Hawaiian Mythology · 37 of 55

Legend of Palila

Palila is a great warrior of Kauai, son of Ka-lua-o-Palena (The pit of Palena), chief over one half of Kauai, and of Mahinui, daughter of Hina. Ku is his god. He is born at Ka-mo‘oloa in the northern part of Kauai in the shape of a cord and is rescued by his grandmother Hina from the rubbish heap and brought up among the spirits at the heiau of Alanapo in Humuula. He has two natures, one of a man and one of a spirit. His father is in conflict with the chief Na-maka-o-ka-lani (The eyes of the heavenly one) over the other half of Kauai, and just as he is at the point of defeat Palila comes to the rescue with the club Huli-a-mahi with which he fells whole forests of trees at a stroke. The hole called Wai-hohonu is formed where he sinks this club before his father. All are terrified and Hina has to roll over their prostrate bodies to make him laugh and end the tapu. She stands on the rise of land called Alea (Mauna-kilika) holding his robe called Haka-ula and his loincloth Ikuwa, and after circumcising him she returns with him to Alanapo.

The rule over Kauai being secured to Palila's father, the hero leaves home in search of adventure. Standing on the knoll called Komo-i-ke-anu he throws his club and, clinging to one end, arrives at the cliff Nualolo at Ka-maile, thence flies on to Kaena point on Oahu, and from there to Wai-kele where Ahu-a-Pau, chief of Oahu, is presiding over games. The shark-man Kamaikaahui is terrorizing the country. By slaying this man he wins the chief's daughters Ke-alamikioi and Ka-lehua-wai but must first be "made human" at the heiau of Kane at Kahehuna before he can wed. Ahu yields his litter to the victor, and for the first time sets foot upon the ground.

Ahu fears his son-in-law and sends him on the circuit of the island without warning him of the formidable warrior Olomana, thirty-six feet in height, to whom the land from Makapu‘u point to Kaoio point is sacred. Palila lights on his shoulder and cuts him through, casting off that portion called Mahi-nui toward the sea and leaving the peak called Olomana.

The whole of Oahu being now won for his father-in-law, Palila first goes fishing with Kahului at Mauna-lua, using his club with equal success as paddle and fishhook; but, finding his companion stingy, he goes across from Hanauma to Kaluakoi on Molokai, where he leaves "a part of his body" as the point Kalae-o-ka-laau; then, taking a dislike to Molokai on account of the name Ho‘one‘enu‘u attached to a "tree" there, he flies across to Lanai, thence to Honua-ula on Maui, thence to Kaula between Hamakua and Hilo districts on Hawaii. There he finds Hina's sister Lupea living above Kaawali‘i in the form of a hau tree. Since she is a kahu of Palila no hau tree will grow to this day where Palila's loincloth has been spread out to dry.

Kulukulua of Hilo district and Wanua of Hamakua are at war. Palila takes up the cause of the Hilo chief. No one knows who the invisible warrior is who cries each time a man falls, "Slain by me, Palila, by the offspring of Walewale, by the foster child of Lupea, by the o-o bird that sings in the forest, by the mighty god Ku!" until in the last fight he makes himself known. He slays the three great warriors of Hamakua each with a single stroke and hangs their jaws on a tree called Ka-haka-auwae (The shelf of jawbones) and becomes himself ruling chief of Hilo. 17