Moolelo no Umi Blog

He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

8/18/2015

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

"When the first of them arrived in front of Hakau, the last of them was still on top of the pali. There were so many of them, the last of them could not be seen. They surrounded Hakau completely, as he sat in the center, until they were standing around him, twelve lines deep, with the stones they carried wrapped in ti leaves like paʻi ʻai." Illustration by Haley Kailiehu, 2015.

E nā hoa makamaka o nei ʻāina kihi loa mai kahi kihi i Kaʻula a kahi kihi i Honokeʻā, mai ka piko o Wākea paʻa i luna a nā pali kū o Papa paʻa lā i lalo, aloha nui kākou. Eia nō kākou ke hoʻomau aku nei i ke kuamoʻo o nā kupuna i ko kākou haʻi hou ʻana i nei moʻolelo no ke aliʻi kaulana o ko kākou ʻāina aloha ʻo Hāmākua. Ma kēia mahele o ua moʻolelo kaulana lā, e ʻike ana nō kākou i kekahi haʻawina koʻikoʻi o nā kūpuna, pili nō hoʻi i ke ʻano o ke aliʻi maikaʻi. Wahi a kahiko, “I aliʻi nō ke aliʻi i ke kanaka.” Hoʻokahua ka ʻāina, hānau ke kanaka. Hoʻokahua ke kanaka, hānau ke aliʻi. Pēlā nō i lilo ai ka ʻāina a puni o Hawaiʻi iā ʻUmi-a-Liloa. Na ka poʻe kānaka o Hāmākua nei i hoʻopau ai ka noho aliʻi ʻana o ke aliʻi hewa ʻo Hakau, a na lākou nō i hoʻokahua ai ka noho aliʻi ʻana o ke aliʻi pono hoʻi, ʻo ʻUmi. No laila, e nā hoa heluhelu o ke ala ʻūlili, e hoʻomau aku kākou i nei moʻolelo o ke aliʻi kaulana o nei ʻāina pali loa ʻo Hāmākua.

Na Kealaulili, Mea Kākau
Koholālele, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi
Aukake 17, 2015

Dear companions of this land of the long corner, from one boundary at Kaʻula to the other at Honokeʻā, from the “piko o Wākea” fixed above to the sheer pali of Papa fixed below, great aloha to you all. Here we are continuing on the pathways of our ancestors as we retell this moʻolelo of the famous aliʻi of our beloved ʻāina of Hāmākua. In this section of this famous moʻolelo, we will come to learn of one of the most important lessons of our ancestors in relation to the characteristics of a good chief. According to the traditions of old, “I aliʻi nō ke aliʻi i ke kanaka (A chief is a chief because of the people).” The ʻāina creates the foundation upon which the people are born, and the people create the foundation upon which a chief is born. That is how all the ʻāina of Hawaiʻi came under the control of ʻUmi-a-Liloa. It was the people of Hāmākua who ended the reign of the wicked chief, Hakau, and it was they too who created the foundation for the reign of the pono chief, ʻUmi. Therefore, oh reading companions of the steep trails, let us continue on with this moʻolelo of the famous aliʻi of this ʻāina of the tall cliffs, Hāmākua.

By Kealaulili, Writer
Koholālele, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi
August 17, 2015

Helu V.

O ka la ia o Kane, he la kapu ia no ke akua o Hakau. O ka lakou nei [ʻo ʻUmi mā hoʻi] hana i noho ai malaila, o ka wahi i ka pohaku i ka la-i, elua pohaku a ke kanaka hookahi, ua hanaia me he pai ai la. Aole kanaka hele wale, eia nae ka poe hele wale, aole a lakou mau pohaku. O ke Alii o Umi, o Kaleioku ke kahuna, o Koi he keiki hookama, me Piimaiwaa, o Omaokamau, he makuakane. I ka hele ana nae o Umi e ike ia Liloa, kona makuakane, ua hooliloia o Omaokamau i keiki hookama na Umi. Aole ia he pololei, (he makuakane kahu ka pololei.)

Moe lakou nei a kakahiaka ae, o ka la ia o Lono, he la kauila huluhulu ia no ke akua o Hakau. Ua pau loa na kanaka iuka o kuahiwi, i ka pau ana o na kanaka i kuahiwi, i aku ke Alii o Hakau, i na wahi elemakule, “I keia kauila huluhulu wale no, i ka noho o’u o ke Alii.” I mai la na wahi elemakule ia Hakau, “He pono ia, ina na ko kaikaina ke kii mai e kaua ia oe, alaila pii pu oe me na kanaka, aole, nau no keia kii ia ia. Ina no ua hewa ka lakou hana ana mai, o ka nui no o kou mau kanaka, make no ia, aole e pakele ia oe.” Ua oluolu ia i ko ke’lii manao, koe iho lakou nei eha, o Hakau, o Nunu, o Kamai [o Kakohe paha ia], a me ka a-i puupuu a ua Alii nei.

A mehana iki ae la ka la, o ka hora 7 paha ia. Iho ana o Umi i ka pali o Waipio, me na kanaka ona, a haule ka maka mua ilalo o kahawai, aole i pau mai ka maka hope, i aku o Hakau ia ua mau wahi elemakule nei, “He la kauila hoi keia, he la kanaka ka hoi!” I mai la ua mau wahi elemakule nei ia ia, “O na kanaka no ou o Hamakua nei, e lawe mai ana i ai nau.” A kokoke mai na kanaka, ike aku o Hakau i kekahi poe elima, e hele wale mai ana, aole a lakou auamo. Oia o Umi, o Koi, o Kaleioku, o Piimaiwaa, o Omaokamau, i ae la ke Alii, “elima poe e hele wale mai nei, aole a lakou auamo,” i mai na wahi elemakule, “O ko poe hoaaina no hoi paha ia.” No ka ike pohihihi o Hakau ia Omaokamau, i aku o Hakau i na wahi elemakule, “I hea la hoi ko’u wahi i ike ai i ke kanaka mamua e hele mai nei?” I aku na wahi elemakule, “O kekahi hoaaina no hoi paha ou, he Alii hele pinepine hoi oe ma Hamakua nei; nolaila, ua ike no hoi paha oe, ae ae la ke Alii.” E ike ke Alii o Omaokamau, ina ua holo ia, aole oia i ike iki, ua nalowale loa i kona mau maka.

Hiki ka maka mua i ke alo o Hakau, aia no ka maka hope iluna o ka pali, aole ike ana aku o ka pau ana. Poai ae la lakou nei a puni o Hakau, noho ia iwaena konu, he umikumamalua poai puni ana o lakou, me ke ku no iluna, me na auamo pohaku a lakou, ua paa i ka wahi ia i ka la-i, me he pai ai la. Hele mai o Umi a ku iwaena konu, ike o Hakau, o Umi keia, ua noonoo oia, e make ana ia, kulou iho la ke poo o Hakau ilalo, a kahea ae la o Umi ia Omaokamau, hele mai la ia a ku mahope o Umi. Kena ae la ia e kii e pepehi ia Hakau, hele mai la ia, a lole ae la i ka auwae iluna, pane iho la o Omaokamau. “A make, na Omaokamau, na Umi.” O ka pohaku a lakou nei, ua hooleiia iluna o ke kino o Hakau a paa, ku ke ahua. O ka laau a na kanaka o Hakau i pii ai i kua-hiwi, o ka laau no ia o ka pu-o-a o Hakau ua like me he Heiau la. Make iho la o Hakau, na Kaleioku i hoomahanahana. O kona lilo ana ia i Kahuna nui no Umi, kana Alii, ua ko ae la kana mea i manao nui ai, ua lilo o Hawaii ia laua.

(Aole i pau)

Chapter V.

It was the day of Kāne, a day kapu to the akua of Hakau. And there [above Waipiʻo, ʻUmi and his people] engaged in the task of wrapping stones in ti leaves, two stones per person, wrapped up like bundles of paʻi ʻai [hard pounded kalo]. There were no people who were to go forth without stones, except for the aliʻi, ʻUmi; Kaleiokū, the kahuna; Kōī and Piʻimaiwaʻa, the adopted sons; and ʻŌmaʻokāmau, the makuakāne [elder male relative of parent’s generation]. When ʻUmi had first gone to see Līloa, his father, it was said that ʻŌmaʻokāmau became an adopted son of ʻUmi, but that is not correct (he was actually a makuakāne kahu [guardian]).

They rested there until morning on the day of Lono, the day on which the akua of Hakau would be readorned in feathers. All of the people went into the uplands, and when they had all reached the kuahiwi, the chief, Hakau, said to the old men, “This is the only time during my reign as aliʻi that my akua has been readorned by feathers and I have stayed back.” And the old men responded to Hakau, “It is pono. If your younger brother would have brought war to you first, then you would have ascended the uplands with your people. But no, you are to bring war to him. Even if mistakes are made by them, your people are many, and he will be killed. He will not escape you.” This pleased the thoughts of the aliʻi, and so only the four of them remained: Hakau, Nunu, Kamai [perhaps Kakohe], and the ʻāʻīpuʻupuʻu [attendant] of the aliʻi.

When the sun began to warm the day, at about 7 o’clock perhaps, ʻUmi was descending the pali of Waipiʻo with his people, and when the first of them arrived below at the stream, the last of them had not left the top yet. Hakau [saw this] and said to the old men, “This is a day reserved for readorning the akua with feathers, and yet there are people walking about on this day!” The old men then responded, “Those are your people of Hāmākua bringing food for you.” And as the people approached, Hakau noticed a group of five walking towards him without carrying sticks. They were ʻUmi, Kōī, Kaleiokū, Piʻimaiwaʻa, and ʻŌmaʻokāmau. And the aliʻi exclaimed, “There are five people coming towards us without carrying sticks.” So the old men responded, “Those, perhaps, are your hoaʻāina [land tenants].” Hakau then caught an obscure glance of ʻŌmaʻokāmau, and he asked of the old men, “Where have I seen that man in the front coming towards us?” And the old men responded, “That must be one of your hoaʻāina. You are a chief that travels often through Hāmākua, so you must have seen him before.” The aliʻi nodded in agreement, “Yes.” And the aliʻi of ʻŌmaʻokāmau saw that Hakau did not recognize them. They had been forgotten by his eyes.

When the first of them arrived in front of Hakau, the last of them was still on top of the pali. [There were so many of them], the last of them could not be seen. They surrounded Hakau completely, as he sat in the center, until they were standing around him, twelve lines deep, with the stones they carried wrapped in ti leaves like paʻi ʻai. ʻUmi then walked forth and stood in the middle. Hakau saw that it was ʻUmi, and knowing that death was upon him, Hakau lowered his head. ʻUmi then called to ʻŌmaʻokāmau, and he came and stood behind ʻUmi. ʻUmi gave the order to kill Hakau, and so ʻŌmaʻokāmau walked forth, grabbed Hakau’s chin, and yanked it upwards. ʻŌmaʻokāmau then said, “You are killed by ʻŌmaʻokāmau, by ʻUmi.” Then the stones they had carried were thrown on to the body of Hakau until they stood firmly in a large mound. The carrying sticks of Hakau’s people who had ascended into the uplands were then placed on top to make the pūʻoʻa [a cone-shaped structure made for the dead] of Hakau, and the structure stood like a heiau. Hakau had been killed, and it was Kaleiokū who administered the hoʻomāhanahana [a relaxing of the kapu]. It was then that Kaleiokū became the kahuna nui of ʻUmi, as his previous prediction had come to full fruition: Hawaiʻi was now under their control.

(To be continued)

Kākau ʻia e J. H. Z. Kalunaaina, Mal. 8, 1862
Hoʻopuka hou ʻia a ʻunuhi ʻia e Kealaulili

Written by J. H. Z. Kalunaaina, Mar. 8, 1862
Republished and translated by Kealaulili

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He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

8/18/2015

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

"Hiki i na la o Ole, hele mai o Umi, Kaleioku, a me na kanaka o laua a pau loa, aole kanaka noho iho i keia hele ana. A hala na la o Ole ia lakou nei i ke alanui, hele mai no lakou nei o na la o Kaloa, a pau na la o Kaloa, hiki lakou nei i Kemamo, e kupono ana ma Waipio. Noho lakou nei ma ia wahi." Illustration by Haley Kailiehu, 2015.

Helu V.

Eia ke kumu o ka ninau pinepane a na wahi elemakule. E makemake ana laua, e ike aku ia Umi, pela ko laua manao ana, aole laua i ike a poeleele. Olelo mai ua mau wahi elemakule nei ia Kaleioku, “Aole ka hoi i ike aku nei i ko hanai e Kaleioku, a poeleele loa?” I mai la o Kaleioku ia laua, “Aole ka olua i ike i ke kanaka i noho iho nei la!” I mai ua mau wahi elemakule la, “Ke kanaka no i noho iho nei la?” Ae aku o Kaleioku imua o laua, “Ae, oia no hoi.” I hou mai la ua mau wahi elemakule nei ia Kaleioku, “Ka a-i puupuu i hana iho nei i ka mea ai a maua la?” Ae aku no o Kaleioku ia laua, “Ae, na’u no hoi i hoonoho iho nei, i mea nana e hoomakaukau i na mea ai imua o olua.” Kahaha loa ka manao o ua mau wahi elemakule nei, kulou like ko laua mau poo ilalo, me ke kaumaha loa o ko laua naau. A ea ae la ko laua mau poo iluna, pane mai ia Kaleioku, “Aole mea e nalo ai keia hilahila.” I aku o Kaleioku i ua mau wahi elemakule la, “He Alii waiwai anei keia e hoomailani aku ai ia ia, he Alii ilihune, o kana waiwai iho la no ia, o ka a-i puupuu aku imua o olua.”

Ia manawa koke no, pane mai ua mau wahi elemakule nei ia Kaleioku, “Aole a maua waiwai nui e paa’i ka hope o ke Alii, hookahi no a maua waiwai, o ka aina o Hawaii nei a puni, no ke Alii no Umi.” I aku o Kaleioku ia laua, “Aole paha e lilo ka aina ia Umi, ke ike ae la no olua, aole he nui o na kanaka. Ina paha e kaua, make paha ia Hakau, i ka mea nui o na kanaka; no ka mea, no Hakau wale no a puni o Hawaii nei.” I mai na wahi elemakule ia Kaleioku, “Ua make o Hakau, aole ia e ola, aia i ka la e kauila ai o ke akua, o ka la ia ona e make ai, aole e pakele. Na maua no e hoolale i na kanaka e pii a pau i kuahiwi, koe iho ke Alii hookahi, a me kona a-i puupuu, o maua no hoi, aha wale iho no makou e koe, ia la, make ia.”

Alaila, akaka ae la ia Kaleioku ka mea e make ai o Hakau, aole e eha ka ili, ua oluolu like ia i ko lakou manao. Noho iho la ua mau wahi elemakule nei, a liuliu, ua like paha me akahi malama. I ka la a laua nei i hoomakaukau ai e hoi i Waipio, kauoha laua nei ia Kaleioku, me Umi, a me na kanaka a pau loa o laua, e pepehi ia Hakau. “Ke hoi nei maua i keia la, a moe maua i ke alanui, elima paha la, i ke ono paha, hiki maua ilalo o Waipio. E noho oukou a hiki i na la o Ole ma, a me na Kaloa; no ka mea, ekolu Ole, ekolu Kanaloa, aono la a oukou e hele ai. A hiki i ka la o Kane, noho oukou iluna o Waipio, a i kekahi la ae, oia ka la o Lono, ka la ia e kauila huluhulu ai, make o Hakau ia la.” Ua hooholo like ia e ko lakou manao.

Hoi ua mau wahi elemakule nei, a hiki ilalo o Waipio, o ke ono ia o ka la. Hiki laua imua o ke alo o ko laua Haku, mama aku o Hakau ia laua, “Mama ka Hilo.” “Anoai wale e ka Haku o maua.” O kela huaolelo, anoai he aloha imua o ke Alii, ninau mai ke Alii ia laua, “Ua ike aku nei olua ia Umi?” Ae aku la laua. “Ae, ua ike aku nei maua.” Ninau hou ke Alii ia laua, “Pehea kona noho ana?” “Ke noho la no me kona kahu a kakou i lohe iho nei, me Kaleioku.” “O ko maua mea ia i hoi koke mai nei, e pono paha e kauila ko akua.” Kahaha mai ke Alii. “Kahaha! kainoa aia a hoonene kaua, alaila, kauila ke akua, aole ka hoi he honene kaua, kauila e no ke akua; owau wale no hoi ke Alii.” I aku ua mau wahi elemakule nei. “Ua ike aku nei maua i na kanaka o ko kaikaina, o Umi, ua nui loa, e noho mai paha auanei, a kipi mai ia oe, nolaila, pulapula ko maua mau maka. Eia ka wa pono, oi uuku kona mau kanaka.” Ua oluolu ia i ko ke Alii manao, pau ae la kona naau kahaha, manao iho la ke Alii, he oiaio ka na wahi elemakule.

Hiki i na la o Ole, hele mai o Umi, Kaleioku, a me na kanaka o laua a pau loa, aole kanaka noho iho i keia hele ana. A hala na la o Ole ia lakou nei i ke alanui, hele mai no lakou nei o na la o Kaloa, a pau na la o Kaloa, hiki lakou nei i Kemamo, e kupono ana ma Waipio. Noho lakou nei ma ia wahi.

(Aole i pau)

Chapter V.

This is the reason for the constant questioning of those old men. They were wanting to see ʻUmi, and they were thinking, they wouldn’t be able to see him at night. The old men told Kaleiokū, “Will we not see your hānai, oh Kaleiokū, until the very dark of night?” Kaleiokū then responded to them, “Did you two not see the man who was staying here?!” The old men then said, “The man who was staying here?” Kaleiokū nodded before them, “Yes, that was was him.” The old men again responded to Kaleiokū, “The ʻāʻīpuʻupuʻu [steward] who prepared our food?” Kaleiokū nodded again, “Yes, I was the one who placed him here, so that he would be the one to prepare the food before the two of you.” The thoughts of those old men became those of shock, and they lowered their heads down, with great remorse in their naʻau. When they raised their heads again, they responded to Kaleiokū, “There is nothing to conceal this shame.” Then Kaleiokū said to those old men, “Is this such a great Aliʻi that I should honor him as such? He is but a poor chief, and his wealth is the service he has provided for the two of you.”

Just then, the old men responded to Kaleiokū, “We have nothing of worth to give in return to the Aliʻi. We have but one thing of worth—the ʻāina of all of Hawaiʻi—and it shall be for the Aliʻi, ʻUmi.” Kaleiokū responded to them, “The ʻāina may not come under ʻUmi’s control, as you two can see, there are not many people here with us. If battle was to ensue, we would likely be killed by Hakau and his many people, because Hakau’s domain extends all around this island of Hawaiʻi.” The old men then said to Hakau, “Hakau will die. He will not live. On the day the akua is ceremonially readorned with feathers, that is the day he will die. There shall be no escape. We will hasten the people to ascend to the uplands, and only the Aliʻi and his ʻāʻīpuʻupuʻu [attendant] will remain. We will then gather with those who remain, and that is when he will die.”

And then it became clear to Kaleioku how Hakau would be killed. They were all of the same mind; their skin would not be bruised [in battle]. Those old men stayed there for some time, approximately one month. On the day that they prepared to return to Waipiʻo, they directed Kaleiokū and ʻUmi, and all of their people, to kill Hakau. “We are returning today, and will rest along the pathway for five days perhaps. On the sixth, we will arrive back at Waipiʻo. Remain here until the days of the ʻOle and Kāloa moons; because there are three ʻOle [moons] and three Kanaloa [moons], and these are the six days you will be traveling. When the day of Kāne arrives, stay above Waipiʻo, and on the next day, the day of Lono, the day that the akua will be refeathered, that is the day that Hakau will die.” Their thoughts were all in agreement.

The old men returned and reached the bottom of Waipiʻo on the sixth day of their travels. When they arrived before their chief, Hakau said to them, “Māmā ka Hilo [“Hilo is light,” an exclamation of good travels.].” “ʻAnoʻai, greetings to you, chief of ours.” That word, “ʻanoʻai,” is an expression of aloha before a chief. The chief then asked of them, “Did you two see ʻUmi?” They both nodded, “Yes, we did see him.” Then the chief asked of them again, “How is he living?” [They responded] “He is living with his guardian, Kaleiokū, as we had heard. That is the reason that we returned immediately. It is perhaps time to readorn your akua with feathers.” Surprised, the aliʻi gasped, “Kahaha! I thought only when war is being made that the akua is refeathered. This is not a time of war. The akua has already been adorned with feathers; I am the only chief.” The old men then said to him, “We have seen the people with your younger brother, ʻUmi. They are great in number, and they will perhaps rebel against you. Therefore, our eyes have been angered. This is the right time to act, as his people are still small enough in number.” And with that the chief’s thoughts were in agreement. He was no longer surprised. The chief belived that that old men were telling the truth.

When the days of the ʻOle [moons] arrived, ʻUmi, Kaleiokū, and all their people began their travels. No one stayed back on this journey. As the days of ʻOle passed, they continued along the path, and then as the days of Kāloa passed, they arrived at Kemamo, directly above Waipiʻo. And at that place they waited.

(To be continued)

Kākau ʻia e J. H. Z. Kalunaaina, Mal. 8, 1862
Hoʻopuka hou ʻia a ʻunuhi ʻia e Kealaulili

Written by J. H. Z. Kalunaaina, Mar. 8, 1862
Republished and translated by Kealaulili

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He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

He Moʻolelo no ʻUmi: Kekahi Aliʻi Kaulana o Ko Hawaiʻi Nei Pae ʻĀina.

A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

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Kealaulili, Mea Kākau

Haley Kailiehu, Artist

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