LEGEND OF ‘IWA

HWST 104

CHARACTERS

• `Iwa– Frigate or man-of-war bird

(Fregata minor palmerstoni); it has a wing span of 12 m. Fig., thief, so called because it steals food by forcing other birds to disgorge; also used figuratively for a handsome person, as follows: Kīkaha ka `iwa, he lā makani, poises the frigate bird, a windy day [of a handsome person who draws attention, as does the `iwa bird poised aloft].

As taken from the Hawaiian Dictionary (Püku’i & Elbert)

CHARACTERS

• `Umi– According to historians,

`Umi was a chief who ruled Hawai’i Island in the 16th or 17th century

– His father, `Umi-a-līloa, was a high-ranking chief

– His mother was Akahi-a-kuleana

OTHER INFO.

• `Ō`ūholowai– A well-known kind of tapa from

`Ōla`a made from the bark of the māmaki

• Māmaki– The bark yielded a fiber valued for

a kind of tapa, similar to that made from wauke, but courser.

• `Eleuli– Literally meaning grayish-black– A rare type of dark gray or

perfumed tapa

LEHO & LŪHE`E

• Leho– General name for cowry shell– Used as octopus lures

• Lūhe`e– Octopus lure– Pictured to the right: This is a

single cowry shell with olonā (a native shrub) and coconut fiber cordage

`AWA• `Awa

– Said to be one of the plants brought in the sailing canoes of the earliest Polynesian voyages to Hawai`i

– The root is used for medicinal purposes, ceremonies, and as an intoxicating drink

– Prepared formerly by chewing, later by pounding. The comminuted particles were mixed with water and strained

– When drunk in excess, it causes drowsiness

NĀ MOKUPUNI O HAWAI`I THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

CHANNELS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

• `Alenuihāhā– Separates the island of Hawai`i and the island of Maui

• `Alalākeiki– Separates the islands of Kaho`olawe and Maui– Literally means “crying baby”

• Kealaikahiki– The channel between Lāna`i and Kaho`olawe– Literally means “the path to Kahiki”

• `Au`au– The channel between Lāna`i and Maui– Literally means “to take a bath”; refers to its calm-like

conditions

CHANNELS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS CONTINUED

• Pailolo– Separates the islands of Moloka`i and

Maui– It is said to be one of the windiest and

roughest channels in the Hawaiian islands

• Kalohi– Separates Lāna`i and Moloka`i– Although strong winds and choppy sea

conditions are frequent, it is considered one of the less treacherous channels

CHANNELS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS CONTINUED

• Kaiwi– Separates the islands of Moloka`i and O`ahu– Today, it is often referred to as “The Moloka`i

Channel”

• Kaulakahi– Separates the islands of Ni`ihau and Kaua`i

• Ka`ie`iewaho– Separates the islands of Kaua`i and O`ahu

PLACE NAMES

• `Ōla`a– Land divisions, Hilo, Humu`ula,

Kīlauea, and Puna qds; flume, back road, plantation mill, and railroad, Hilo qd; village, forest reserve and forest park reserve Kīlau qd., Hawai`i; formerly called La`a. La`a literally meaning dedicated.

• Kea`au– Land sections, intermediate and

elementary school, and villages, Hilo, Maku`u, and Puna qds., Hawai’i. (For. Sel. 18; UL 62.) qd.

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Püku’i, Elbert & Mo’okini)

PLACE NAMES• Kalaeokalā`au

– Point, southwest tip of Moloka`i named for the famous club (lā`au) of Palila, the Kaua`i hero who, with a spear given him by the gods, leapt to Kiha-a-Pi`ilani, a Moloka`i hill, and there attracted all the women; the angry and jealous Moloka`i men fought him. His club lost its mana to the gods of Moloka`i, and so he threw it away; it landed on this cape. (Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, July 6, 1922.)

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Pūku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

PLACE NAMES

• Makapu`u– beach park, point,

headland, and surfing beach (Finney, 1959a:108), Koko Head qd., O`ahu. Lit., hill beginning or bulging eye (the name of an image said to have been in a cave known as Ke-ana-o-ke-akua-pōloli; PH chapter 19).

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Pūku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

PLACE NAMES

• Mōkapu– A bird islet (3.6 acres, 360 feet elevation),

Ka-malō qd., north Moloka`i. Peninsula, elementary school, point, quadrangle, and land division, Kai-lua, O`ahu; originally named Moku-kapu (sacred district) because Ka-mehameha I met his chiefs here; it was "the sacred land of Ka-mehameha" (Sterling and Summers 5:165). See North Beach. Lit., taboo district (mō- is short for moku).

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Pūku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

PLACE NAMES• Kawaihoa

– Point, Ni`ihau (PH 210). Point beyond Portlock Road, Honolulu; the god Kāne brought forth water here (HM 64). Lit., the companion's water.

• Molokini– Islet (150 feet elevation)

between Ka-ho`olawe and Maui. When Lohi`au (Pele's dream lover) lived at Mā`alaea, Maui, he took to wife a mo`o, Pu`u-o-inaina (hill of wrath). Pele in anger bisected her; her tail became Pu`u-ō-la`i Hill, Mākena, Maui, and her head Molo-kini Islet. see Pu`u-ō-la`i. (For. 5:514-521; HM 189; PH 75.) Lit., many ties.

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Pūku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

Molokini

PLACE NAMES

• Pōhakueaea– Point, Mākena qd., Maui. (For. Sel. 20.) Lit., stone [with]

smell.

• Kalaeakeahole– No information available.

• Kailua– Village, school, bay, and ancient surfing area (Finney and

Houston 26), Kona, Hawai`i. Land division, land section, ditch, village, hill (1,269 feet high), gulch, Pā`ia area; stream, Ha`i-kū area, East Maui. Second largest city in the Hawaiian Islands (33,783 population in 1970), land division, schools, bay, beach park, field, ditch, and stream, Mō-kapu qd., O`ahu. Lit., two seas (probably currents, especially on Hawai`i).

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Püku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

PLACE NAMES

• Leleiwi– Cape, beach park, and point,

Hilo qd., Hawai`i. A fish heiau (heiau ho`oulu i`a), named Pū-hala (pandanus tree) once was near here. (For. Sel. 22, 24, 278; PH 189; UL 60.) Heiau at La`a-loa, Kona, Hawai`i. Area, Hanalei district, Kaua`i. Pali and overlook, Hale-a-ka-lā Crater, Maui. Lit., bone altar (poetically, a symbol of disaster or anger).

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Püku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

PLACE NAMES• Kumukahi

– Easternmost cape, Hawai`i, named for a migratory hero from Kahiki who stopped here and who is represented by a red stone. Two of his wives, also in the form of stones, manipulated the seasons by pushing the sun back and forth between them. One of the wives was named Ha`eha`e. Sun worshipers brought their sick to be healed here. (HM 119.) Another Kumu-kahi, the favorite younger brother of Kama-lālā-walu, lived here or near here (For. Sel. 250). Also the name of a chief who pleased Pele but who ridiculed her; she heaped lava over him, thus forming the cape (Westervelt, 1963:28). Channel between Ni`ihau and Lehua islands. Lit., first beginning

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Püku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

Sunrise at Kumukahi

PLACE NAMES

• Waipi`o– Pali, Honu`apo qd., Hawai`i;

quadrangle, valley, land section, bay, gulch, stream, and ancient surfing place, north Hawai`i (For. Sel. 138, 170; PH 49–50; Finney and Houston 26). The earth in the upper valley is red because Kanaloa dashed Māui against the rocks and his blood colored the earth there (Westervelt, n.d.:151). Lit., curved water.

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Püku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)

PLACE NAMES

• Paka`alana– Temple in Waipi`o that was famous for

being a place of refuge for Windward Hawai`i. It was built before the time of `Umi’s grandfather Kiha, and was destroyed by Kaeokulani, king of Kaua`i in 1791

As taken from Hawaiian Antiquities and Folkore (Elbert)

PLACE NAMES

• Pu`uepa– Land section, Kohala qd., Hawai`i. (For. Sel. 26.) Also

spelled Pu`u-wepa.

• Puaahuku– No information available

• Mahiki– Land division, Wai-mea, Hawai`i, named for a horde of

mo`o killed by Hi`iaka. (PH chapter 12.) Lit., leap.

As taken from Place Names of Hawai`i (Püku`i, Elbert & Mo`okini)