Legend of Kalelealuaka and Keinohoomanawanui.

The land where Kalelealuaka and Keinohoomanawanui lived was Lihue, situated below and to the east of the Kaala mountains on Oahu. The ground upon which the house stood is “Oahunui”. At this time Kakuhihewa was the king of Ewa and of the districts adjoining; while Pueonui was the king of the district of Kona, embracing that stretch of country from Moanalua to Makapuu. At this time these two kings were contending in war with each other whereby Pueonui was acquiring the Ewa lands. Kalelealuaka was a very brave and fearless man in battle and in fighting. Kalelealuaka and Keinohoomanawanui often spent their time wishing for certain things. The house in which they lived faced directly towards Ewa.

Usually after partaking of their evening meal they would light their kukui nut lamp and then lie down with their heads on their pillows, look up at the roof, Kalelealuaka at one gable of the house and Keinohoomanawanui at the other, when Kalelealuaka would call out to Keinohoomanawanui: “Let us name our wishes.” Keinohoomanawanui would then reply: “My wish is this: that we sleep until the first crowing of the cock, then wake up and proceed down to the plain, pull up some ahuhu,1 gather them together, continue on down to the beach, pound until soft, put the stuff into the cracks, catch an eel, return home, put the eel in banana leaves, cook it in the oven underground; then at the second crowing of the cock uncover the oven and place the cooked eel to one side to cool; after it is cooled we will then proceed eating until we have had our fill; when we will retire to our mats, place our heads on our pillows, face up to the roof and watch the rats race along the battens. That is my wish, I want you to know.”

Kalelealuaka would then reply: “That is no wish, I have the proper wish.” “What is your wish?” Keinohoomanawanui would ask. “That we may eat the dogs of Kakuhihewa that bite the face of people; that we may bake the hog whose tusks are crossed; that we may eat the fat awa2 of the fish ponds; that we may drink of the best and most intoxicating awa; that Kakuhihewa himself shall chew the awa, strain it into the containers, pour it out into the cups, place the cups to our lips; and after we have slept off the effects of the awa, that he bring his daughters and make them our wives. That is my wish, I want you to know.” Keinohoomanawanui then replied: “Say, we will get killed. I thought we were to wish on other subjects; but I see your wish is in relation to the king. If that is your wish we will surely get killed.” This was carried on by these two for ten nights and over.3

As their lamp was seen burning for several nights, Kakuhihewa got vexed and ordered one of his spies to go on up and see what this midnight lamp was for. As the [466]spy arrived and stood on the outside of the house he heard Keinohoomanawanui name his wish, which was followed by Kalelealuaka, after this the two became quiet. The spy then stuck a short wooden dagger in the ground at the entrance4 of the house and returned to the king. At his arrival the king asked: “What was that lamp burning for that you went up to see?” The spy then repeated all he had heard. While the spy was repeating what he had heard to the king, a priest was at this time with the king. At the conclusion of the recital, the king turned to the priest and asked him: “What about that man Kalelealuaka? Do you think his wish proper or not?” The priest replied: “What he has said should be carried out, because he will be the man to gain the conquest for you, so that you will own the whole island. You must, however, carry out every detail of his wish with your own hands.” On the advice of the priest, Kakuhihewa5 proceeded to carry out in detail the wish made by Kalelealuaka. The priest had, however, instructed the king to build two houses, one to serve as an eating house and the other a sleeping house; both to be built and completed in one day and then Kalelealuaka was to be sent for and brought down.

When Kalelealuaka6 and Keinohoomanawanui7 woke up in the morning and went out of doors, they saw a wooden dagger sticking in the ground just outside of the entrance. At seeing this Keinohoomanawanui said to Kalelealuaka: “We are going to be killed. Here is a wooden dagger at our door. We have been discovered. What a pity that we are to be killed. You can now see the consequences of disobeying my advice, not to speak anything in connection with the king.”

While they were discussing the dagger found at their door, they looked down toward Ewa and saw a company of people coming up toward them from the king’s house all armed with stone axes from front to rear of the procession. At the sight of the people Keinohoomanawanui remarked: “There perhaps is our death coming?” Kalelealuaka replied: “You coward.” The company they saw coming was on their way to cut timber for the erection of the two houses as advised by the priest. These houses were completed in one day.

HOW KALELEALUAKA AND KEINOHOOMANAWANUI WERE SENT FOR AND HOW THEY WERE TAKEN TO KING KAKUHIHEWA AT EWA.

On the following day Keinohoomanawanui again saw a large company of people coming up from Ewa, all armed with spears and other instruments of war; some had war helmets and feather capes while some had a litter for carrying people. Upon seeing the people Keinohoomanawanui turned to Kalelealuaka and said: “Our death is now close upon us.” Kalelealuaka replied: “Keep your eye on them.” Kalelealuaka all this time was lying down with his war club, showing no fear and acting as though willing to fight. When the people arrived outside of the house, six of them surrounded the house all armed with death weapons. Soon after this Kalelealuaka got up, stepped [468]outside with his war club in hand, raised it and struck it on the house cutting it in two and scattering the grass and timbers in all directions. The officer in command of the soldiers spoke up saying: “We did not come here to inflict death, but we have been sent to bring you to Ewa by the orders of Kakuhihewa, the king. Here is the litter, get in.”

Before their arrival at Ewa, Kakuhihewa had in the meantime prepared with his own hands everything as advised by the priest, as already set forth in this story. The reason why Kakuhihewa had followed the instructions was because he wanted to gain possession of all of Pueonui’s lands, and also because the priest had advised him so. Kalelealuaka and Keinohoomanawanui were from this time on taken as the king’s sons-in-law. All Kalelealuaka did after this was to retire with the daughter of Kakuhihewa in one of the houses prepared for them.

While they were living together at this time, war was again resumed between the two kings, Kakuhihewa and Pueonui.8 Keinohoomanawanui was at once made one of the king’s officers and he went out to take part in one of the battles, and in which Pueonui was beaten. Kakuhihewa and his men went out to fight during the daytime and they slew a great many of Pueonui’s men. Keinohoomanawanui always gained the victory in these battles so that in time the king began to give Keinohoomanawanui the credit of such splendid results.

Kalelealuaka in the meantime retired during the daytime, but at the first crow of the cock at early dawn, he would get up and go out and slay the officers in the army of Pueonui. He would run from Ewa to Kapukaki, the heights looking down at Halawa, where he would meet the officers of the opposing army and fight them single handed, striking on the right and then on the left. After slaying the enemy by the use of his war club he would carry off their war helmets and feather capes. This was carried on by him for several nights without the knowledge of anyone. One night as he was returning a farmer at Halawa saw him. Kalelealuaka had slain several of Pueonui’s men, and secured some feather capes and war helmets and was on his way home; but he was traveling at such speed that the farmer was unable to make out who he was. On the night following the farmer thought he would lie in wait for this man; sure enough he saw Kalelealuaka going along at a very great rate of speed, so taking up his spear whose point was fixed like a hook, he threw it and hit the man in the arm just above the wrist; the spear point entered and was made fast. Kalelealuaka seizing the spear tried to pull it out, but was unable on account of the peculiar point, so he broke it, leaving the point still in the arm.

Pueonui was defeated and Kakuhihewa took possession of all his lands. Kakuhihewa all this time thought Keinohoomanawanui was the cause of these victories over Pueonui and the slaughter of the men. In the meantime the farmer refused to give Keinohoomanawanui the credit of these victories and declared that the final defeat and death of Pueonui was the work of a different man altogether, who went out to fight only in the early morning. He described this unknown man as a very fast runner of whom he knew no equal; the man always carried a war club, and on his return would come with war helmets and feather capes. “I have wounded him in the arm and I think [470]the spear point is still in his arm. It will be the means by which the man could be recognized.”

When Kakuhihewa heard this, he issued a call for everybody to come together, no man, woman or child to remain at home, excepting those who when they fell down were unable to get up again, and those who were so sick that they could not walk. After everybody had come together, the farmer proceeded to look for his man by looking at their arms; but he was unable to locate him. He then asked Kakuhihewa: “Is there no one left?” “None,” said the king, “except my son-in-law who is asleep at home, and has done nothing requiring him.” “Send for him and let me see [his arm],” said the farmer. When Kalelealuaka came up to the farmer and held up his arm the point of the spear was found. The farmer then remarked: “Surely, this is the man that slew all of Pueonui’s men, and this is the very man whom I saw coming in the early morning while I was on my way to work and at whom I threw the spear, the point of which is still in his arm. I also saw him returning with war helmets and feather capes, and I am certain his house must be filled with those articles; let someone be sent to fetch them.” When the man that was sent returned, he brought with him several war helmets and feather capes which made a huge pile, proving that it was Kalelealuaka that caused the overthrow and final defeat of Pueonui. So Kalelealuaka was made chief ruler, while Kakuhihewa served under him. [465]