Legend of Eleio.

Lele, otherwise known as Lahaina, in Maui, is the country in which the events of this legend took place and the time was during the reign of Kakaalaneo who was king of the whole island of Maui. Eleio was a very fast runner, faster than the wind, and could make three complete circuits of the island of Maui in one day. Because of his great speed, he was made runner to King Kakaalaneo. It was his duty as runner to bring (awa1) fish from Hana for the king. When a meal was about ready, Eleio would set out for Hana to bring fish and he would always return before the king sat down to eat. Once while he was on his way back, he met on the road Kaahualii,2 a spirit, who asked him for some fish. Eleio answered: “Take the hairs on your behind for the fish and your urine for water.” When Kaahualii heard this, he chased Eleio. Upon coming by Kamaalaea, Eleio’s sister who was residing at this place saw that her brother was out of breath, so she took down her pau and exposed herself to the spirit.3 This action so shamed the spirit that it abandoned Eleio. The name of this sister of Eleio was Pohakuloa. Being chased by this spirit on three different occasions along this same road, Eleio upon his next return trip went around the west side of Hana by way of Kaupo. Upon his arrival at Kaupo one day he found a woman by the name of Kanikaniaula sitting by the roadside, but he passed right along without noticing her. Kanikaniaula at this want of respect on the part of Eleio called out after him: “Say, are you going to pass right along without greetings?” When Eleio heard this call he turned back and greeted her. Kanikaniaula then invited him to the house which invitation was accepted by Eleio.

Let us here take up a short sketch of Kanikaniaula.

Kanikaniaula at the time when this conversation was taking place was dead. Although she appeared in the form of a live person it was really in spirit. Kanikaniaula was a very fine woman and came from a line of high chiefs of Hawaii. She, however, upon coming to live in Kaupo, Maui, married a person of low rank who lived in [484]the back country. Their time was spent chiefly in the tilling of the soil and the preparation of food, stock raising and fishing. This was kept up until the death of Kanikaniaula. Upon her death the husband built a tomb,4 a small house of poles in the form of a pyramid, in which he placed the dead body of his wife. When she came to Maui to live she brought along with her from Hawaii a feather cape which was the insignia of a very high chief, but which article she had hidden up to the time of her death, nor had she ever once alluded to her rank as a high chiefess.

When Eleio arrived at the house he saw a man occupying it but the woman was not to be seen. Eleio then asked the man: “Where is my companion?” The man asked in turn: “Who is your companion?” Eleio answered: “My companion was a woman.” “She is dead, my own wife, she is laid in that small house yonder,” said the man. Eleio then asked the man: “How many days has she been lying there?” The husband answered: “Two days already, this is the third day in which we are speaking.” “Yes, I will undertake to bring your wife to life again,” said Eleio. Eleio then proceeded, and at the end of the fourth day Kanikaniaula was brought back to life and in all respects became as she was before her death. Kanikaniaula then asked Eleio: “What indeed shall I give you as a recompense? Shall it be myself?” Eleio answered: “I will not take anything in payment from you, but I wish you to become the wife of my lord, Kakaalaneo.” Kanikaniaula consented to this, saying: “Yes, he shall be my lord; but here is a present which I wish you to take to him; a feather cape.” At this the husband for the first time was made aware that Kanikaniaula was a chiefess. “You may now return and in the nights of Kane you may come for me. I am going to my place on Hawaii, and shall return in a few days.” Eleio then returned [home] wearing the feather cape tied around his neck. Feather capes at this time were so rare that even Kakaalaneo the king of Maui did not have one in his possession.

As Eleio had been absent a number of days, Kakaalaneo became very angry and ordered his chief officers to start an umu and make it very hot, in which to bake Eleio upon his return. In the meantime Kakaalaneo had posted spies along the Aalaloloa cliffs to watch for the return of Eleio, and when seen to start a fire as a signal to the people at Lele5 of his approach when the umu was to be started and made hot before the arrival of Eleio; so when Eleio arrived at the Aalaloloa cliffs, the fire signal was started and the people at Lele started the umu.

As Eleio came running at full speed with the feather cape over his shoulders, on arrival at Lele and seeing the umu burning and the king sitting near it, he jumped right into the hot umu. When the king saw something red and pretty on Eleio’s shoulders, he called out to the men: “Seize Eleio! Seize Eleio!!” At this the people got ahold of Eleio and he was pulled out of the umu and was saved; but the feather cape was torn to pieces: a small piece, however, was saved in the hands of Eleio. Kakaalaneo then called Eleio to come to him and when he got in the presence of the king, the king asked him: “Where did you get this beautiful thing?” Eleio replied: “This was the cause of my delay. Kanikaniaula, a very handsome woman was dead and I brought her to life again. I have told her that you are to be her husband.” Kakaalaneo [486]then asked Eleio: “Why didn’t you bring her along with you then?” Eleio replied: “I am to go and bring her in the nights of Kane.”

When Eleio arrived at Kaupo in the nights of Kane6 he found that Kanikaniaula had returned from Hawaii with some of the chiefs, their servants, and with feather capes. When they reached Lele and stood before the king Kakaalaneo then took Kanikaniaula and they dwelt together, husband and wife. Not very long after this Kanikaniaula conceived a child.

RELATING TO KAULULAAU.

At last Kanikaniaula the queen was known to be with child and in due course of time she brought forth a son who was called Kaululaau, known as the one who pulled up the breadfruit trees of Lele.

On the day when it was discovered that the queen was with child (the sign being unpleasant sensations and vomiting although having an appetite for proper things), Kakaalaneo sent out his messengers to make a circuit of Maui and find out all the chiefesses who were also with child on that same day. The intention of the king being, to procure servants and playmates for the coming heir. In due course of time the queen gave birth to a baby boy and he was called Kaululaau. All the children who were born on the same day on Maui were brought to the king and reared with the prince Kaululaau.

As Kaululaau grew to manhood, so also grew his playmates, and as he grew older he became more and more mischievous. His father Kakaalaneo was then still king of Maui. In those days it was customary for the boys with him to climb the breadfruit trees and pick the fruit; and when the fruit got fewer and beyond their reach, Kaululaau would then pull up the trees with his hands. This was done so often that the trees became scarce in the district of Lele. At last the father Kakaalaneo, took pity on the people knowing that they would some day go hungry; so he ordered that all the boys be sent home to their parents, believing that this would make his son less mischievous; but instead of improving he grew worse. After considering the matter for some time, the father at last hit upon a course of action and thereupon told the queen and attendants to take Kaululaau and abandon him on Lanai with the spirits. This was agreed on by the chiefs and people and preparations were immediately made; the food and meat were cooked, kapa and other things were gotten ready and the canoes set out with Kaululaau. Upon their arrival at Lanai, Kaululaau was put ashore with all the things prepared for him and the canoes returned.

When Kaululaau landed on Lanai he entered a patch of reeds and slept there. While in his sleep his god came to him and said: “Say, Kaululaau, get up and enter the cave with all your belongings.” When Kaululaau woke up he looked about him and saw a cave opening near by; so he got up and entered it in obedience to the instructions given him in his sleep. Lanai was an island of spirits. No people could live on this island as the spirits killed and eat everybody who came there. Kaululaau was, however, an exception to this as he was not eaten up; but this was because he was too cunning in telling falsehoods, just like Punia.7 [488]

That night Kaululaau slept in the cave and at daylight he left it and returned to the patch of reeds where he was found by the spirits who asked him: “Say, Kaululaau, where did you sleep last night?” Kaululaau replied: “In the small patch of thistles.” “Is that so? No wonder you were not found last night,” remarked the spirits. On the approach of the next night he again entered the cave, when the spirits went about looking for him the whole night. At daylight Kaululaau went to the beach on the dry sand and sat there where the spirits came and asked him: “Where did you sleep last night?” “In the patch of thorny vines growing there. That is the place where I slept.” The spirits again asked him: “Where are you going to sleep tonight?” Kaululaau replied: “In the large surf where it rolls as high as a house. That is where I will sleep.” On the approach of night Kaululaau would again retire to the cave, and at daylight go out on the sand where he would be met by the spirits who would ask him: “Where did you sleep last night?” “In the small surf; you were all at the large surf,” Kaululaau would reply.

Through these deceiving answers the spirits got so overworked that they mostly all died off, leaving but very few of them alive. Pahulu was one of the spirits that was saved, because he left Lanai and went over to Kahoolawe to live. Kaululaau after this kept a fire burning all the time he remained on Lanai. Kakaalaneo upon seeing the fire burning on Lanai so continuously, asked the people: “Say, Kaululaau could not have been killed by the spirits?” “No,” replied the people. Therefore, Kakaalaneo sent some people in a canoe to go to Lanai and see if Kaululaau was indeed still alive or not. When the canoe arrived at Lanai, the people saw that Kaululaau was indeed still alive and he was still keeping the fire burning. The canoe then returned to Lele and the people told Kakaalaneo, the king, of what they had seen. When the king heard this he remarked: “Yes, he was sent to Lanai to be devoured by the spirits, but no! What does it mean? Well and good.” He then ordered a double canoe to go and bring Kaululaau home. This is how Kaululaau was saved and his history and life on Lanai has become famous even unto this day. [483]