Hawaiian Mythology · 43 of 55

Legend of Lepeamoa

Lepe-a-moa (Comb of a cock), the chicken-girl of Palama, is the kupua daughter of a high chief of Kauai named Keahua who has incurred the displeasure of a sea-dwelling kupua named Akua-peha-ale (God of the swelling billow) and been exiled to a remote place in the mountains called Ka-wai-kini, where his wife Kauhao, daughter of the chiefess Kapalama of Oahu, bears a child in the form of an egg. Kapalama comes for the child and keeps the egg wrapped in tapa and sweet-smelling plants until it hatches into a many-colored bird and becomes, through the power of a bird ancestress named Ke-ao-lewa who lives in the heavens, a kupua with power to take either the form of a bird or that of a beautiful girl. This child Lepe-a-moa is brought up by her grandparents Kapalama and Hono-uliuli on Oahu.

Meanwhile on Kauai a boy is born named Kauilani. Storm signs proclaim his rank as a chief and his father's parents, Lau-ka-ieie and Kani-a-ula, bathe him in the spring called Wai-ui and gird him with the malo Paihi-ku. Thus he gains supernatural strength. To destroy his father's enemy he first hems him in by planting stakes, which grow into a thicket. The gods carve images which come to life and fight for him. The malo Paihi-ku gives his spear-thrust strength. Thus the demigod is defeated and burned and his father restored to his lands.

Kauilani next goes to find his sister, tossing his spear ahead of him and following its lead. Two women hide the spear; when he calls "Koa-wi! koa-wa!" it answers. Over the sea he perceives the kupua form of a bird ancestress, Ka-iwa-kalameha, then a rainbow, then sees by the shore his sister catching fish. He hides in her house and sees her change into her bird forms. As she falls asleep he seizes her and holds her fast. She tries to escape in her kupua bodies until the parents tell her in a chant who he is.

Kakuhihewa of Oahu is entertaining his sister and her husband Maui-nui and has bet his own lands against those of his brother-in-law upon a cock-fight. He now offers his daughter in marriage to the man who can produce a cock to win the bet for him. Kauilani, who is in high favor with the chiefess, promises to do this. The Maui cock is a kupua bird related to Lepe-a-moa's family and named Ke-au-hele-moa. A kupua in the form of an elepaio bird warns Kauilani not to let the cock see his sister before the fight. He wears her concealed in a garland about his neck until the fight begins. The Maui cock tries all its bodies in succession but the hen wins. At first the new wife is jealous of the beautiful sister, but after their girl child Kamamo is born and adopted by the kupua sister, Kauilani goes to live at Kakuhihewa's court. 44

Tuamotu, Anaa. Taiva and Gaitua have a son born first as an egg. The wife conceals it, fearing her husband's anger. He however guards it as his own when the bird-child is discovered. This is Rogo-tau-hia or Rogo-rupe. See also Rua-toa, the boy covered with feathers, who rescues his father Hiri-toa from Puna's filth-pit. 45

Tonga. The woman who eats her pigeon god bears a child with a pigeon head who later becomes a beautiful girl and marries the ruling chief of Tonga. Ulukihe-lupe is her name and her child Kauulu-fonua avenges his father and becomes ruling chief of Tonga. 46

Footnotes 407:1 Green and Pukui, 3-111.

408:2 For. Col. 5: 2-71, 694-721; Rice, 54-67.

408:3 Compare the story of Matandua, Fison, 75.

409:4 Honolulu, 173-188; Thrum, More Tales, 149-163; HAA 1911, 119-128.

409:5 HHS Reports 25: 21-24.

410:6 38-51.

410:7 HAA 1907, 68.

410:8 Ibid., 41.

410:9 Westervelt, Honolulu, 173.

410:10 For. Pol. Race 2: 292-295.

411:11 Ibid. 277-278.

411:12 Westervelt, Honolulu, 174-175; Dickey, 21.

411:13 HAA 1907, 92-93.

411:14 Fox, 162-169.

413:15 Henry, 304-305; Brewster, 59.

413:16 83.

415:17 For. Col. 5: 136-153, 372-375.

417:18 For. Col. 4: 464-471; 5: 168-171; Thrum (from N. Emerson), Tales, 74-106; Dickey, HHS Reports 25: 19-20; and see BPBM MS. col.

418:19 For. Col. 6: 345; Westervelt, Gods and Ghosts, 190-191; Thrum, More Tales, 224-225; N. Emerson, Pele, 160.

418:20 Dickey, HHS Reports 25: 29.

419:21 For. Col. 5: 428.

419:22 Ibid. 214-225; Dickey, HHS Reports 25: 34-35.

421:23 For. Col. 4: 488-497.

421:24 Ibid. 5: 198-205.

422:25 For. Col. 5: 198-211.

422:26 Green (from Kalawe), 11-15; Remy-Brigham, 34-35.

422:27 Given by Mary Pukui from Kawahinehula of Waipio.

423:28 Given by Kilinahi Kaleo of Hana; Thrum, More Tales, 68-69.

423:29 For. Col. 5: 198.

423:30 Ibid. 4: 324, 330.

424:31 For. Col. 4: 498-517; 5: 384-405.

424:32 Meinicke, 274.

424:33 See E. H. Bryan, Hawaiian Nature Notes, Honolulu, 1935.

425:34 Liliuokalani, 27.

425:35 For. Col. 4: 550.

425:36 Ibid. 54.

425:37 Green and Pukui, 146-149.

425:38 Mariner 1: 224-228.

425:39 Buck, Bul. 75: 65.

425:40 Green, 69.

427:41 For. Col. 4: 450-463; Westervelt, Honolulu, 157-172; Dickey, HHS Reports 25: 32; Kamakau, Ke Au Okoa, December 22, 1870.

427:42 Ellis, Researches 1: 221-223; Henry, 277-278.

428:43 After Andrews; For. Col. 6: 382, 384.

429:44 Westervelt, Honolulu, 204-245; also told in Thrum, More Tales, 164-184.

429:45 Stimson MS.

429:46 Gifford, Bul. 8: 62-65.