Palila, the Warrior of Koloa

Kii: Abbie Matthews

FORNANDER COLLECTION OF HAWAIIAN ANTIQUITIES AND FOLK-LORE

THE HAWAIIANS' ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THEIR ISLANDS AND ORIGIN OF THEIR RACE, WITH THE TRADITIONS OF THEIR MIGRATIONS, ETC., AS GATHERED FROM ORIGINAL SOURCES ByABRAHAM FORNANDER

Author of "An Account of the Polynesian Race"WITH TRANSLATIONS EDITED AND ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES BY THOMAS G. THRUM

Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Volume V‒Part I

HONOLULU H.I. BISHOP MUSEUM PRESS 1998.

Pgs. 372-375

HE KANAKA koa loa o Palila, a he kanaka ikaika loa, ma ke kaua ana, ua hiki ia ia ke ku imua o na kanaka he lehulehu, e kue mai ana. No Alanapo i Humuula, ma Koloa i Kauai o Palila. He heiau kapu o Alanapo na ke ’kua mai ka po mai. A ma laila o Palila i hanai kapu ia ai, e ke ’kua, me ke ao ia i ke ano o ke koa.     O Kaluaopalena ka makuakane o Palila, o Mahinui ka makuahine, o Hina ke kupunawahine o Palila, nana i lawe i loko o Alanapo e noho ai. O Namakaokalani ke ’lii o kekahi aoao o Kauai, o Kaluaopalena, ko kekahi aoao. E kaua ana laua, a kokoke o Kaluaopalena e pio, a lilo loa o Kauai no Namakaokalani.     O kahi a na kanaka e kaua ana, o Pa a ka inoa o ka aina, malaila na 'lii me na koa, a me na kanaka he lehulehu loa. Ia lakou e kaua ana, ala mai o Palila mai loko mai o Alanapo, a hopu i kana laau palau o Huliamahi ka inoa. Hele mai la a ku i ke ahua e nana ai ia kai o Paa, o Komoikeanu ka inoa o ia ahua. Nana aku la ia a noonoo, no ka makuakane kela kaua o kai. Ia wa, oniu hema keia i ka laau palau ana, o Huliamahi. A pahu aku la i kai o Paa. O ka honua, nei ka laau me ka hina i lalo. Na ka laau i luku na koa o Namakaokalani, a lohelohe hina iho la maluna o na kanaka ka laau. Ma keia hina ana o na laau ia Palila, ua pio o Namakaokalani, a makau ia Kaluaopalena ka makuakane o Palila, a ua puni o Kauai ia ia.

KAUA ALUA A PALILA.

     A hiki o Palila i Ewa, ma Waikele, e noho ana o Kamaikaahui, he mano kanaka, elua ona ano, he kanaka a he mano.     No Mualea i Hana, Maui o Kamaikaahui, he kanaka ai kanaka. Aia ma ke kua kona waha, a me na niho mano, a mai laila mai kona hele ana mai a noho ma Waikele. E like me kona hana i Maui, pela kona hana i Oahu nei. Ka ai i ke kanaka, a ke nahu.

Nolaila, makau ke 'lii o Oahu nei, o Ahuapau, a me na kanaka. Nolaila, olelo ke 'lii, o Ahuapau, o ke kanaka e holo ai o Kamaikaahui, e lilo ia i alii, a e komo i ka heiau o Kanelaauli ma Kahehuna, malalo o Puowaina.     Ma keia olelo a ke ’lii, ua lohe o Palila. Nolaila, olelo o Palila: “Ina e ike aku au iaia, alaila, holo.” Ia wa, hoike o Palila me ka laau palau ana o Huliamahi, holo o Kamaikaahui a lele i loko o ke kai. Hahau aku o Palila i ka laau palau, lele hou i uka, pela ka hana ana a make o Kamaikaahui, ia Palila.

NO OLOMANA.‒KAUA AKOLU A PALILA.

     He koa kaulana o Olomana, i ka loihi a me ka ikaika. Ua makau o Ahuapau ke ’lii o Oahu nei ia ia. A nolaila, aole e hele aku ma Koolau, mai ka lae o Makapuu a ka lae o Kaoio ma Kualoa, ua kapu ia Olomana.     He umikumamalua kaha-ku o Olomana, ma ke kua, ke ku pololei a kaha mai ke poo mai a na wawae.     Penei nae ke ano, akolu kapuai ma ke kaha hookahi, ua like me kanakoluku-mamaono na kaha he umikumamalua. Ke hoonui ia (eono anana ia).     Ia Palila i hiki ai i ka pali o Nuuanu, hoomoe aku la ia i kana laau palau, a holo aku la a hiki i Kaelepulu kahi o Olomana e ku ana. Ma keia holo ana o ka laau, paa aku la o Palila mahope o ka welau, a hookahi ka lele ana i luna, a ku ana o Palila i ka poohiwi o Olomana, a ike o Olomana, ninau ae la ia Palila: “Nohea oe e nei keiki hookano, no ka mea, aohe o'u mea nana i hehi, a ia oe iho nei hehi ia.” I aku o Palila: “No ka heiau kapu wau, no Alanapo i Humuula, Kauai, o Palila ko'u inoa, he koa.” A lohe o Olomana, makau iho la ia Palila, a nonoi aku la ia Palila e ola. Hoole mai o Palila: “Aole oe e ola ia'u.” Ia wa, papai o Palila ia Olomana, a lele ae la kekahi aoao a kaawale, oia o Mahinui, o kekahi aoao, oia o Olomana puu e ku nei a hiki i keia la.     Pela i make ai o Olomana ia Palila, a pela i puni ai o Oahu nei ia Ahuapau, ka makuahunowai o Palila.

KAUA AHA A PALILA.

     A hiki o Palila ma Kaawalii, i Hilo, Hawaii, noho iho la. Ia wa, e kaua ana o Kulukulua ke ’lii o Hilo me Wanua, ke ’lii o Hamakua, kokoke e pio o Kulukulua ia Wanua. No ka mea, ekolu koa kaulana o Wanua i ke koa a me ka ikaika, o Moanonuikalehua, o Kumuonuiaiake, o Puupuukaamai. I ko lakou hui ana me Palila, hookahi no laau a Palila, nei ka honua, nakolo i ka lepo, pau i ka make, a me ka luku ia e Palila, i ka aina o Kukaiau ma Hamakua, pela i lanakila ai.

 PALILA was a very brave man and very powerful, for in battle he could fight single handed against a multitude of people. He belonged to Alanapo, in Humuula, at Koloa, Kauai. Alanapo was a kapued temple sacred to the gods from the time of darkness,1 and it was in this temple that Palila was brought up by the gods, and while here he received his instruction in all the arts of warfare.     Kaluaopalena was the father of Palila and Mahinui was his mother. Hina was the grandmother2 of Palila and it was she that took him to Alanapo to be brought up by the gods. Namakaokalani3 was the king of one side of Kauai, while Kaluaopalena4 ruled the other side. These two were at war with one another constantly; and Kaluaopalena was seen to be losing and it became apparent that in a short time he would be defeated when Namakaokalani would have in his possession the whole of Kauai.     The place where the battle was being fought was called Paa and here the two kings with their chiefs and a great number of their warriors were gathered. While the battle was at its height, Palila rose and came out of Alanapo, took up his war club, Huliamahi5 by name, and went out until he came to a rise looking down on the lowlands of Paa. The name of this rise is Komoikeanu.6 While he stood meditating, looking at the battle that was raging below him, he concluded that it was a battle being fought against his father; so he twirled his club and threw it. The club flew through the air, traveling at such speed that-the earth shook and the trees were thrown down. It was by means of the falling trees that the warriors of Namakaokalani were destroyed until there were none left. This destruction of the army of Namakokalani caused his defeat and Kaluaopalena, the father of Palila, became the ruler of the whole of Kauai.

THE SECOND BATTLE OF PALILA.

     Upon the arrival of Palila in Ewa, at Waikele, there he met Kamaikaahui, a human shark of two natures, that of a human being and that of a shark.     Kamaikaahui belonged to the land of Mualea in Hana, Maui, and he was a man who lived on the flesh of other men. His mouth was at his back, containing several rows of teeth like the shark. It was from Mualea that he came and made his home at Waikele. As was his practice while living on Maui, so did he indulge on Oahu. Every time he got a chance he would secretly kill men and eat them up. When Ahuapau, who was king of Oahu at this time, saw this, he and his people became afraid of the man. He therefore made a decree that the man who could drive Kamaikaahui away from Oahu would be made king and given the privilege of first entering the temple of Kanelaauli, built at Kahehuna, below Punchbowl.     When Palila heard the king's decree, he made the remark, saying: “If I look at him once he will run away.” Soon after this Palila met Kamaikaahui who, upon seeing Palila with the war club, Huliamahi, ran and tried to jump into the sea. Palila then struck at the man, preventing him from falling into the sea, and every time he tried to jump Palila would strike him. This was continued until Kamaikaahui was killed.

RELATING TO OLOMANA.‒PALILA's THIRD BATTLE.

     Olomana was a noted warrior, famous for his great strength and his enormous height. Ahuapau, the king of Oahu, was in fear of this man and because of this he never traveled to Koolau. From the Makapuu point to the Kaoio point, at Kualoa, was kapued and sacred to Olomana.     Olomana7 was twelve yards, or six fathoms in height, if standing and measured from the head to the feet. When Palila arrived at the top of the Nuuanu cliff he laid down his club and sped8 on till he reached Kaelepulu, the place where Olomana was standing. In this flight of the club, Palila seized hold of the end and was carried by it until he lit on the shoulder of Olomana, whereupon Olomana asked Palila: “Where are you from, you most conceited boy? for my shoulder has never been stepped on by anybody, and here you have gone and done it.” Palila replied: “I am from the kapued temple; from Alanapo in Humuula, Kauai. My name is Palila and I am a soldier.” When Olomana heard this he was sore afraid and begged of Palila that he be saved. Palila, however, refused saying: “You shall not live.” Palila then slapped him cutting away one half, being that mountain which is Mahinui and leaving one half, the hill of Olomana, which stands at the same place to this day.     This was the way Olomana was killed by Palila, and in this way Ahuapau, the father-in-law of Palila, came in possession of the whole of Oahu.

THE FOURTH BATTLE OF PALILA.

     When Palila arrived at Kaawalii, in Hilo, Hawaii, he made it his home and lived there for some time.     At the time of his arrival a battle was being fought between Kulukulua the king of Hilo and Wanua the king of Hamakua; and Kulukulua was about to be beaten by Wanua, for Wanua had three famous warriors with him who were noted for their great strength; they were Moanonuikalehua, Kamuonuiaiake and Puupuukaamai. When they came together, Palila swung his club but once so strong that the earth shook to its very foundation and the club was buried deep into the ground and all three were killed. He after this began the slaughter of the men and went as far as Kukaiau in Hamakua, making the victory complete.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

 1 Mai ka po mai indicates from very ancient time; at the beginning of things.

2 The care and guardianship of children frequently fell to the grandmothers. Hawaiians rarely brought up their own offspring. At birth they were generally claimed by, or assigned to some relative, who became the makua hanai (rearing parent).

3Na-maka-o-ka-lani, the eyes of heaven.

4 Ka-lua-o-palena, the second boundary.

5 Huli-a-mahi, a not inappropriate name for a weapon; literally “search and dig,” though in a figurative sense; used in battle, it means “to overflow;” revolution.

6 Judging by the name Komoikeanu, enter the cold, the rise must have been at quite an elevation.

7 Olomana at seventy-two feet measured quite a giant.

8 Flying through the air by aid of club or spear, isfrequently used in Hawaiian story, a magical and convenient way of covering long distances.