Kaao no Maikoha

Legend of Maikoha.

This was a very brave and fearless young man, and it was this man that broke the kapu poles, the sacred places of worship, the kapu insignia and all the different sacred things. Because of these doings of Maikoha, the father, Konikonia, became very angry. He was not sure which one had done this unholy thing, so he pondered deeply on how he was to find out the guilty person. After spending several days in study he decided on a certain course as follows: he procured two long poles and tied one of them on the back of the necks of all his ten children and the other he tied under the chin. He thought within himself that the one who would not cry would be the guilty one, a sure proof he thought, and he must be sent away. In applying this test, Maikoha was the one who did not cry out, all the other children cried more or less. This satisfied the father that Maikoha was the guilty one and so he was sent away, to go wherever he pleased.

He keiki koa loa ia, a he keiki makau ole, a nana i haihai na pahu kapu, na anuu, a me na puloulou, na mea kapu, a pau loa. No keia mau hana a Maikoha, huhu loa o Konikonia ko lakou makuakane. Alaila, noonoo iho la o Konikonia i kana mea e hana aku ai i kana mau keiki, a maopopo ia ia, alaila, hana iho la ia penei.

Elua kua laau loloa, hoomoe iho la ia ma ka ai o kana mau keiki he umi, hookahi kua maluna, hookahi kua malalo. O ka hoailona ma keia hana ana, ina e uwe ole kekahi keiki ma keia hana ana, alaila, nana no i kolohe, a oia ke hookuke ia. I ka hana ana pela, o Maikoha ke keiki i uwe ole, a o na keiki e ae, ua uwe lakou a pau loa, nolaila, maopopo iho la ia Konikonia, oia ke keiki nana i kalohe. Nolaila, hookuke aku la ia ia Maikoha e hele i kona wahi e hele ai.

Maikoha then started out and landed at Kaupo, Maui, where he made his home. Here he changed into the wauke plant, which is known by this name to this day, and it was at Kaupo that this plant first grew. Because Maikoha’s body was very hairy the wauke plant is therefore the same, as we see.

Hele aku la o Maikoha a noho ma Kaupo i Maui, a malaila oia i lilo ai i wauke kapa a hiki i keia la, a oia wauke no ko Kaupo e ulu nei. No ka mea, o ko Maikoha kino, he ano huluhulu heuheu, e like no me ko ka wauke ano a kakou e ike nei.

After Maikoha had departed from home, his sisters came in search of him and they traveled as far as Kaupo, where they found he had already changed into the wauke plant. After they had located him they began to make a search for his navel, looking from the top of the plant to the bottom, but they were unable to find it; so a search was made of the roots, and there they found it, for Maikoha had secreted it there. Shortly after this the sisters left Maikoha in Kaupo, Maui, and they continued on their journey until they arrived in Oahu.

Ma keia hele ana mai o Maikoha, hele mai kona mau kaikuahine e imi ia ia, a hiki lakou i Kaupo, e ku ana i laila o Maikoha ua lilo i wauke. Nana lakou i ke kino o ka wauke mai luna a lalo, aohe loaa o ka piko, aka, ua huna o Maikoha malalo o ka lepo i kona piko. Nolaila, huli iho la na kaikuahine a loaa. A haalele lakou ia Maikoha i Kaupo ma Maui, hele mai la lakou a hiki ma Oahu.

Upon their arrival on Oahu, Kaihuopalaai saw a goodly man by the name of Kapapaapuhi who was living at Honouliuli, Ewa; she fell in love with him and they were united, so Kaihuopalaai has remained in Ewa to this day. She was changed into that fish pond in which mullet are kept and fattened, and this fish pond is used for that purpose to this day.

Ike aku la o Kaihuopalaai i ka maikai o Kapapaapuhi, he kane e noho ana ma Honouliuli, ma Ewa. Moe iho la laua, a noho iho la o Kaihuopalaai i laila a hiki i keia la. Oia kela loko kai e hoopuni ia nei i ka anae, nona na ia he nui loa, a hiki i keia kakau ana.

When Kaihuopalaai decided to live in Ewa, her sisters proceeded on to Waianae, where Kaihukoa decided to make her home and she was married to Kaena, a man who was living at this place, a very handsome man and a chief of Waianae. So she remained in Waianae and she is there to this day. She changed into that fishing ground directly out from the Kaena Point, and the fishes that came with her were the ulua, the kahala and the mahimahi.

A noho o Kaihuopalaai i laila, hele aku la kona mau hoahanau a hiki ma Waianae, moe o Kaihukoa me Kaena, he kane ia e noho ana i laila. He kanaka maikai loa o Kaena, a he ’lii no hoi no Waianae. Nolaila, noho o Kaihukoa malaila a hiki i keia la, oia kela koa ma waho o ka lae o Kaena. A o na ia i hele pu mai me ia, oia ka ulua, ke kahala, ka mahimahi.

When Kaihukoa decided to stay in Waianae, the remaining sisters continued on to Waialua, where Kawailoa met Ihukoko. Kawailoa was a single man and as he fell in love with Ihukoko the two were united and they became husband and wife. Ihukoko remained here, and the fish that accompanied her from their home was the aholehole.

A noho ia i Waianae, hele aku kona mau hoahanau a hiki ma Waialua, loaa o Kawailoa ia Ihukoko, he kane ia, a noho iho la me ia. O ka ia i hele pu mai me Ihukoko, o ke aholehole.

When Ihukoko decided to remain in Waialua, the sister that was left, Kahukuuna, continued on her way until she came to Laie where she met Laniloa, a goodly man, and they lived together as husband and wife. The fish that came with her was the mullet and it too remained there to this day.

A noho ia i laila, hele aku la o Kaihukuuna, a hiki i Laie, loaa o Laniloa, he kane ia, a noho iho la laua. O ka ia i hele mai me Kaihukuuna, he anae, a hiki i keia la.

After the sisters were all married and had been living with their husbands on Oahu for some time, Kaneaukai their oldest brother came in search of them. This man’s body was in the shape of a log of wood, and after he had floated on the surface of the ocean for several days, it drifted to the seashore at Kealia in Mokuleia, Kawaihapai, Waialua, where it was carried in and out by the tide. After being in this form for some time it changed into a human being and journeyed to Kapaeloa, where two old men were living.

A pau lakou i ka moe kane ma Oahu nei, alaila, hele mai ko lakou kaikunane mua loa, o Kaneaukai ka inoa. O kona kino he pauku laau, a pae ma ke kahakai o Kealia, ma Mokuleia, i Kawaihapai ma Waialua. Malaila kahi i lana ai, me ke kaa i uka, i kai. A mahope, hele a kino kanaka aku la o Kaneaukai, a hiki ma Kapaeloa e noho ana elua elemakule.

When he approached the home of the two old men, he saw them watching an umu (oven), and after it was covered up they set out to the beach to do some fishing. After fishing for some time without success Kaneaukai called out to them: “Say, you old men, which god do you worship and keep?” The old men replied: “We are worshiping a god, but we do not know his name.” Kaneaukai then said: “You will now hear and know his name. When you let down your net again, call out, ‘Here is the food and fish, Kaneaukai,’ that is the name of the god.” The old men assented to this, saying: “Yes, this is the first time that we have learned his name.” Because of this fact, Kaneaukai is the fish god worshiped by many to this day, for Kaneaukai became their fish god, and from them others, if they so desired.

Ia ia i hiki aku ai i kahi o na elemakule, e kahumu ana laua; a kalua ka umu, hele aku la laua e lawaia. Ia laua e lawaia ana, aohe loaa o ka ia, nolaila, hea aku o Kaneaukai: “E na elemakule, owai ka olua akua e kaumaha nei?” I mai na elemakule: “O ke ’kua ka maua e kaumaha nei aohe loaa o ka inoa.” I aku o Kaneaukai: “Ua loaa, a i kaumaha olua, penei e olelo ai, ‘eia ka ai a me ka ia e Kaneaukai,’ oia ka inoa o ke ’kua.” Ae aku na elemakule: “Ae, akahi no a loaa ia maua ka inoa o ke ’kua.” Nolaila, hoomana ia a hiki i keia la. A ua lilo o Kaneaukai i akua lawaia no laua, a me na mea e ae, ke manao laua pela.