Kūʻonoʻono ka lua o Kuhaimoana

Kii: Xpda, Wikimedia Commons

XVIII. "Ka Moʻolelo o Kuhaimoana" – Story of the Shark God, Kūhaimoana:Excerpts from an Account of the Shark Gods and Watersof Kaʻula, Lehua, Niʻihau and Kauaʻi (translation by Maly)

The story of Kūhaimoana, was given to J.S. Emerson, by W.M. Kinney of Waimea, Kauaʻi on March 4, 1907. The account, in Hawaiian, is housed in the collection of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (HEN II:94-108). The narratives tell us of guardian sharks and fishes of the waters between Kaʻula, Niʻihau and Kauaʻi. The following translation, a synopsis of key events around the northern islands, was prepared by Maly.

…Kāne-huli-moku was the man, he lived with Kuihealani the woman, and for her, the land of Kuihealani is named. The name Kāne-huli-moku, is also the name given to all of the islands of Hawaiʻi, those from Nihoa to Hawaiʻi. From these two were born three children, Kūhaimoana, a boy, Pele, a girl, and Kamoʻoaliʻi, also a boy. These were the three children of them. These children were born with different body forms. Kūhaimoana was born with a human form, that of a god, and that of a shark. He could travel upon the land like a man. He could travel like a god. And he could also travel in the ocean like all the different forms of fish……Kūhaimoana departed from the land of Kuihealani, and traveled with his people to the island of Kaʻula, and there he lived until he and his people took a sight-seeing journey around the islands from Kauaʻi to Hawaiʻi. As he was returning to Kaʻula, Kūhaimoana met with Kaluaikaikona (a woman), she was a maimed shark, she had no tail, though she had the head and body of a shark. She lived at the island of Lehua.Kūhaimoana, the famous hero of the supernatural sharks, lived with Kaluaikaikona, and to them were born three children. Their names are Kipapa, Kūlālākea, and Kūkaiʻaiki, all three of them being boys.Let us now look at the mother of these three children. The nature of this shark was as a crippled one. She lived at the island of Lehua, and sometimes at Kauaʻi, along the western face of the cliff of Kalalau. Hoʻolulu is the name of those cliffs. There is a large coral head directly in front of the cliff of Hoʻolulu, a little more than 20 feet away from the land. That is the place where she lives. It is near Ka-wai-kūʻau-hoe, famed from ancient times. The nature of this shark, Kaluaikaikona, was not to travel afar, like the other sharks. How she appeared, and the manner in which she traveled was like the shape of an atoll. She traveled in large circles, perhaps a mile in circumference. Her entire body was red, and there arose above her, a small rainbow as she moved through the sea…Returning to Kūhaimoana, there arose in his mind, the desire to find out if any of his three sons had inherited his powers. Kūhaimoana lengthened his body, so that his tail was at Kuihealani, and his head rested at the island of Kaʻula. He then called his eldest son, Kūiapia, and told him to swim along one side of his body to the tail, and then turn and swim along the other side, returning to his head. Kūpiapia tried with all his strength, but only got as far as Kūhaimoana's first kuala (dorsal fin). He then lost his strength, and told his father that he could go no further. Kūhaimoana then sent his second son, Kūlālākea on the journey, but he could go no farther than the second kuala of his father.Kūhaimoana then sent Kūkaiʻaiki, the third born on the journey. Kūkaiʻaiki swam and reached the third kuala. But in that body form, his normal one, he could go no further, so he changed his body into that of an ulua. Kūkaiʻaiki then swam to the pewa (caudal fin) near the end of his father's tail, and he nibbled at the tail. Thus, Kūhaimoana knew that Kūkaiʻaiki had reached the tail. Kūkaiʻaiki then began to swim up the other side of his father's body, in another body form, that of a mahimahi. Upon reaching the third kuala, he again changed his body-form into that of a kāhala fish. Reaching the second kuala, he turned into a lai fish. And upon reaching the first kuala, he turned into a māʻulaʻula fish, that being his natural body form. This fish, the māʻulaʻula, is a very tiny fish. Perhaps only three or four inches in length. This type of fish is not found in waters near land, but in the very deep waters, and it is rarely seen. It's entire body is truly red, and it's tail is beautiful, like gold that glitters in the sea. This type of fish is often seen by the natives of Niʻihau who go out to sea on their boats. There, this little fish comes near the side of the boats. And when the natives of Niʻihau see this little fish swimming along the side of their boats, is the time when they call out the name Kūkaiʻaiki. When they have called out the name, the fish disappears, and it is not seen again…Thus, Kūhaimoana completed his task with his sons, and Kūkaiʻaiki then asked his father if he could go on a sight-seeing journey. Kūhaimoana agreed to his request, allowing him to go for a while. Kūkaiʻaiki and his retainers then departed from Kaʻula, and began his journey. He arrived at Niʻihau, and from there went to Hoʻolulu, and then Kīpū. Departing from Kīpū, Kauaʻi, Kūkaiʻaiki arrived at Puʻuloa (Oʻahu), and lovingly met with Kaʻahupāhau. He stayed with Kaʻahupāhau for several days and then departed from Puʻuloa, traveling to Makapuʻu. There he met with a supernatural shark—I've forgotten his name—and together, they traveled to Maui. Departing from Maui, they went to Hawaiʻi. When they passed the point of Kalae at Kaʻū, they met with the shark-god Kōleakāne…

Kūkaiʻaiki and his companions participated in several encounters with evil sharks on Hawaiʻi, and then he returns home to his father Kūhaimoana for a while. In the meantime, Kaʻahupāhau, the shark-goddess of Puʻuloa, learned that the evil sharks Kepanilā and Mikalolou, were on their way to Puʻuloa to fight her. Kaʻahupāhau, determined to secure help from the manō kūpua (shark gods) of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau, and she traveled to those islands, and on to Kaʻula gathering an army of sharks.

In this part of the account, additional references to native sharks and descriptions of the northern islands are found:

Kaʻahupāhau traveled to Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi. There, they met with the manō kūpua of that area, and agreed to travel together, to Nuʻalolo of Kauaʻi, where lived the most famous supernatural shark of Kauaʻi. His name was Mākua, and he was famed for his strength.Departing from Hanapēpē, they passed Nōhili, and found the native shark of that place, who also joined them for a while. The native shark of Nōhili told Kaʻahupāhau, that she would not find what she needed on Kauaʻi, that she must go to the little island of Kaʻula. "Tell Kuhaimoana of your problem, and he will tell you what to do." The native shark of Nōhili then told her — "Swim till you draw near to Niʻihau, where you will see a crab floating on the water, do not touch it (a body form of one of the shark children). Do not eat it, for if you do, your path will be one of trouble…" Thus, Kaʻahupāhau and her companions swam to the waters of Niʻihau, and they were greeted by the shark guardians of that island. They swam with Kaʻahupāhau to the mid-way point between Niʻihau and Kaʻula, for that was the boundary of the waters of the guardian sharks of Niʻihau.Kaʻahupāhau then arrived at Kaʻula and met with Kūhaimoana, who asked the nature of her journey. She responded — "Kūhaimoana is the god who gives life, all that is above is his, all that is below is his, all that is to the east, to the west, to the north, and to the south, is his. His is of Kāne, Kanaloa, and Kāne-huli-moku. I seek the offspring, the child of Kuihealani. From whom comes death, and from whom comes life."Kūhaimoana then commanded the guardian sharks from Kaʻula and Niʻihau to gather together, stating that they would travel to battle the enemy at Puʻuloa. While swimming from Kaʻula, they reached the point of Māheu, a shallow place in the sea, and Kūhaimoana could go no further, for his body rested upon the bottom. Kūhaimoana then told Kaʻahupāhau that he could not accompany her, but that he would send his son, Kūkaiʻaiki as her general and counselor.Doubt arose in her heart at seeing Kūkaiʻaiki because he was so small, but Kūhaimoana explained that she need not fear, for the strength of Kūkaiʻaiki was the same as his own… Indeed, a great battle was fought, and the evil sharks vanquished, and Puʻuloa was made safe.