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Pele Ma: Legends of Pele from Kaua'i
Folk Tales. Native American Studies. Asian Studies. Although Pele is always associated with the Big Island, we are reminded by Wichman's retellings that the Pele legends have a strong link to the island of Kaua'i. Here, we have Pele paddling in from Kahiki to Ka-lalau where she first looked for a home. We are reminded that the pig-god Kamapua'a lived, fought, and loved on Kaua'i. And we find that Lohi'au fatefully fell in love with Pele at Ha'ena, at the hula halau which, even today, can be found at the end of the road. A fitting fourth book in the Kaua'i Tales series-the series also includes SPD titles KAUA'I TALES, POLIHALE & OTHER KAUA'I LEGENDS, and MORE KAUA'I TALES. "Wichman has given us another delightful collection of Kaua'i folktales. His descriptions of place names and their etiology is truly interesting. His knowledge of Kaua'i folklore is genuine"-Esther T. Mo'okino. Published as issue #80 of Bamboo Ridge, Journal of Hawaii Literature and Arts, the book also features
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
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December 13, 2024
Who is digging there?
I, Pele.
I cannot go on without calling you by your name.
We have not had trouble with that.
I want you to have a name. Choose one.
I cannot give myself a name. Names were precious. A name said who you are, how you belonged to this world. What name would 'Ohai give her?
Then I shall call you Inoa, for it is a word that shows my affection for you and although we are not related, you are very dear to me.
What are you doing?
Eating dinner.
That is bird food.
If Pele chooses to eat the 'ohelo berry, that is my business. Now turn your faces away and let me sleep. You may continue your arguments but I warn you do not attempt to tease me. The birds and I have full stomachs, but you do not. And you may not eat the 'ohelo, for they are now forbidden to all but me.
Yet like every other woman he had ever sought, they refused to clasp him in his arms. Why did he have such trouble with women? He'd already given them all he had brought with him and they had laughed and refused to listen to his pleas to become his lover, one or the other or both. Maybe if he could separate them? It would be easier to whisper soft words into one set of ears.
No man could willingly give up a lover to another without pangs of hot jealousy. Perhaps he and Lima-loa would fight one another yet. He liked the idea of winning the two women and leaving Lima-loa neither.
Where are these women?
They knew they were greatly desired by any man who saw them but they cared for none and drove them away.
Come home with us, then.
Willingly.
As he followed them into their sleeping house, he glanced up the trail where Lima-loa was waiting. Kamapua'a chuckled. He would have a long wait. He had so easily trapped the two and Lima-loa had neither. Revenge, thought Kamapua'a, was sweet. He walked away, strutting between the giggling sisters.
Once they had been carefree, caring for no one but themselves, free to tease all the young men who came to Ke-mamo, the spring on the slopes of Ha'upu mountain, to visit with them in high hopes. Once they had been beautiful. Now they had so much to do they scarcely had time to comb their hair. Ever since they had seen Kamapua'a's reflection in their spring and fallen in love themselves, ever since they had married the man with the pig-like manners, their beauty had begun to fade, the young men had stopped coming, and their fingers became red and rough with the work they were forced to do.
All too often, as now, Kamapua'a came to the doorway of the sleeping house to shout angrily, "Wives! Where are you?"
"Here!" They called and ran to see what their husband wanted.
"Lazy, good-for-nothings!" Kamapua'a snarled. "Why is my floor mat so dirty? Go and clean it!"
"Kamapua'a! Wake up! Do something!"
Kamapua'a yawned. "Do what? I'll eat. Where's the food?"
"How strangely you behave! Here you are, doing nothing but sleeping in the house."
We must punish him. We were happier when we had no husband. There was always somebody around we could tease.
Kamapua'a had turned his wives into stones, for he was tired of them. Now he was alone and bored.
He noticed when the woman saw his reflection she went completely still. When she looked up at him, a shiver of excitement jolted through him. This was a woman worthy of his attention, a woman his equal, and all the more desirable for that.
It is Pele who teases the pig,
But it is her nose that is pierced
Pierced by love,
Pele grunts and groans,
Looking for the pig-man by the river.
Yes, Pele, keep on teasing!
Grunting "Hu! hu! hu!" Kamapua'a grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. She fought him. She scratched his arms with her fingernails. She kicked back against his legs. She knew what he wanted and she would never give it to him willingly. She bit his hand and felt his blood trickle warmly down her body. He flung her to the ground but before he could pin her, she scrambled away and ran.
Tell me, warrior, why do you choose a woman who wants nothing to do with you?
Why not?
Because an unwilling partner is of no use to anyone. Better to choose one who wants you.
And who would that be? You?
Of course. That is, if you are man enough for me.
I am man enough and more.
I wonder. I see you forcing an unwilling woman. A good lover has no lack of companions. That tells me you are not man enough for a willing woman. You are a weakling where it matters, perhaps.
Are you that woman? If so, I will show you what a man is. Come to me.
No, catch me, if you can.
He loved them both. "We are not done with each other yet, Pele and Kapo," he said aloud. "We will meet again." He was no longer bored. "Oh, yes, we will meet again!
It was a sport in which women could excel for it did not take sheer muscular strength, it took skill, balance, a feeling for the force of the surging water, knowing how to stay out of the breaking wave, sliding along its smooth surface just before the break.
He looked attentively at the nine young women surrounding Ka. One in particular caught his fancy and for the first time in his young life, Kau-maka-a-mano wondered what it was to live for years with one woman, a wife, a companion, the twin of oneself.
"I have only Ka-hala-i'a , my daughter, to offer you. Is that agreeable to you both?" Kapo-'ula-kina'u looked at Ka-hala-i'a and a tear formed in the corner of her eye. She would soon be losing a life-long friend.
His friend is Lohi'au, brother of Ka-hua-nui, young, handsome, his back as straight as the cliffs, his face ruddy with health like the 'ohelo berry. He is young, he is alone, he yearns for love, perhaps even the love of Pele. You too are alone, you too yearn for love.
Lohi'au looked up and in that instant he belonged to Pele. He could not speak, he could no longer move. He could only look and stare.
Who are you and who are your forebears?
I am of Kaua'i.
There is no woman of Kaua'i your equal in beauty. I have visited every part of the island and seen no one like you.
You have undoubtedly wandered here and there over this island, but there are places you have missed. And that is where I am from.
No, no.
Pele pushed away his hand. "I am not hungry, at least not for food." She looked at him boldly, not caring to hide her feelings.
Lohi'au's stomach gave a great heave. He, too, could not eat. His mind was whirling with hopes.
When we are together, all I ask is to be with you for five days and five nights when we will take our fill of pleasure in one another. After that, you will be free to go with another woman.
Never!
"I shall avenge you," he swore, removing his own malo. "I shall not wear my malo again until I have revenged your death on this woman." He became one with the naked god Ka-ho-ali'i.
Pakamoi was happy. He was in the company of three beautiful women. Surely he could win one of them this night.
Pele intended Lohi'au to be her husband for only a few days before she would gladly give him away to whoever wanted him.
She placed a lei of lehua flowers around his neck and, holding him by the shoulders, pressed her nose against his, a kiss whose meaning no one could fail to recognize, the kiss of a woman claiming at long last the man she loves.
Hi'iaka wrapped her arms around him. He was warm, he was alive, he was hers, he was Lohi'au-ipo-o-Ha'ena and the next time he died they would go together.
I, Pele.
I cannot go on without calling you by your name.
We have not had trouble with that.
I want you to have a name. Choose one.
I cannot give myself a name. Names were precious. A name said who you are, how you belonged to this world. What name would 'Ohai give her?
Then I shall call you Inoa, for it is a word that shows my affection for you and although we are not related, you are very dear to me.
What are you doing?
Eating dinner.
That is bird food.
If Pele chooses to eat the 'ohelo berry, that is my business. Now turn your faces away and let me sleep. You may continue your arguments but I warn you do not attempt to tease me. The birds and I have full stomachs, but you do not. And you may not eat the 'ohelo, for they are now forbidden to all but me.
Yet like every other woman he had ever sought, they refused to clasp him in his arms. Why did he have such trouble with women? He'd already given them all he had brought with him and they had laughed and refused to listen to his pleas to become his lover, one or the other or both. Maybe if he could separate them? It would be easier to whisper soft words into one set of ears.
No man could willingly give up a lover to another without pangs of hot jealousy. Perhaps he and Lima-loa would fight one another yet. He liked the idea of winning the two women and leaving Lima-loa neither.
Where are these women?
They knew they were greatly desired by any man who saw them but they cared for none and drove them away.
Come home with us, then.
Willingly.
As he followed them into their sleeping house, he glanced up the trail where Lima-loa was waiting. Kamapua'a chuckled. He would have a long wait. He had so easily trapped the two and Lima-loa had neither. Revenge, thought Kamapua'a, was sweet. He walked away, strutting between the giggling sisters.
Once they had been carefree, caring for no one but themselves, free to tease all the young men who came to Ke-mamo, the spring on the slopes of Ha'upu mountain, to visit with them in high hopes. Once they had been beautiful. Now they had so much to do they scarcely had time to comb their hair. Ever since they had seen Kamapua'a's reflection in their spring and fallen in love themselves, ever since they had married the man with the pig-like manners, their beauty had begun to fade, the young men had stopped coming, and their fingers became red and rough with the work they were forced to do.
All too often, as now, Kamapua'a came to the doorway of the sleeping house to shout angrily, "Wives! Where are you?"
"Here!" They called and ran to see what their husband wanted.
"Lazy, good-for-nothings!" Kamapua'a snarled. "Why is my floor mat so dirty? Go and clean it!"
"Kamapua'a! Wake up! Do something!"
Kamapua'a yawned. "Do what? I'll eat. Where's the food?"
"How strangely you behave! Here you are, doing nothing but sleeping in the house."
We must punish him. We were happier when we had no husband. There was always somebody around we could tease.
Kamapua'a had turned his wives into stones, for he was tired of them. Now he was alone and bored.
He noticed when the woman saw his reflection she went completely still. When she looked up at him, a shiver of excitement jolted through him. This was a woman worthy of his attention, a woman his equal, and all the more desirable for that.
It is Pele who teases the pig,
But it is her nose that is pierced
Pierced by love,
Pele grunts and groans,
Looking for the pig-man by the river.
Yes, Pele, keep on teasing!
Grunting "Hu! hu! hu!" Kamapua'a grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. She fought him. She scratched his arms with her fingernails. She kicked back against his legs. She knew what he wanted and she would never give it to him willingly. She bit his hand and felt his blood trickle warmly down her body. He flung her to the ground but before he could pin her, she scrambled away and ran.
Tell me, warrior, why do you choose a woman who wants nothing to do with you?
Why not?
Because an unwilling partner is of no use to anyone. Better to choose one who wants you.
And who would that be? You?
Of course. That is, if you are man enough for me.
I am man enough and more.
I wonder. I see you forcing an unwilling woman. A good lover has no lack of companions. That tells me you are not man enough for a willing woman. You are a weakling where it matters, perhaps.
Are you that woman? If so, I will show you what a man is. Come to me.
No, catch me, if you can.
He loved them both. "We are not done with each other yet, Pele and Kapo," he said aloud. "We will meet again." He was no longer bored. "Oh, yes, we will meet again!
It was a sport in which women could excel for it did not take sheer muscular strength, it took skill, balance, a feeling for the force of the surging water, knowing how to stay out of the breaking wave, sliding along its smooth surface just before the break.
He looked attentively at the nine young women surrounding Ka. One in particular caught his fancy and for the first time in his young life, Kau-maka-a-mano wondered what it was to live for years with one woman, a wife, a companion, the twin of oneself.
"I have only Ka-hala-i'a , my daughter, to offer you. Is that agreeable to you both?" Kapo-'ula-kina'u looked at Ka-hala-i'a and a tear formed in the corner of her eye. She would soon be losing a life-long friend.
His friend is Lohi'au, brother of Ka-hua-nui, young, handsome, his back as straight as the cliffs, his face ruddy with health like the 'ohelo berry. He is young, he is alone, he yearns for love, perhaps even the love of Pele. You too are alone, you too yearn for love.
Lohi'au looked up and in that instant he belonged to Pele. He could not speak, he could no longer move. He could only look and stare.
Who are you and who are your forebears?
I am of Kaua'i.
There is no woman of Kaua'i your equal in beauty. I have visited every part of the island and seen no one like you.
You have undoubtedly wandered here and there over this island, but there are places you have missed. And that is where I am from.
No, no.
Pele pushed away his hand. "I am not hungry, at least not for food." She looked at him boldly, not caring to hide her feelings.
Lohi'au's stomach gave a great heave. He, too, could not eat. His mind was whirling with hopes.
When we are together, all I ask is to be with you for five days and five nights when we will take our fill of pleasure in one another. After that, you will be free to go with another woman.
Never!
"I shall avenge you," he swore, removing his own malo. "I shall not wear my malo again until I have revenged your death on this woman." He became one with the naked god Ka-ho-ali'i.
Pakamoi was happy. He was in the company of three beautiful women. Surely he could win one of them this night.
Pele intended Lohi'au to be her husband for only a few days before she would gladly give him away to whoever wanted him.
She placed a lei of lehua flowers around his neck and, holding him by the shoulders, pressed her nose against his, a kiss whose meaning no one could fail to recognize, the kiss of a woman claiming at long last the man she loves.
Hi'iaka wrapped her arms around him. He was warm, he was alive, he was hers, he was Lohi'au-ipo-o-Ha'ena and the next time he died they would go together.
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