8 Fascinating Hawaiian Legends That Few People Know

The Hawaiian Islands are surrounded by many beautiful legends – stories of gods and men, love and betrayal, goodness and evil. Some of these tales have been around for so long, that they are now deeply rooted into the Hawaiian culture. 

Like most indigenous people, Hawaiians explained everything through myths and folk tales of passion. Almost every place in Hawaii – waterfalls, mountains, caves, beaches – has a backstory that ties its name to the culture and the people who inhabited these islands centuries ago.

8 Fascinating Hawaiian Legends That You May Not Know

Some of Hawaii’s myths and legends are quite popular, while others are less known. So here are some of my favorite folk tales that make these islands even more fascinating:

The Love Story of Hiku and Kawelu

Those who visited Kauai can surely remember the grandiose beauty of the Waimea Canyon. One of the legends born in this area is the love story of Hiku and Kawelu. Hiku was born in the forests around Waimea Canyon.

One day he went to the beach and he met a beautiful girl named Kawelu. The two fell and in love and soon married. Hiku and Kawelu were happy together most of the time but, like all couples, they had arguments.

After one of these quarrels, Hiku got very upset. He left Kawelu alone and returned to the mountains. Heartbroken, Kawelu waited and waited for him, but he didn’t return. In desperation, she hung herself. (Ladies, please don’t follow her example if you find yourselves abandoned by your men!)

When Hiku found out what happened, he deeply regretted what he had done. He was ready to do everything he could to bring his wife back to life.

After talking with a priest, Hiku decided to risk his own life and go to Poe – the land of the dead – to bring Kawelu back. He twisted some strong vines into a long rope and descended into the valley of the Waimea Canyon (which by the way, is one of most beautiful hikes in Kauai). That was the place where the spirits of those who recently died were dwelling.

Deep into the abyss of Poe, he wandered around for days and days until he finally found Kawelu’s spirit. He told her how much he loved her needed her and begged her to return with him. He promised he would never leave her again and convinced her to get a hold of the rope.

Kawelu’s spirit touched the rope, thus returning into her body. The two lovers came up from the valley of the dead together and lived happily ever after. No wonder the story of  Hiku and Kawelu is one of the most beloved Hawaiian legends. Who doesn’t love a happy ending!

The Hawaiian Legend of Pele’s Curse

Another beautiful legend is that of Pele’s Curse. Pele was the Hawaiian goddess of fire, wind and lightning, who lived in the crated of Kilauea Volcano. She was famous for her bad temper that caused a lot of destruction.

According to the legend, Pele curses anyone who removes anything from the Hawaiian Islands. The jealous and arrogant goddess sees rocks, sand, or shells as her own children. Therefore, removing them is like stealing from Pele, which will incur years of bad luck.

Some people believe the myth of Pele’s Curse is actually an invention of the park rangers on the Big Island who got tired of visitors trying to take pieces of lava as souvenirs from Hawaii. But is the curse only a legend?

It seems that to this day, hundreds of pieces of lava rock are mailed back to Hawaii by those who claim they experienced a chain of misfortunes after removing them from the island.

The Hawaiian Legend of Naupaka Flower

Naupaka is a unique flower that grows only in Hawaii and no place else in the world. For this reason, this flower is tied to one of the most beloved legends of Hawaii.

What makes this flower unique is its appearance. It rather looks as a half-flower, with missing petals. What is also interesting is that this shrub grows both in the mountains and near the beach.

So how can this half-flower grow so well in two very different environments? Well, because there is a folk tale behind it.

The legend says that at the base of Makana Mountain, near the North Shore of Kauai, there was an old and prestigious hula school for boys and girls. The students had to obey very strict rules and protocols.

But two students – Nau and Paka – fell in love. According to the school rules, they couldn’t date each other so they were meeting only in secret.

One night the school master – evil Kilioe – heard the splashes of someone crossing the stream behind her house. She followed the sound of the footsteps and to her surprise and anger she discovered that Nau and Paka, were together.

The two lovers began running for their lives because they knew their punishment would be death.

Kilioe ran after them demanding that they stop, but the two continued to run. Reaching a cave near the beach, the young boy, Nau, told Paka to hide in there.

Trying to divert Kilo’s attention, he ran up the mountain. But Paka saw Kilioe running after Nau and feared for her lover’s life. She stepped out of her cave trying to block Kilo’s way, but she got killed on the spot.

Blinded by rage, Kilioe continued to run after Nau. She caught up with him high up on the mountain and killed him too. Man oh man, such a strong wahine, this Kilioe!

The next morning the people living nearby noticed that a new plant began growing from the sand where Paka died. It was a beautiful shrub, but the flowers had only half of the petals. That same flower began growing up in the mountains, where Nanau died.

The half flowers are a reminder that the two lovers are forever separated. They say that when one puts these two half-flowers together, they form a complete circle that allows Nau and Paka to be together for a brief moment.

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The Legend of the First “Lighthouse” in Hawaii

Long before the present day lighthouses were invented, Hawaiian people invented their own. An ancient legend says that hundreds of years ago in Hawaii lived a tribe of strong people called the Menehune. The Menehune fisherman would row all day far from the island, trying to catch some fish. Many times, if they had a bad day, they would row back to shore long after dark. But without a light they couldn’t find a safe place to land their canoes.

This happened night after night, until one cold night when the chief of the tribe was warming himself near the fire. His wife accidentally dropped a Kukui nut on the fire. Watching the Kukui nut burning, the chief came up with a bright idea! He would string a lot of kukui nuts like a lei, creating a long string of light.

This happened night after night, until one cold night when the chief of the tribe was warming himself near the fire. His wife accidentally dropped a Kukui nut on the fire. Watching the Kukui nut burning, the chief came up with a bright idea! He would string a lot of kukui nuts like a lei, creating a long string of light.

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The Legend of the Long-Lasting Peace in Kauai

This legend comes from a time when each island of Hawaii had its own chief ruler. The chiefs were constantly at war with each other, trying to conquer more territories for themselves. But while the neighboring islands were thorn by wars, Kauai managed somehow to keep its peace and independence for more than 500 years. How was that possible?

Legend has it that this long period of peace started in the 14th century with king Kukona. During his reign, all the other Hawaiian Islands had been conquered by an ambitious chief from the Big Island.  

Eventually, the Big Island’s chief set his eye on Kauai as well and tried to attack the island. King Kukona fought bravely, defeating his attackers. In the battle he managed to take captive not only the chief of the Big Island, but also all the other islands’ chiefs who joined him in the attack. Instead of killing them however, Kukona decided to take them for a walk around his beautiful island. Hmmm, maybe he was trying to make them even angrier for loosing the battle.

How Kukona Fooled His Enemies

After walking for a while, King Kukona decided to stop around the area that is today Koke’e Park. While resting under a tree, he fell asleep. Seeing an opportunity for revenge, the captured chiefs plotted to kill him in his sleep. But the chief of Maui objected, reminding them that King Kukona spared their lives when he could have killed them.

Just at that moment, King Kukona woke up and told them he was just pretending to be asleep and overheard everything they plotted. But again he decided to spared the lives of his captives on one condition: neither them nor their descendants would ever attack Kauai ever again.

Relieved that they escaped death a second time, the chiefs agreed and swore with a solemn vow to keep their promise. They even raised a small monument as a reminder of their oath. The legend says that because of their promise Kauai remained an independent state for over 500 years.

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The Legend of Haleakala (House of the Sun)

Haleakala (House of the Sun in Hawaiian) received its name from a legend. Legend has it that on the Big Island of Hawaii lived a mischievous demigod called Maui and his mother, Hina. Their daily activities depended on La, the Sun God, who decided when there was darkness or light. Unfortunately, La was a lazy god who often slept in, leaving all the islands without sunlight.

One day Hina who worked hard the whole night to wash some cloths, needed to dry them in the sun. But lazy La was sleeping late. Hina was unable to dry her cloths, so she complained to Maui, her son, who decided to do something about it.

Maui made a long, strong rope out of coconut fiber and climbed in darkness to the top of Haleakala crater. When La finally appeared, Maui lassoed the god and tied him to a nearby tree. Trapped and helpless, La begged to be released. But Maui wasn’t going to let him go without bargaining. So he demanded more light every day in exchange for La’s freedom. The Sun God had to make the deal and keep his promise.

Since then, the Hawaiian Islands received more sunlight and Haleakala became a sacred place of the gods. So if you are in Maui, make sure you go atop the mountain to watch the sunrise at Haleakala.

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The Legend of Wai’anapanapa Cave

The beautiful Wai’anapanapa cave is located next to one of the most beautiful black sand beaches in Maui – Honokalani. Definitely a place worth adding to your itinerary when planning a romantic Maui getaway!

The legend says that once upon a time a Hawaiian princess names Popoalaea fled from her cruel husband, the Chief Ka’akea. She hid on a ledge, just inside the underwater entrance to a cave.

Her beautiful maid sat across from her, fanning the princess with a feather kahili – symbol of royalty. Noticing the reflection of the kahili in the water, the Chief Ka’akea discovered Popoalaea’s hiding place and killed her.

Since then, at certain times of the year, tiny red shrimp appear in the pool turning the water red. A sad reminder of the blood of the slain princess.

The Legend of the Iao Needle

According to Hawaiian legend “Iao” was the name of the beautiful daughter of the god Maui. Puuokamoa, a half-fish-half man, was the only one who dared approach her. As the two began seeing each other more often, Iao fell in love with Puuokamoa.

When Maui found out about the unsuitable suitor, he got very angry and ordered the capture of Puuokamoa with the intention of burning him alive. But Puuokamoa’s friend Pele, the goddess of fire, convinced Maui to turn him into a pillar of stone instead. 

So now the Iao Needle stands as a monument to love.

Aren’t Hawaiian legends fascinating? I challenge you find another state with as many incredible myths and legends as Hawaii!

Planning a trip to Hawaii? You may also like these:

• The Best Places to Eat on Maui Island in 2021
• Kauai Vs Maui – Which Island Is the Best Choice for You?
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• 30 Amazing Pictures of Hawaii to Inspire You to Visit the Islands
• Best Beaches in Kauai – How to Find Your Perfect Beach