Tag Archives: Hawaiian folklore

The Pele Curse

Age: 55

Text: The Pele Curse

Context: “Growing up, we often visited my aunt in Oahu, because she moved there before I was born and lived there until moving back to Korea in her 50s. We would normally go once a year. Although she is not Native Hawaiian, she became very integrated in the culture and learned how to respect Hawaiian natives and ancestors. She taught us many important Hawaiian customs and values to respect, but one legend that stuck with me, and one I taught to you, is the Pele Curse. Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, and volcanoes. Pele is such a powerful being that she is capable of putting a curse on tourists who come to Hawaii and disrespect the land. When my sisters and I were young kids, we always wanted to take home the pretty seashells from the beach. My aunt told us that if we took them, Pele would curse us and bad things would happen when we go home. We had dogs growing up, and my aunt said that Pele would take them away from us. As naive children, we immediately believed this and then became too scared to even touch a shell on the beach. Now, I know that the curse is not true, but it is something that I told to you and your brother as children, because I wanted you to understand the importance of respecting Hawaiian culture. Even if a real curse is not put on you by Pele, you still have to treat the land and environment with respect.”

Analysis: This story about the Pele Curse is considered a legend, as Pele is a legendary figure rooted in ancient Hawaiian culture. She embodies the elemental power of the Hawaiian islands. Her legend blurs the lines between everyday life and sacred culture, as she is a divine force that can intersect with the real world. This legend can be considered a pedagogical legend, as it is used to teach a moral lesson and guide behavior.

Although the interviewee is not Native Hawaiian, she is engaging with Indigenous folklore and spreading it to others. While this idea of reshaping folklore that does not belong to someone may seem problematic, it is done with the intention of care and respect. The story is told to teach ethical and moral values. This connects to a lot of discussion from lecture and discussion, which is the question of what happens when folklore is removed from its original cultural setting. In this case, the folklore survives, but the exact form and function does not remain the same. However, the general idea and lesson being taught remains, which is the most important takeaway from this specific legend.

This story also shows how ritual belief is passed down, even if it is not literally believed. It is more about the symbolism behind the story than its truth value. The interviewee still chooses to pass down the story to future generations because of its functional power.

The curse itself can also be related to magic superstition, as discussed in class. The idea that an object so small as a shell could bring misfortune demonstrates the idea of contagious magic. An object that is connected to a spiritual figure can carry power. Taking a piece of the island, both literally and metaphorically, is seen as removing a piece of Pele herself. This is violating the sacred relationship between Hawaiian people and their land. This is why stories like the Pele Curse continue to be told, as they function to help enforce respect and moral behavior.

Pele, Kamupua and the Pali highway

Nationality: Indonesian American
Age: 28
Performance Date: 5/1/2019
Primary Language: English

Context:

The informant is a 28-year-old woman, of Indonesian and Caucasian ethnicity. Her hometown is Honolulu, Hawaii. While in school in Hawaii, she learned about Hawaiian Folklore. This story was told to her by her instructor.

Main Piece:

There are many stories of the Hawaiian Goddess of lava and volcanoes. The most common are of sightings of an old woman walking along the Pali highway. These are spread throughout our communities and in school so it’s difficult to tell you where I heard it first. Everyone says not to bring pork over the Pali because if you do your car will stop till you get rid of it. I learned later in my senior portfolio research in high school, that it was because Pele and Kamupua’a (the pig god) were lovers but they fought constantly. Kamupua’a stayed on one side of the island and Pele on the other. The Pali highway connects these two sides so if you try to bring pork from his side to her’s she’ll stop you.

Notes:

I am not familiar with Hawaiian Folklore, however after doing a little research, Pele which is pronounced peh-leh, is described as the goddess of lava, of fire, lightning, wind, dance and volcanoes. There are many different stories as to how Pele came to be. Most stories include her sister, Namakaokahai either attacking her, or killing her. In one instance, Pele was said to have seduced Namakaokahai’s husband and was sent away by her father. The story of Kamupua and Pele is well known among locals in Hawaii and the stories come from actual happenings of people accidentally taking pork in their vehicles across the Pali highway. This is due to Kamupua calling the Windward side of the Island, home and the leeward side belonging to Pele. Because of their radical relationship, bringing pork across the freeway is bad luck and the vehicle carrying the pork will stop until the pork is removed.

 

 

For more info about Pele and legends about the Pali highway check out these sites:

 

https://www.robertshawaii.com/blog/legend-behind-hawaiis-goddess-fire/

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/7322206/pork-and-pali-are-recipes-for-disaster/

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/33478838/spooky-stories-pork-over-the-pali/

The Menahune Men

Context:

The subject is a 19 year old student at USC, her ancestors are Hawaiian and has grown up hearing different stories about Hawaiian culture and old folktales. I asked her to coffee to discuss such things.

Piece:

Interviewer: “So what’s the first piece of Hawaiian folklore that jumps to your mind?”

Subject: “The Menehune men. Some people think that it was an actual race of native Hawaiians from way back when, but most popularly they’re known as the Menehune, and they’re supposedly like 2 feet to 4 feet tall. They’re little, like have you ever seen Scooby Doo?

Interviewer: “Yeah, of course.”

Subject: “The one where they go to Hawaii, and the evil, like, tiki face, that’s a little bit of the vibe they were going for. And they’re apparently really good builders. They’re craftsy people, they work at night. And there’s this wall in Hawaii, I forget the name, but for the longest time it was said that the Menehune built that wall.”

 

Analysis:

After doing some research I found that the wall the subject was referring to was the Kikiaola. It’s a ditch that channeled water from Waimea River to the taro patches in lower Waimea Valley. It was engineered in a way that’s not found anywhere else in Hawaii and it continues to puzzle archaeologists. Perhaps their answer lives in the Menahune.

 

The Nightmarchers

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 3/29/19
Primary Language: English

Context:

The subject is a 19 year old student at USC, her ancestors are Hawaiian and has grown up hearing and experiencing different stories about Hawaiian culture and old folktales. I asked her to coffee to discuss such things.

Piece:

Subject: “The Nightmarchers, are like ancient Hawaiian warriors who basically walk during certain parts of — in certain parts of like Hawaii, and, like, um, if you see them, they appear as just a bunch torches – glowing torches. And as they come towards you, you’re slowly going to see a strange procession, it’s like a parade, but sad. Procession, get it, like Pet Semetary?”

Interviewer: “Yeah, I do.”

Subject: “And they’re ancient Hawaiian warriors, and if you look at them it’s said that you’re going to die, or someone you love is going to die soon. So you’re not supposed to look at them.”

Analysis:

Upon further research, I’ve found that these Nightmarchers are deadly ghosts of previous Hawaiian warriors. On the nights honoring the Hawaiian gods Kane, Ku, Lono, or on the nights of Kanaloa they are said to come forth from their burial sites, or to rise up from the ocean, and to march in a large group to ancient Hawaiian battles sites or to other sacred places.

If a mortal looks at these warriors without fear or defiance, they will be killed violently, unless a relative is within the Nightmarchers. Legend also states that planting living ti shrubs around one’s home will keep away evil spirits, and will cause the huaka’i pō to avoid the area.