Kaao no Keaweikekahialii

Legend of Keaweikekahialii.

Keaweikekahialii was born in Kailua, Kona Hawaii, during the reign of Keliiokaloa who was one time king of the whole of Hawaii. Keliiokaloa was a great king and had something like eight hundred chiefs under him. Amongst these chiefs was one, Kalapanakuioiomoa, the progenitor of the kings of Hawaii. Keaweikekahialii had an attendant by the name of Mao, who was a man of great learning. His chief ambition was the study of how his charge was to get control of the government, and in some way become the king of Hawaii.

O Kailua i Kona, Hawaii, ka aina hanau o Keaweikekahialii, i ka wa e noho ana o Keliiokaloa he ’lii no Hawaii a puni. He ’lii nui o Keliiokaloa no Hawaii, aia malalo ona elua lau alii (ua like me ewalu haneri). No loko o keia mau lau alii elua o Kalapanakuioiomoa, ke kupuna o na ’lii o Hawaii nei. He kahu ko Keaweikekahialii, o Mao kona inoa, he kanaka akamai loa ia i ka imi ana i mea e lilo ai ke aupuni i kana alii, he kanaka noonoo loa.

One day Keliiokaloa sent all the chiefs, together with all the people, to the uplands to work on the king’s farm lands, as it was the king’s labor day. After everybody had gone, Keliiokaloa and Keaweikekahialii remained at home playing konane. Keaweikekahialii had lost three games to Keliiokaloa and the fourth game was also about to be lost, when Mao came in. Mao had secreted on his person a long stone club, about two feet in length and covered over with a network of cords. As he stood before them watching the game he asked: “Whose are the white pebbles?” Keaweikekahialii answered: “The white pebbles are Keliiokaloa’s and the black ones are mine.” At this time there were but very few black pebbles left on the board, in other words Keaweikekahialii was about to again lose to Keliiokaloa.

I kekahi la, hoouna aku la o Keliiokaloa i na ’lii a pau loa e pii e koele me na kanaka a pau loa; a pau lakou i ka pii, noho iho la o Keliiokaloa me Keaweikekahialii. Ma keia noho ana, hookahi a laua hana o ke konane. Ekolu eo ana o Keaweikekahialii ia Keliiokaloa, a hookahi i koe o ka ha, alaila, eo o Keaweikekahialii. Ia laua e konane ana, hiki ana o Mao. Ma keia hiki ana o Mao, he pohaku eho loihi kana e huna ana, ua paa i ka aha, he elua kapuai kona loa, a hiki i mua o Keliiokaloa, ninau aku la ia: “Na wai ka iliili keokeo?” I mai o Keaweikekahialii: “Na Keliiokaloa ka iliili keokeo, o ka’u ka iliili eleele.” Ia wa, kokoke e pau loa na iliili eleele, alaila, make o Keaweikekahialii ia Keliiokaloa.

Mao then said to Keaweikekahialii: “You will win.” “How am I to win?” “The white ones are besmeared, the black ones will win.” Keaweikekahialii answered: “Take the losing blacks then and make your move.” Mao answered: “If I make the move Keliiokaloa will lose.” Keaweikekahialii then urged Mao three times; at last Mao asked: “If I make the move will you assist me?” “Yes,” said Keaweikekahialii. Mao then took up the stone club and struck Keliiokaloa on the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Keaweikekahialii then said to Mao: “How strange of you! Here you have gone and killed the king. I thought yours was to be a move on the konane board, but it was not.” Mao then said: “Don’t you want to rule over the whole of Hawaii? You shall become the ruler of this land this day.”

Olelo aku o Mao: “Ua make ia oe e Keaweikekahialii.” “Pehea ka make ana ia’u?” “Penei: Hapala ke kea, na ka ele ka ai.” I mai o Keaweikekahialii: “Kau pohaku make hahau ia.” I aku o Mao: “Hahau no au make o Keliiokaloa.” Ekolu kena ana a Keaweikekahialii. I aku o Mao: “Ina au e uhau, kokua oe ia’u?” Ae mai la o Keaweikekahialii: “Ae.” Unuhi ae la o Mao i ka eho pohaku ana, a hoomoe iho la i luna o ka hono o Keliiokaloa, a make loa iho la. Olelo mai o Keaweikekahialii: “Kupanaha oe, eia ka he pepehi kau i ke alii a make, kai no paha he konane maoli kau, aole ka.” I mai o Mao: “Aole ka ou makemake e puni o Hawaii ia kaua? Eia ka la o ko aina.”

They then took up Keliiokaloa and buried him, after which they returned to the house, when Mao said to Keaweikekahialii: “Send a man to the uplands and inform the chiefs that the king, Keliiokaloa, desires one of the chiefs to come on down accompanied by one servant.” Before Keaweikekahialii sent off the messenger, he ordered that his own followers be requested to come to the house. After the arrival of his men he gave them orders to kill the first chief and his servant as soon as they arrived. Upon the arrival of one of the chiefs and his servant they were both set on and killed. This was carried on until all the chiefs of Hawaii were killed, except Kalapanakuioiomoa.

Lawe aku la laua kanu ia Keliiokaloa, a nalo, hoi mai la a hiki i ka hale, olelo aku o Mao ia Keaweikekahialii: “E hoouna aku oe i ke kanaka i uka, e olelo aku penei, i olelo mai nei ke ’lii o Keliiokaloa. E iho aku, i hookahi alii o ke kanaka.” Mamua ae o keia hoouna ana a Keaweikekahialii i ke kanaka, ua hoomakaukau oia i na kanaka a piha ka hale, a ua olelo hoi ia lakou ina i hiki ke ’lii hookahi me ke kanaka, e pepehi a make loa. A hiki mai la ke ’lii me ke kanaka hookahi, pepehi ia iho la a make loa, pela no ka hana ana a pau loa na ’lii o Hawaii, aohe alii i koe, hookahi wale no alii i koe o Kalapanakuioiomoa.

When Kalapanakuioiomoa saw that all the chiefs were killed he escaped through the forest and came to and sojourned at Waipio, where he took a wife of that place. In course of time his wife conceived a child; but taking a canoe he set out, landing at Kaluaihakoko, Maui. From this place he again sailed and landed at Maunalei, Lanai, where he settled down and made his residence. After Kalapanakuioiomoa had been in Lanai for some time, he took unto himself a wife there and lived as a commoner, tilling the land and going to the uplands for water. He lived without disclosing his rank or his identity to any one.

A ike o Kalapanakuioiomoa e make ana na ’lii a pau loa, mahuka mai la ia ma ka nahele a hiki i Waipio noho, moe iho la i ka wahine kuaaina, nolaila, a hapai ka wahine, holo mai la ia a pae ma Kaluaihakoko, i Maui, pae, mai laila aku a pae ma Maunalei i Lanai, alaila, noho o Kalapanakuioiomoa. Ma keia noho ana a Kalapanakuioiomoa i Lanai, moe iho la i ka wahine i laila, noho a makaainana iho la, mahiai, pii i ka wai; pela no kona noho ana me ka ike ole o na mea a pau he ’lii ia.

Shortly after this a search was made around Hawaii for him. The reason of the search was in order to get some one to again marry with the high chiefess of the land that the high rank blood chiefs of Hawaii be again increased. This search was carried on in Maui, but no trace of him could be discovered. After the search on Maui, it was renewed on Lanai, where Kalapanakuioiomoa was at last found.

A mahope, imi ia iho la ia ma Hawaii a puni; o ke kumu o keia imi ana, i loaa ka mea e laha ai na ’lii o Hawaii, a hiki i Maui, imi ia iho la, aole he loaa. A pau o Maui i ka huli ia, aole i loaa o Kalapanakuioiomoa; nolaila, hiki ka huli i Lanai, i laila loaa o Kalapanakuioiomoa.

When the searchers found him they said: “O chief, the king Keaweikekahialii wishes you to return to Hawaii and perpetuate the blue blood of the chiefs.” Kalapanakuioiomoa answered: “I will not return with you because I have made oath that I will live and die here; therefore you must go back to Hawaii and go to Waipio, where you will find a chiefess of high blood, my daughter.” The messengers then returned to Hawaii and to Waipio, where the daughter of Kalapanakuioiomoa was living and took her to the king. Thus did Kalapanakuioiomoa become the ancestor of the kings of Hawaii, for by him was the blue blood perpetuated to this day.

I aku ka poe huli: “E ke ’lii, i kauoha mai o Keaweikekahialii ia oe e hoi i Hawaii, i kumu hoolaha no na ’lii.” I aku o Kalapanakuioiomoa: “Aole au e hoi aku me oe, no ka mea, ua hoohiki au i anei a make; nolaila, e hoi a hiki i Hawaii, kii aku, aia ke ’lii i Waipio kahi i noho ai, he kaikamahine na’u aia i laila kahi i noho ai.” Hoi aku la na elele i Hawaii, a hiki i Waipio, lawe ae la i ke kaikamahine a Kalapanakuioiomoa, a lilo ae la i kupuna no na ’lii o Hawaii, a malaila mai ka laha ana o na ’lii a hiki i keia la.