Kaupo natives of old frequently served as sources for Hawaiian history and culture. Their wisdom is dotted throughout museum archives, historical newspapers and radio program collections.
But other information remains concealed in family records. This includes a legend about the shark gods Kanekokala and Kanewahine in the personal files of Kaupo resident Joseph Marciel (1882-1949).
For the benefit of those today and in the future, this article provides the original legend as written in Hawaiian and an English translation. But first, some background.
About Marciel's text
In 1922, Joseph Marciel guided Bishop Museum staff Kenneth Emory and Thomas Maunupau around Kaupo. These museum representatives gave Marciel a "Bishop Museum field book", a small notebook filled with graph paper.
It is in this field book that Marciel recorded the legend of Kanekokala and Kanewahine in the Hawaiian language. The first two pages of the field book contain a prayer to the pig god Kamapuaa that Marciel recorded on May 9, 1922. Marciel passed the Kamapuaa prayer on to Maunupau and Emory, and Maunupau published this prayer in Nupepa Kuokoa.
The legend of Kanekokala and Kanewahine immediately follows the Kamapuaa prayer in the field book and consists of eight pages. This legend is undated, but Marciel likely recorded it after Emory and Maunupau left Kaupo, since Maunupau did not mention it in his writings.
A summary of Marciel's version of the legend of Kanekokala and Kanewahine is as follows:
A man named Hulilua lives in the uplands of Kahikinui, Maui with his sister Naheana. Because they lack an aumakua, or a guardian spirit, they decide to provide offerings to obtain one. To this end, Hulilua repeatedly places food offerings in a cave by the shore. At the same time, the shark gods Kanekokala and Kanewahine, also brother and sister, are swimming around Maui. In Kahikinui, Kanewahine is hungry, so Kanekokala tells her to go to the uplands because there is a person with food there. Kanewahine does this and meets Hulilua and Naheana. Kanewahine tells Hulilua to prepare the offerings again and take them to the shore to give to Kanekokala in order to secure Kanekokala's protection as an aumakua. Hulilua does this. Afterward Kanewahine turns into a human woman and marries Hulilua.
The legend ends with Marciel recounting the descendants of Kanewahine and Hulilua down to Marciel's current time of the 1920s. These descendants included two great-great-grandsons living in Kaupo: John Kawaakoa and Scott Hai. Kawaakoa, a legislator, and Hai, a songwriter, were also teammates with Marciel on Kaupo's baseball team. In addition, Kawaakoa was the one who provided the Kamapuaa prayer mentioned above that Marciel passed on to the visiting Bishop Museum researchers in 1922. A third great-great-grandson, James Kawai, appears on this site in an obituary for his daughter.
As an estimated chronology, Kawaakoa was born in 1869 and Hai in 1873, to two different great-grandsons of Kanewahine. Hence, assuming 20 years between generations would date the events of the legend of Kanekokala and Kanewahine to around the 1790s.
Other historical references
Apart from Marciel's account, there are other references to Kanekokala and Kanewahine in historical records.
In 1870, historian Samuel Kamakau provided a list of aumakua, including Kanekokala, in an article in Ke Au Okoa.
Separately, in 1907, antiquarian Joseph Swift Emerson spoke with a Honolulu police officer named Edward William Kawaiaea, who was born in Kaupo in the 1860s. Emerson gathered the following information from Kawaiaea that matches Marciel's account:
"Kane-kokala and his sister, Kane-wahine, lived at Kahikinui, Maui. They went together around Maui, the brother grew hungry and the sister went for food."
Finally, in 1906, Bishop Museum obtained an ancient stone statue of Kanekokala (also called Kaneikokala) that is still on display.
Marciel's original Hawaiian text
As previously mentioned, Marciel's account of the legend of Kanekokala and Kanewahine spans eight pages of the Bishop Museum field book.
Marciel had a distinct writing style that affects readability. For one, neighboring particles are often joined into one word (e.g., "oka" instead of "o ka"). In addition, paragraph breaks are rare. Despite these characteristics, Marciel's text is presented here as written, without modification.
Moolelo Kuauhau Pilikoko o Kanewahine kaikuahine Mano o Kanekokala Mano ame Hulilua (K) o Kahikinui O Kanekokala (K) ame Kanewahine (W) he mau mano keia o ka hele ana mai mai Tahiti mai ai ko laua hoea ana mai i Hawaii nei, ua kaahele aela laua ia Maui, ai ko laua hoea ana mawaena o Hana ame Kipahulu i kahi e kapa ia nei o Wailua, ua olelo akula o Kanewahine ia Kanekokala, Eia nei! pololi maoli au, a pane mai la nohoi o Kanekokala e hoomanawanui ei aku ka ai i mua a hoomaka mai la nohoi ko laua nei hele ana a kaa pono mawaho o Kaupo i kahi e kapa ia nei o Waiuha, a olelo hou no o Kanewahine ia Kanekokala i ka nui o kona pololi, a pane hou nohoi o Kanekokala e hoomanawanui ua kokoke hoi kaua i kahi o ka ai a hoomau mai la no ka laua nei hele ana a hiki i Kapulou ma Kahikinui i kahi e kapa ia nei o Alena, ia hoea ana o laua nei ilaila pane aku nei o Kanekokala ia Kanewahine ae ia ka ai a kauoha aku nei o Kanekokala ia Kanewahine e pii oe iuka e noi ai i ka mea nana kaai, ae noho hoi au. A hoomaka nohoi o Kanewahine e pii i kahi oka mea nana ka ai ma ke kino wahine maoli, maanei e haalele kaua ia Kanewahine e pii ana i kahi oka mea nana kaai, ae hoihoi ae kaua e ka mea heluhelu ika moolelo ma ka mea nana kaai. E noho ana i Nakaohu, ma Kahikinui o Hulilua (K) ame kona kaikuahine o Naheana (W) ua make mua ko laua mau makua a noho kokoolua wale iho la no laua. I keia noho ana a laua nei a hala kekahi manawa loihi mahope mai, ua kamailio aku la ke kaikunane ike kaikuahine, Eia nei! ke noho wale nei no kaua aohe o kaua Akua, a hoomaka laua nei e noonoo pehea la laua e hana ai i loaa ko laua Akua, a mahope oka laua noonoo akahele ana, ua hoao ke kaikunane e lawe ina mea ana e mohi ana i laa ka maia, ke Ko, ka Awa, ame kekahi mau mea ana i manao ai he mea pono ia ke lawe ia. I kona lawe ana i keia mau mea a hiki i kahakai kau aela oia i loko oke ana, he ano mamao iki mai ia mai ke kai mai, kau keia mau mea malaila a hiki ika pau ana ika helelei, lawe aku ana no elima manawa oko Hulilua hoomau ana ia hana a hoea keia mau mano maia wahi, kahi e hoolulu ia ana keia mau mea. Oka hana a keia kanaka o Hulilua he mahiai e like no meka hoohana ona kanaka oia au, ao ke kaikuahine hoi o Naheana he kuku kapa, ulana moena ame na hana no apau e pili ana ika nohona home ana. I kekahi la ala ae nei o Hulilua a hele ika mahiai aole no i mamao loa aku mai ko laua nei wahi hale aku, a noho nohoi o Naheana i ka hale i ka manawa kakahiaka mua no keia ike aku nei o Naheana i keia wahine malihini e pii mai ana mako laua nei wahi hale, ai ka hoea ana mai. Aloha mai nei kela ia Naheana a pela nohoi keia i panai aku ai, kono akunei o Naheana ika wahine malihini e komo mai oe maloko nei, mai hoomenemene oe, hoole nohoi kela aole palua a pakolu nohoi kaia nei koi ana palua, a pakolu nohoi kai ala hoole ana. A ninau aku nei o Naheana, Ea! Malihini oe! ae malihini au. A ma hea mai nei oe, pane nohoi kela, malalo mai nei au au, hoole o Naheana, a pane aku la, aohe he wahine malalo aku nei e like me oe, pela ka Naheana ninaninau ana a hiki iko Kanewahine olelo ana mai, mai makai mai oia a akahi no a hooia aku o Naheana, me kona i pii ana aku ua puni keia wahi iau a ua kamaaina nohoi au, aole he wahine o neia wahi e like me oe. A ma makai mai oe he mea pololei paha ia. A ninau aku nei o Kanewahine ia Naheana, Ea! nowai hoi kela mau mea e kau ala i kai, komo koke iho la ka manao i loko a Naheana he Akua ka paha keia wahine a pane aku la keia na kou kaikunane ia mau mea, a oia i hea aku nei kou kaikunane, a pane aku la o Naheana aia aku la mauka ala ika mahiai i kahea aku ai iaia e hoi mai, ae lawe mai hoi ina mea apau, kahea aku nei o Naheana i ke kaikunane e hoi mai, ae lawe mai ina mea apau, ia hoi ana mai o Hulilua lawe mai nei oia ina mea apau ka maia, ke Ko, ka awa ame na mea no apau a hoea ana keia i ka hale. I kona hoea ana i ka hale e noho mai ana keia wahine malihini ui a aloha aku nei keia a aloha mai la nohoi kela, a koi aku nei keia e komo mai maloko nei, mai hoomenemene oe, hoole nohoi kela aole mawaho nei noho au a ko kuu Kanawai alaila au komo aku iloko ia manawa pane aku nei ka wahine malihini ia Hulilua ika loaa ko Akua, kamailio aku nei o Kanewahine ia Hulilua e kalua ka puaa, mama ka awa a hoomakaukau na mea apau, a hoomakaukau nohoi o Hulilua ina mea apau, ai ka makaukau ana ona mea apau i mai nei o Kanewahine ia Hulilua penei e lawe oe i keia mau mea apau ikai e hoolohe apono nae oe i lawe oe a hiki i kai ai ike oe i kekahi mano nui mai makau oe, o kou kaikunane noia oia o Kanekokala, ahiki oe ilalo he wahi kaheka ia ai pii mai kuu kaikunane o kau ke poo iloko o kaheka a hamama mai ka waha mai makau oe e kahu aku oe i keia mau mea apau loa a huli mai oe hoi me kou nana ole i hope a hiki i ka hale nei ai mana ka hoi oe i hope loaa ole ko Akua. Ua hooko o Hulilua ina mea apau a Kanewahine i kuhikuhi mai ai iaia nei. I ko Hulilua lawe ana i keia mau mea a hiki i kai ike aku nei keia, i keia mano a kana ole mai oka nui lawe aku nei keia a hiki i kahakai a pii mai nei ke poo oia mano nei o kau i kaheka a kokee aku nei keia ina mea apau loa ana i lawe mai ai, a huli nohoi keia hoi pololei a hiki ika hale me ko ia nei nana ole i hope, ai ko ia nei hoea ana ika hale ua pane mai la o Kanewahine. E! ua loaa ko Akua noka mea ua hooko pono oe ina mea apau me ka pololei, a akahi au a komo iloko oka hale o olua, ua noa kuu Kanawai i kona komo ana i loko o ke hale ua pau kela ano Akua ona a lilo loa aela ona he wahine kanaka maoli a noho a kane a wahine i hola laua, i keia noho ana o laua a hala kekahi manawa loihi ua hookauhua o Kanewahine ai kona hanau ana mai he kaikamahine ahea ia kona inoa o Kaohu oia noho lakou nei o Kaohu ua noho kane a wahine aela laua o Haole no Kau, Hawaii mai keia kanaka anoho ia Kipahulu he kahu aina. I kona hele ana i Kahikinui loaa o Kaohu iaia o hoao laua ia noho ana alaua a hapai o Kaohu ai kona hanau ana mai he kaikamahine ahea ia kona inoa o Kamalolo ia noho hou ana o Kaohu a hanau mai ke kaikamahine hou no a hea ia kona inoa o Kaniho. Oia noho lakou nei a mea o Kamalolo hoao laua me Kailoiloi no Kahikinui no keia kanaka mai loko mai o Kamalolo (W) ame Kailoiloi (K) i puka mai ai he 7 alaua mau keiki oia o 1. Pau (K) 2. Kapohaku (W) 3. He wahine ua make ua poina ka inoa oia huli mao a maanei aole he loaa iki ua palaka loa. 4. Aea (W) 5. Kealo (K) 6. Mahoa (W) 7. Nakaikuaena W. ma keia wahi he mea pono e hele ka moolelo make ano pololei oia hoi ka hanauna o Kamalolo (W) ame Kailoiloi (K) a oia a pau kona mookuahau alaila huli ae kaua ka mea heluhelu a nana iko Kauho (W) mookuauhau. 1. Pau (K) keiki mua o Kamalolo (W) ame Kailoiloi (K) noho ia Hoohamini (W) loaa mai o Olelo (K) Helekunihi (W) Keahonui (W) ua nui paha a manamana ikeia manawa 2. Kapohoku (W) aohe keiki 4. Aea (W) aohe keiki 5. Kealo (K) noho ia Kailikea (W) loaa mai Malie (W) ua make aohe ana keiki. 6. Mahoa noho ia Kawaiaia (K) loaa mai loko mai olaua he 5 keikikane o Kawaiaia Liilii (K) Naiwaiole (K) he noho keia no Honolulu ana make oia ikeia manawa Enoka (K) William (K) Sam Kekula (K). 7. Nakekuaana (W) noho ia Kamalu (K) loaa mai o Kumu (K) mai o Kumu aku ua nui a manamana i keia la. Noho hou o Nakekuaana (W) ia Pupuli (K) loaa mai o Kainea (W) a o Mrs. Lum Ho hoi makekahi kahea ana, Haena (W) ua make. Kale (K) ua make, mai loko mai o Mrs. Lum Ho ua nui ikeia manawa maanei pau ka mookuauhau o Kamalolo (W) ame Kailoiloi (K) ae huli ae hoi kaua eka mea heluhelu a nana iko Kaniho (W) mookuahau kaikaina hoi o Kamalolo. Kaniho (W) noho ia Wahinekuewa (K) no Kula keia kanaka puka mai loko mai o laua he 3 keikikane. 1. Kekolohe (K) 2. Keahi (K) 3. Kawai (K). 1. Kekolohe (K) noho ia Kamawae (W) loaa mai o Kaawana (W) Kamala (W) J W Kawaakoa (K) J W Kawaakoa (K) noho ia Maliana Kalani (W) ua nui a manamana ikeia la. 2. Keahi (K) aohe keiki. 3. Kawai (K) noho ia Hawaii (W) loaa mai mai loko mai laua he 3 keikikane ahe 1 kaimahine 1. Kukailani (K) 2. Scott Hai (K) 3. Mele (W) 4. Kawai (K). Scott Hai (K) noho ia Kekuihe (W) ua puka mai loko mai o laua na keiki he nui e ola nei i keia la Scott Hai (K) noho hou me Elizabeth Nani (W) ua nui a manamana ikeia la. O keia ka moolelo i loaa iau ma kou huli, a ninauninau ana mai ka poe i pili loa aku i keia moolelo a hiki ikeia la. JV Marciel
English translation
The following English translation of Marciel's account contains a number of changes to help the reader. One such modification is the addition of paragraph breaks. Additionally, pronouns have been replaced by names in instances that would cause confusion (e.g., two people of the same gender interacting).
Genealogical account of the shark Kanewahine (sister of the shark Kanekokala) and Hulilua (male) of Kahikinui Kanekokala (male) and Kanewahine (female) were sharks who came from Tahiti. When they arrived here in Hawaii, they traveled around Maui. When they arrived at a place between Hana and Kipahulu called Wailua, Kanewahine told Kanekokala, “I’m very hungry!” “Wait. The food is ahead,” Kanekokala replied. They continued on and passed a place in Kaupo called Waiuha. Kanewahine again told Kanekokala about her great hunger, and Kanekokala repeated his reply. “Wait. We are close to the place with the food.” They went on to Kapulou in Kahikinui, to the place called Alena. When they arrived there, Kanekokala told Kanewahine that it was time to eat. “Go upland and ask for food from the one who has it. I will stay here,” Kanekokala said to Kanewahine. Kanewahine, in the form of a woman’s body, began to go up to the place where the one with food resided. Reader, at this point, let’s leave Kanewahine as she climbs up to the place of the one with the food and turn to the story of the one with the food. Hulilua (male) was living at Nakaohu in Kahikinui with his sister Naheana (female). Their parents had already passed away and it was just the two of them living together. After they had been living on their own for a long time, the brother told his sister, “Hey, you and I are living on our own, without a god.” They began to ponder what they could do to secure a god for themselves. They thought carefully and determined that the brother should select offerings such as bananas, sugar cane, awa and other suitable items. He took these items to the shore and placed them in a cave a little ways from the ocean, where they eventually decomposed. Hulilua had done this five more times when the sharks arrived at the place where these things were being offered. Hulilua worked as a farmer, this being the primary occupation of people of that period. Naheana, his sister, would beat kapa cloth, plait bedding and perform other such domestic work. One day, Hulilua rose and went off to farm not far from their house while Naheana stayed home. While it was still early morning, Naheana saw an unfamiliar woman coming up to their house. When the woman arrived, she greeted Naheana, who did likewise. Naheana invited this female stranger to come inside, saying, “Don’t be shy.” The woman declined. Naheana asked again and then a third time. Again and again, the woman declined. “Are you a stranger?” Naheana asked. “Yes, I am,” Kanewahine replied. “Where are you from?” asked Naheana. “From down below you,” answered Kanewahine. “There’s no woman down there like you,” Naheana countered. Naheana continued her questioning until Kanewahine said that she was from the seaside. Naheana agreed that she had come up from there. “This is my place. I’m from here. There’s no woman here like you. It’s likely true that you are from the seaside,” Naheana said. “Whose things are those that have been left by the shore?” Kanewahine asked Naheana. The thought immediately occurred to Naheana that perhaps this woman was a god. “Those are my brother’s things,” she replied. “Where is your brother?” Kanewahine asked. “He has gone up to farm,” Naheana responded. “Call for him to return and bring everything,” said Kanewahine. Naheana called out to her brother, asking him to come back and bring everything with him. Hulilua returned home carrying with him all the items, the bananas, the sugar cane, the awa and so on. When he arrived at the house, he found a beautiful, unfamiliar woman. He greeted her, and she greeted him back. “Come inside,” he insisted. “Don’t be shy.” She declined. “No, I will stay outside until my customs have been followed. Only then will I enter.” Then the strange woman told Hulilua how to get the god he sought. “Roast the pig, chew the awa and prepare everything else,” Kanewahine said to Hulilua. Hulilua prepared all the items, and when everything was ready, Kanewahine told Hulilua, “You must take everything to the shore. But listen carefully. When you get to the ocean, you will see a giant shark. Have no fear. It is my brother, Kanekokala. There will be a tide pool when you get down there. My brother will emerge, lay his head in the tide pool and open his mouth. Don’t be afraid. Give him these offerings, then turn and leave without looking back until you get home. If you look back, you will not obtain your god.” Hulilua dutifully followed the instructions from Kanewahine. When Hulilua took the offerings to the shore, he saw an immense shark. He brought the items to the water, and the shark surfaced and put its head in the tide pool. Hulilua placed everything near the shark, then turned and went straight back to his house without looking back. When he arrived home, Kanewahine greeted him. “You have found your god since you have performed everything correctly! Now I may enter your home. My restriction has been lifted." When she entered the house, she gave up her supernatural form and changed into an ordinary woman. The two of them lived together as husband and wife. After they had been living together for a long time, Kanewahine became pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, who was named Kaohu. In time, Kaohu married Haole, a man from Kau, Hawaii who had been living in Kipahulu as a land caretaker. When he went to Kahikinui, Kaohu met him and they married. Kaohu became pregnant and had a daughter who was given the name Kamalolo. Kaohu became pregnant again and had another daughter, named Kaniho. Time passed, and Kamalolo married Kailoiloi, a man from Kahikinui. Kamalolo (female) and Kailoiloi (male) had seven children: 1. Pau (male) 2. Kapohaku (female) 3. A girl who died and whose name has been forgotten. Despite searching far and wide, nothing has been found. It has vanished. 4. Aea (female) 5. Kealo (male) 6. Mahoa (male) 7. Nakaikuaena (female). At this point it would be best for the account to proceed directly to the descendants of Kamalolo (female) and Kailoiloi (male). Reader, when this genealogy is complete, then you and I will turn to examine the genealogy of Kauho (female). 1. Pau (male), the firstborn of Kamalolo (female) and Kailoiloi (male), married Hoohamini (female) and had the children Olelo (male), Helekunihi (female) and Keahonui (female). Their offspring are numerous at this time. 2. Kapohoku (female), childless. 4. Aea (female), childless. 5. Kealo (male) married Kailikea (female) and had the child Malie (female), who died childless. 6. Mahoa married Kawaiaia (male) and had five sons: Kawaiaia Jr. (male); Naiwaiole (male), a resident of Honolulu who is now deceased; Enoka (male); William (male); and Sam Kekula (male). 7. Nakekuaana (female) married Kamalu (male) and had the child Kumu (male). Kumu’s offspring are numerous at this time. Nakekuaana (female) remarried Pupuli (male) and had the children Kainea (female), also known as Mrs. Lum Ho; Haena (female), deceased; and Kale (male), deceased. Mrs. Lum Ho’s offspring are numerous at this time. This concludes the genealogy of Kamalolo (female) and Kailoiloi (male). Reader, let’s turn and examine the genealogy of Kaniho (female), the younger sister of Kamalolo. Kaniho (female) married Wahinekuewa (male) of Kula. They had three sons: 1. Kekolohe (male). 2. Keahi (male). 3. Kawai (male). 1. Kekolohe (male) married Kamawae (female) and had the children Kaawana (female), Kamala (female) and J. W. Kawaakoa (male). J. W. Kawaakoa (male) married Maliana Kalani (female). Their offspring are numerous at this time. 2. Keahi (male), childless. 3. Kawai (male) married Hawaii (female) and had three sons and one daughter: 1. Kukailani (male). 2. Scott Hai (male). 3. Mele (female). 4. Kawai (male). Scott Hai (male) married Kekuihe (female). They had many children who are still living these days. Scott Hai (male) remarried Elizabeth Nani (female). Their offspring are numerous at this time. This is the account I have come by through my research and discussions with those in the current day who are connected with this story. J. V. Marciel.