Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - As told by the Ancient Hawaiians (Part 6)

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Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands
" Keepers of the Culture "
A study in time of the Hawaiian Islands
by Darlene E. Kelley
October 14, 2000

http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374

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Part 6 -- As told by the Ancient Hawaiians.

Mo'ikeha's Marriage on Kaua'i

Mo'ikeha left O'ahu and sailed to Kaua'i, landing at Wailua. It was dark
by the time they arrived, so they did not land, instead, mooring their
canoe offshore.  Early the next morning the people saw this
double-hulled canoe floating offshore with the kapu sticks of a chief
aboard. The canoe was brought ashore and the travelers got off.
Meanwhile the locals were gathering in a crowd to go surf-riding at
Ka-makaiwa. Among them were the two daughters of the ali'i nui of
Kaua'i, Ho'oipoikamalanai and Hinauu.

Mo'ikeha and his companions saw the crowd and followed along to take
part in the morning exercise. Mo'ikeha was a handsome man with dark
reddish hair and a tall commanding figure.

When Ho'oipoikamalanai and her sister saw Mo'ikeha, they immediately
fell in love with him, and they decided to take him for their husband.
Mo'ikeha in the meantime was also struck with the beauty and grace of
the two sisters, and he too, fell in love with them and decided to take
one of them to be his wife. After enjoying the surf for a time,
Ho'oipoikamalanai and her sister returned home and told their father
about the new arrival and said; " We wish to take that young chief as a
husband for one of us." The father approved.

Orders were issued that Mo'ikeha be brought to the house of the two
ali'i women. Mo'ikeha and his company were sent for and brought in the
presence of the King. The love of these young people being mutual,
Ho'oipoikamalanai and Hinauu took Mo'ikeha to be their husband. Mo'ikeha
became ali'i nui of Kaua'i after the death of his father-in-law.

Mo'ikeha had five children with Ho'oipoikamalanai and Hinauu, all boys.
The following is the genealogy of that generation:
Mo'ikeha and Ho'oipoikamalanai gave birth to Umalehu, Kaialea, and Kila;
Mo'ikeha and Hinauu gave birth to Kekaihawewe and Laukapalala.

In the genealogy from which these names are taken, Mo'ikeha's
descendants are given down to the reign of Manookalanipo, who became the
ancestor of the chief's of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau.

Mo'ikeha worked to make his two wives and five children happy, giving
his individual attntion to the bringing up the boys. He thought no more
of Lu'ukia, but after a while, he began to feel a yearning desire to see
hd son La'amaikahiki, his son by his first wife Kapo. So he called his
five sons together and said to then; " I am thinking of sending one of
you boys to bring your elder brother to Hawai'i." His boys became
greatly excited, each one wishing to go.

When he saw that there would be much contention among his sons, he
devised a test to determine who should be chosen for the journey to
Tahiti. He told his sons " Let each of you bring a ti-leaf canoe and
sail it across the river, one after another. The one whose canoe lands
between my thighs shall be the one to go and bring your brother here.''

Then he took the boys to the river in the order of their birth. He
proceeded to the opposite bank of the river and sat down at the edge of
the water facing the wind.  Meanwhile the boys 
proceeded to a point right across and upward from their father.  The
oldest boy set his canoe in the water and aimed it toward the desired
point, but it missed the mark. The second boy set his canoe down in the
water, and it too, missed the mark. The third and fourth boys also took
their turns and they too, failed to hit the mark. Then Kila, the
youngest son, took his canoe and set it down in the water and it sailed
directly to his father and passed between his thighs. When his brothers
saw that their youngest brother had won, they became very angry and from
then on they tried to devise some way of killing him.

Some time after this, Kila's older brothers invited him to go and play
at shooting arrows; but their parents knew the boys had no love for
their youngest brother, so their father did not allow Kila to join them.
The older brothers pretended to be kind to Kila in every way possible,
but their father still refused to allow him to go.

At last, when it was almost time for Kila to undertake his trip to
Tahiti to bring his oldest brother to Hawai'i, Mo'ikeha gave permission
to join his older brothers. But Kila was still afraid of his brothers
and refused to join them on their excursions.

Shortly after this Mo'ikeha proceeded to get everything ready for his
son's voyage to Tahiti.
Then he adised him as follows; " When you sail from here, go by way of
O'ahu and call on your aunts; they are living on the windward side of
O'ahu, facing Mol oka'i. When they see you, they will recognize you."

After these words of advice, his father picked out the men who were to
accompany Kila on this long voyage. Kamahualele, Mo'ikeha's foster-son,
was appointed as his traveling companion. Kapahi and Moanaikaiaiwa were
selected as the paddlers. Kipunuiaiakamau and his companion were
selected as navigators and steermen. They were instructed that in case
the canoe was in danger of running aground, Kamahualele would call out;  
" Kipunuiaiakamau, hold on!" Then he and his companion would hold back
back water and the canoe would come to a stop. Kaukaukamunolea and his
companion were selected as pilots.

When Kila was about ready to set sail, two Kaua'i people said they
wanted to go with him.
Hooholoku and his companion. And upon the expressed wish of Kamahualele,
Kila took Kuaiwalu and Kauineno, makng ten in this company, with Kila
and Kamahualele this made the total of twelve.

When the men were ready. Mo'ikeha ordered the kahuna kilokilo [ who
studied the signs in the heavens [ to see if his son's journey would be
safe. After reading the signs they announced that the journey would be
safe. The kahuna Wanahili was selected as the thirteenth crew member.

At the dawn of the day the kahuna had designated for departure, just at
the rising of the navigation star [ hoku-ho'okele-wa'a, possibly
Sirius], Kila set sail for O'ahu. Arriving off the shore of windward
O'ahu where his aunts were living, he hove to in his canoe and called
out; " My greetings to you, Makapu'u and Makaaoa."  They asked who they
were, and Kila relpied, " I am Kila of the uplands, Kila of the
lowlands, Kila-pa-Wahineikamalanai. I am the offspring of Mo'ikeha." His
aunts then inquired of the well being of his father and of the purpose
of his journey. He told them of the search for his oldest brother, Chief
La'amaikahika, to bring him to his father.

After a brief visit, Kila left O'ahu and sailed to Kala'au Point where
Mo'ikeha's friend Kakakauhanui was living. Kila again called out as he
done to his aunts. There he visited all the people left by Mo'ikwha,
from O'ahu to Hawai'i, then proceeded on his trip.

The crew first landed at Moa'ulanuiakea-ki where Kupohihi was living,
one of Mo'ikeha's uncles was, because they needed to resupply their
food. The crew was suppied with food and sent on their way to Tahiti.

Arriving in Tahiti, they saw Lanikeha, the royal house of Mo'ikeha.
After staying there a few days, they again set sail for Moa'ulanuiakea
and landed on the beach.  Kila and Kamahualele set out to call on
Lu'ukia. When Kila arrived at Lu'ukia's residence, he called out as he
had before, explaining that he was the youngest son of Mo'ikeha and that
he was seeking his oldest brother the chief La'amaikahiki.

Lu'ukia replied that his brother was hidden on the mountain of Kapa'ahu
and they had not seen him. After this conversation, Kilo took his leave
and retired to Lanikeha, Mo'ikeha's residence at Moa'ulanuiakea. Later
they looked for La'amaikahiki for many, many days, but couldn't find him
as he had been hidden.

They were not ready to give up the search for Kilo's oldest brother.
They thought it over and went to find Kuhelepolani, an aged kahuna of
' Olopana. He brought her to Kila and he insisted that she, the aged
one, perform the rites of the priestess and help him to find
La'amaikahiki.

Since Kila was so anxious to find his brother, 
Kuhelepolani explained to him what he should do. " After tomarrow, you
will find him on the mountain of Kapa'ahu. When you hear the beating of
the drum Hawea, the drum which belongs to your father, Mo'ikeha, you
must place a human sacrifice on the alter at Lanikeha, your father's
heiau; then you will be able to see your brother. The drumbeat is the
signal for sacrifice during the kapu nights. Tomarrow night is the night
of the strictest kapu, and it has always been so from your father's
time."

On the evening of the following day, the drum of La'amaikahiki was
heard. Haering the drum, Kamahualele was ordered to find a person for
the sacrifice and to place the corpse on the alter according to the
instructions of the aged priestess. During this night, when the drum was
heard, Kuhelepolani came to Kila and asked him;
" Did you hear the drum? The time has come when you will see your
brother. Follow me wherever I go."

All that night and the next day Kila followed the aged kahuna. At
evening, when they arrived near the place where his brother was living,
he was told to remain there until he heard the drum again. There he was
to enter into the mua [ the house where people worship within the temple
]. When they got to the door of the Mua , they were to go in and conceal
themselves in one of the corners; to remain in their hiding place until
his brother enters the house. Then to be watchful. as the one who
approaches and strikes the drum would be his brother. Then after the
priests line up and begin the prayer service, call out to him,

This they did do and they were united. Kila explained to his brother
that he was sent by their father and take him, to him, as he was very
anxious to see all his children together.

La'amaikahiki immediately prepared to accompany his brother to Hawai'i,
as Mo'ikha wished. It was said that La'amaikahiki was the first person
to bring a god to Hawai'i. 

La'amaikahiki lived on Kaua'i for a time. Then he moved over to
Kakiki-nui on Maui. This place was named for his homeland, n honor of
him. As the place was too windy, he left for the west coast of the
island of Kaho'olawe, where he lived until he finally returned to
Tahiti.

After the death of Mo'ikeha, his corpse was taken to the cliffs of
Ha'ena where it was deposited. Soon after this Kila assumed the
chiefdomship in place of Mo'ikeha, according to the wishes of his
father, his mother and aunt, and his mother's father.