Type: Legendary Creature(s)
- “There are the Menehune’s of Hawaii. Their thing is mischief, but they were also said to have built the fish ponds for the king a really long time ago. They built the fish ponds to make fishing easier for the king, so he didn’t have to go all the way down to the ocean to fish. The King would fish in the ponds where the fish would be constantly reproducing and. The Menehunes are kinda like leprechauns but there were a lot of them, and they are known to just cause trouble. They’re short, just like leprechauns, they don’t fly or do anything special, they’re just there and no one sees them. If your fishing nets suddenly had holes in them, it’s the Menehunes causing trouble. They aren’t invisible, but no one ever sees them. They come out at night and do mischief, no one ever sees them.”
- I obtained this piece of folklore from a family member, Jeff. Jeff is in his late 40’s, and he spent eleven years of his life in Hawaii, where he was born and raised. Jeff and his friends spent most of their childhoods exploring the island. By doing so, Jeff and his friends came across the plentiful fish ponds throughout the island, and the folklore behind them passed around their friend group, as well as other children and parents on the island.
- All the islands are full of fish ponds, and across all islands the Menehune folklore exists. This is passed down from generation to generation, and it is also passed around friend groups and family members.
- I love the concept of the Menehunes and I want to believe in them. It is interesting how similar they are to leprechauns, yet the Hawaiian islands were quite isolated from the rest of the world for a long period of time. I wonder how the similarities exists and how possibly they might be connected.
For more on the Hawaiian Menehunes, go to http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/menhune-hawaii-ancient-race-or-fictional-fairytale-001741