him and destroy him, but he
conquered them, killed those who were bad, and entered into friendship
with those who were good.
At last he came to the place where the great chiefess dwelt. Here he was
tested in many ways. He accepted the fruits offered him, but always ate
the food in his magic banana. Thus he preserved his strength and
conquered even the chiefess and married her. After living with her for a
time he began to long for his old home in Hawaii. Then he persuaded her
to do as her relative Pele had already done, and the family, taking
their large canoe, sailed away to Hawaii, their future home.
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