Legend of Hauwahine

The Supernatural Girl that was Buried Alive at a Place Called Kaluaolohe

In that time of long ago, there lived a couple, a man and his wife over at Kaluaokahuʻa, near this place called Kaluaolohe. They bore their eldest child, Hauwahine, whose shore legend this is, and other children younger than she. From the time that she was born until she grew up, she laid face up like a new-born babe. This girl though was a greater favorite with the father than the other children. One day in (the month of) Makaliʻi, the father and the other children went to do their customary work of farming up at Makiki. A stranger arrived at their small house who was said to have been named Luhi-a.

This man was said to go into the water sometimes in his lizard (moo) form and some said that he was a prophet. Only the mother of the heroine of the story was at home, making tapa in another house. She saw and greeted him and he greeted her in return and said, “That house of yours is full of people. They are very happy and are shouting, cheering, and so on. When they saw me, they all hushed.”

The old woman denied it, saying, “There is only one person in the house, my paralyzed daughter. The rest of the children are gone with their father. They are up in Makiki farming.”

Luhi-a answered again, talking to her frankly, “That girl which you say is a paralytic is not an ordinary person but a supernatural being. If you keep her much longer, she’ll destroy you all.”

The old woman became frightened and asked, “How shall we be saved?” “This way,” answered Luhi-a, “bury her alive.” Tell her father when he comes home. This is what you must do. Before you do it, supply yourselves with poi, fish, and water enough for five days. Remain indoors and do not come outside after burying her. Twine the outside of the house with the bitter gourd vine and in those five nights you will see five strange forms, that is, dog forms. On the first night, a brindled dog; the second night, a reddish-brown dog; the third night, a speckled dog; the fourth night, a dog with a white mark around the body; and on the fifth night, a white dog. After these nights, build a temporary house that must be completed in one day and furnish it with new things only, such as new calabashes, new platters, and so on. The father himself must do all these things as well as to supply it with poi, fish, and so on, each day, from the time that he does not see who is eating the food until he sees who is eating it. Here is my command, when he sees the face of the eater of the food, he must not mention it to any member of the family nor anybody else. He has then seen the human form. When the person is seen to come and go into your house, then shall you be blessed. If you disobey my last command, you will not receive my blessing.” When he finished talking to the old woman, he turned about and went on.

The old woman waited for the old man to return with the other children and told him everything. The old man wept for love and so did the daughter weep with him. Her tears ran down. Because his wife kept urging him, he buried the girl alive and did everything that Luhi-a told him to do. The things done on the five nights were fearful. Their house was walked around five times (by a dog) and then it stood at the door and barked with mouth wide open. This was repeated night after night. A house was built according to instructions and supplied. The old man did not obey the command for when he saw his daughter he went home at once to tell the old woman. The daughter disappeared after that and appeared to her father in a dream. She said, “I thought you loved me but you do not. You should have been patient until I returned to the house, then ou would be blessed. After this only a fragment will be yours.

The blessing that was meant was that the people would bring gifts to him because of the beauty of his daughter. The fragment was that he would become a kahuna of healing (kahuna lapaʻau) and his daughter helped him to heal the sick.

From that time to the time of the writer, that hole had remained wide open. Those who live nearby throw all sorts of things into it but strangely, it never fills up. It is seen to be full at the time and then it is seen to be just as it formerly was. All the things thrown in vanished.

This is a tale about this hole called Kaluaolohe.