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

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

Nā pali o Kealakaha. The cliffs of Kealakaha. Photo by N. Peralto, 2014.

E nā hoa heluhelu o ke ala ʻūlili, eia nō hoʻi kēia wahi mea kākau ke hoʻomau aku nei i ko kākou moʻolelo no ke aliʻi kaulana o Hawaiʻi, no ʻUmi.

Oh reading companions of the steep trails, here this humble writer continues our moʻolelo for the famous aliʻi of Hawaiʻi, ʻUmi.

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Helu I. (Hoʻomau ʻia)

Illustration by Haley Kailiehu, 2014.

Alaila, ike aku la o Liloa, he wahine maikai ia, a makemake ia ia. A launa kino iho la laua, a hapai o Akahiakuleana. Alaila, ninau aku o Liloa ia ia, "Nawai oe? Owai kou inoa?" Hai mai kela, "O Akahiakuleana wau; Kuleanakupiko koʻu makua." I aku la o Liloa, "He kaikuahine paha oe no'u." I mai la kela, "Ae paha."
               
Alaila, kauoha aku o Liloa ia ia no ke keiki, "Ina i hanau ke keiki a kaua he kaikamahine, ea, e kapa oe ma kou aoao, aka, i hanau mai he keiki kane, ea, e kapa iho oe i kona inoa o Umi." I mai la o Akahiakuleana, "Heaha, la auanei ka hoailona e akaka ai keia keiki nau na ke alii."
                
Alaila, haawi mai la o Liloa i kona malo, a me kona niho palaoa, a me ka laau palau me ka i aku," Eia ka hoailona o ka kaua keiki, a me kona wa e nui ai, e haawi aku oe i keia mau mea nona." Alaila, ae o Akahiakuleana, i ka Liloa kauoha, a haawi ae la o Akahiakuleana na kana kauwa wahine e malama i keia mau hoailona a Liloa i haawi aku ai no ua keiki la. Alaila, hele aku o Liloa a hipuupuu i ka lauki i malo nona iho, a hume o Liloa i ka malo lauki.
                
A i kona hoi ana aku i kona hale noho, ike mai la kona poe kanaka ia ia he lauki kona malo, aole ia o kona malo maoli, i mai la lakou ia ia, "Aia hoi, ua hehena o Liloa, aole ia o kona malo maoli! Aia hoi, he lauki kona malo!"
                
Noho iho la o Liloa malaila, a i ka pau ana ae o ka hoomahanahana o kona heiau, alaila, hoi oia i Waipio, i kona wahi i noho mua ai. A mahope iho o ia mau la, hapai ae la o Akahiakuleana ia Umi, manao ke kane maoli a Akahiakuleana nana keia keiki, aole oia i ike na Liloa ke keiki. 

A hiki i ka wa i hanau ai ua keiki la, kapa iho la ka makuahine i kona inoa o Umi, mamuli o ka Liloa kapa ana i ko Umi wa i ko ai na Liloa. A hanai ia iho la o ua Umi nei a hiki i ka wa i nui ai. Eia kekahi mea i oleloia no Umi. I ka wa i hele ai kona makuakane (ke kane a Akahiakuleana,) i ka mahiai, a hoi mai ia, ua pau ka ai ia Umi, pepehi iho la oia ia Umi. A pela no o Umi i pepehi ia'i e ka makua, ke pau ka ai, a me ka ia, kela mea keia mea, ua manao nui oia nana ke keiki, kaumaha loa o Umi, a me kona makuahine i ko Umi pepehiia. Nolaila, ninau malu o Umi i kona makuahine, "Aole anei o'u makuakane e ae? O keia makua wale no anei?"
                
Hai mai o Akahiakuleana, "He makuakane kou, aia ma Waipio, o Liloa kona inoa," i aku o Umi, " E hele paha au i ko'u makua," i mai kona makuahine, "Ae, e hele oe." A i kekahi la pau ai ka ai ia Umi, pepehi hou ka makua ia Umi, alaila, i aku la o Akahiakuleana, "E kuu kane, aole nau ke keiki au e pepehi mai nei." Huhu mai la ua kane la, me ka olelo pakike mai," Nawai kau keiki, na Liloa anei?" I aku o Akahiakuleana. "Ae, na Liloa ka'u keiki." I mai ua kane la, "Auhea la auanei ka hoailona no ke keiki e lilo ai na Liloa ka'u keiki mailoko mai ou ka'u wahine." Kahea aku o Akahiakuleana i kana kauwa wahine, e lawe mai i na mea a Liloa i waiho ai no Umi. I aku la o Akahiakuleana i kana kane, "Ke ike pono nei oe i ka makua o ke keiki," a ike oia, aole nana ke keiki.
                
A mahope iho o keia olelo ana, aoao pono mai o Akahiakuleana ia Umi, no kona hele ana ma Waipio, io Liloa la. Hoohume aku ia i ko Liloa malo ia Umi, hoolei aku i ka palaoa ia Umi, a me ka laau palau. Alaila, aoao pono oia ia Umi, "Ke iho nei oe i Waipio, i kou hiki ana ilalo o ka pali, a hele aku oe a au ae ma kela aoao o ka muliwai, a ike aku oe i ka hale e huli mai ana kona alo i kou alo, oia no ko Liloa hale ponoi."
                
Mai komo oe ma ka puka pa; aka, e pii aku oe maluna o ua pa la, mai komo oe iloko ma ka puka maoli; aka, e komo ae ma ka pa.
                
"Ina i ike oe i ka elemakule e kahili ia ana, ea, oia no kou makua; e pii oe a noho maluna o kona uha. Ina e ninau oia i kou inoa, ea, e hai aku oe, o Umi ko'u inoa,"
                
Ae aku o Umi i ke kauoha a kona makuahine, kena aku o Akahiakuleana ia Omaokamau, e hele pu no me Umi. Haawi ae la o Akahiakuleana i ka Liloa laau palau ia Omaokamau me ka i aku, "E malama oe i ka laau a Liloa."
                
A pau keia olelo ana, hele laua, o laua wale no, aohe mea e ae. A hiki laua ma Keahakea, loaa ia laua kekahi keiki o Piimaiwaa kona inoa, ninau mai oia ia laua, "E hele ana olua i hea?" I aku la laua i Waipio. I aku o Umi ia Piimaiwaa, "I keiki hookama oe, e hele kakou i Waipio." Ae mai mai [sic] la o Piimaiwaa, a hele pu lakou. A i ko lakou hiki ana aku i Waipio, ma Koaekea lakou i iho ai, a hiki lakou malalo o ka pali, au aku la lakou a pae ma o o ka muliwai o Wailoa. I ko lakou pae ana ma o, ike aku la lakou i ko Liloa hale e ku ana i Haunokamaahala, e huli pono mai ana ka puka o ua hale la imua o ko lakou alo.

I ko lakou kokoke ana aku i ua hale la, kauoha mai o Umi ia laua, "E noho olua maanei, e hele au io Liloa la. E kakali olua ia'u; ina i hele au a i make au, e hoi olua ma kahi a kakou i hele mai nei; aka, i hoi ola mai au, ola hoi kakou." A pau kana olelo ana, hele aku la o Umi.

(Aole i pau)

Kākau ʻia e Simeon Keliikaapuni, Ian. 25, 1862
Hoʻopuka hou ʻia a ʻunuhi ʻia e Kealaulili

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Chapter I. (Cont'd)

Then, Līloa saw that she was a beautiful woman, and desired her. They become accustomed with eachother's bodies, and Akahiakuleana became pregnant. Then, Līloa asked of her, "From whom are you? What is your name?" She responded, "I am Akahiakuleana. Kuleanakupiko is my father." Līloa then said, "You are perhaps a "sister" of mine." And she responded, "Perhaps, yes."

Then Līloa gave his command to her regarding the child [she carried], "If the child of ours is born a girl, name her for your side, but if a boy is born, then give him his name, ʻUmi." Akahiakuleana then said, "What then are the symbols that will make clear that this child is yours, the chief's?"

Līloa then gave her his malo, his whale tooth pendant, and his war club, stating, "Here are the symbols for our child, and when he comes of age, give these things to him." Akahiakuleana agreed to this command of Līloa, and she gave to her servant these symbols of Līloa to care for them for their child. Līloa then went on to tie together ti leaves as a malo, and Līloa girded his ti leaf malo.

When he returned to his resting house, his people saw him and noticed that his malo was made of ti leaves. It was not his real malo. They said to him, "There [he is], Līloa has gone insane! That is not his true malo! His malo is made of ti leaves!"

Līloa stayed there [at Koholālele], and waited for the hoʻomāhanahana kapu of his heiau [Manini] to be completed. He then returned to Waipiʻo, where he primarily lived. After those days passed, Akahiakuleana carried ʻUmi [in her womb], and her true kāne came to believe the child was his. He did not know that the child was Līloa's.

When the time came that the child was born, his mother named him ʻUmi, because of Līloa's naming [of the child] when ʻUmi was conceived by Līloa. And ʻUmi was fed and raised until he grew big. Here is something that is said about ʻUmi. During the time in which his father (the kāne of Akahiakuleana) would be farming, the food would be completely finished by ʻUmi, and when his father returned, he would beat ʻUmi. And that is how ʻUmi was beaten by his father; when the food and the fish, each and every thing, was finished, he thought the child was his, and ʻUmi was greatly burdened, as was his mother, by ʻUmi's beatings. Therefore, ʻUmi asked of his mother, "Do I not have another father? Is this my only father?"

Akahiakuleana responded, "You have a father at Waipiʻo. His name is Līloa." ʻUmi then stated, "Perhaps I should go to my father," and his mother responded, "Yes, you should go." When another day came that the food was finished by ʻUmi, and his father beat him again, Akahiakuleana told him, "Oh my kāne, the child you are beating is not yours." Her kāne was furious, and rudely answered her, "Whose is the child? Is he perhaps Liloa's?" Akahiakuleana responded, "Yes, my child is Līloa's." Her kāne then said, "Where are the symbols to show that my child born from within you, my wahine, is indeed Līloa's?" Akahiakuleana called to her wahine servant to bring the things that Līloa had left for ʻUmi. Akahiakuleana then said to her kāne, "Now you can see who the father of this child is," and he did see, indeed, the child was not his.

After this conversation had occurred, Akahiakuleana advised ʻUmi in the proper way to travel to Waipiʻo, to see Līloa. ʻUmi then girded Līloa's malo, and wore his whale tooth necklace and grasped his lāʻau pālau (war club). Then, she advised ʻUmi as such, "When you descend in to Waipiʻo and arrive at the bottom of the cliff, go and swim across that side of the river, and you will see the house facing directly towards you. That is the true house of Līloa. 

Do not enter through the main entrance to the corridor. Rather, climb over the wall. Do not go through the main entrance, but enter on the wall. 

If you see an old man surrounded by kāhili (feather standards), that is your father. Go and climb on to his lap, and if he asks you of your name, tell him, 'My name is ʻUmi.'"

ʻUmi agreed to the advice of his mother, and Akahiakuleana commanded ʻŌmaʻokāmau to go along with ʻUmi. Akahiakuleana gave Līloa's lāʻau pālau (war club) to ʻŌmaʻokāmau, and told him, "Protect the war club of Līloa."

When this conversation had ended, they went, just the two of them, no others came along. Until they arrived at Keahakea. There they encountered a child named Piʻimaiwaʻa. He asked them, "Where are you two going?" They responded, "Waipiʻo." Then ʻUmi said to Piʻimaiwaʻa, "You will be a keiki hoʻokama (adopted child) of mine, and we will go to Waipiʻo." Piʻimaiwaʻa agreed and they continued on their way. When they arrived at Waipiʻo, they descended into the valley at Koaʻekea until they reached the bottom of the cliff. There they swam across the river of Wailoa. When they arrived at the other side, they saw the house of Līloa standing at Haunokamaahala, with its entrance facing directly towards them. 

As they approached the house, ʻUmi commanded the two others, "You two stay here. I will go to see Līloa. You two wait for me; if I go and am killed, you should return to where we came from; but, if I return to you alive, we will all live well." When his words were complete, ʻUmi proceeded onward.

(To be continued)

Written by Simeon Keliikaapuni, Jan. 25, 1862
Republished and translated by Kealaulili

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