The Hawaiians never found gold in their islands. The mountains being of
recent volcanic origin do not show traces of the precious metals; but
hovering over the mountain-tops clustered the glorious golden clouds
built up by damp winds from the seas. The Maiden of the Golden Cloud
belonged to the cloud mountains and was named after their golden glow.
Her name in the Hawaiian tongue was Ke-ao-mele-mele (The Golden Cloud).
She was said to be one of the first persons brought by the gods to find
a home in the Paradise of the Pacific.
In the ancient times, the ancestors of the Hawaiians came from far-off
ocean lands, for which they had different names, such as The Shining
Heaven, The Floating Land of Kane, The Far-off White Land of Kahiki, and
Kuai-he-lani (purchased is heaven). It was from Kuai-he-lani that the
Maiden of the Golden Cloud was called to live in Hawaii.
In this legendary land lived Mo-o-inanea (self-reliant dragon). She
cared for the first children of the gods, one of whom was named Hina,
later known in Polynesian mythology as Moon Goddess.
Mo-o-inanea took her to Ku, one of the gods. They lived together many
years and a family of children came to them.
Two of the great gods of Polynesia, Kane and Kanaloa, had found a
beautiful place above Honolulu on Oahu, one of the Hawaiian Islands.
Here they determined to build a home for the first-born child of Hina.
Thousands of eepa (gnome) people lived around this place, which was
called Waolani. The gods had them build a temple which was also called
Waolani (divine forest).
When the time came for the birth of the child, clouds and fogs crept
over the land, thunder rolled and lightning flashed, red torrents poured
down the hillsides, strong winds hurled the rain through bending trees,
earthquakes shook the land, huge waves rolled inland from the sea. Then
a beautiful boy was born. All these signs taken together signified the
birth of a chief of the highest degree--even of the family of the gods.
Kane and Kanaloa sent their sister Anuenue (rainbow) to get the child of
Ku and Hina that they might care for it. All three should be the
caretakers.
Anuenue went first to the place where Mo-o-inanea dwelt, to ask her if
it would be right. Mo-o-inanea said she might go, but if they brought up
that child he must not have a wife from any of the women of
Hawaii-nui-akea (great wide Hawaii).
Anuenue asked, "Suppose I get that child; who is to give it the proper
name?"
Mo-o-inanea said: "You bring the child to our brothers and they will
name this child. They have sent you, and the responsibility of the name
rests on them."
Anuenue said good-by, and in the twinkling of an eye stood at the door
of the house where Ku dwelt.
Ku looked outside and saw the bright glow of the rainbow, but no cloud
or rain, so he called Hina. "Here is a strange thing. You must come and
look at it. There is no rain and there are no clouds or mist, but there
is a rainbow at our door."
They went out, but Anuenue had changed her rainbow body and stood before
them as a very beautiful woman, wrapped only in the colors of the
rainbow.
Ku and Hina began to shiver with a nameless terror as they looked at
this strange maiden. They faltered out a welcome, asking her to enter
their house.