Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds
Ma'alaea, Maui, Hawai'i
20/X/01

Wa&_macron; ‘Akahi

Leho
Ka Makua

Ha&_macron;nau ka Leho,
‘o ka Pu&_macron;leholeho ka&_macron;na keiki, puka

First Epic

Leho
The Parent

The Leho gives birth,
the Pu&_macron;leholeho emerges

He ka‘ao No ‘Iwa

Ha‘i hou ‘ia e Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

‘O Kea‘au kekahi kanaka lawai‘a no Puna, Hawai‘i a na&_macron;na ka leho kaulana ‘o Kalokuna. Ho&_macron;‘ike ‘o ia i ka&_macron;na leho i kai a lele ka i‘a i loko o ka wa‘a. Ua lohe ke ali‘i ‘o ‘Umi no ke&_macron;ia leho kaulana, a ho‘ouna ‘o ia i na&_macron; ‘elele e ‘aihue i ka leho ‘o Kalokuna. Ma hope o ka ‘aihue ‘ia ‘ana o ka&_macron;na leho ua ho‘opiha ‘o Kea‘au i kona wa‘a me na&_macron; pono waiwai a pau e like ho‘i me ka pua‘a, ka ‘awa, ke kapa ‘O&_macron;‘u&_macron;holowaiola‘a a me ke ‘eleuli e ha&_macron;‘awi aku i ka ‘oi o na&_macron; ‘aihue ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o ‘Iwa.

I ka ho&_macron;‘ea aku ‘ana i Makapu‘u kahi noho ‘o ‘Iwa ua ‘ike ‘o ia i kekahi keiki lole ‘ole e holo ana ma kahakai, ni&_macron;nau ‘o ia i ke keiki, “Aloha, ‘O ‘Iwa ‘oe?” Pane aku ke keiki, “‘A‘ole, aia ‘o ‘Iwa ma ka hale.” Pi‘i ‘o Kea‘au i ka hale o ‘Iwa a ‘ike ‘o ia ‘o ke keiki lole ‘ole, ‘o ‘Iwa. Ho‘i hou ‘o Kea‘au i ke kai a ha‘awi aku i na&_macron; makana ia&_macron; ‘Iwa, “Ua ‘aihue ‘ia ka‘u leho e ‘Umi ke ali‘i ‘o Hawai‘i, e ko&_macron;kua paha ‘oe ia‘u ma ka loa‘a hou?” “‘Ae, hiki no&_macron;, e ‘ai a hiamoe ka&_macron;ua.”

I ke kakahiaka nui, ho‘olele la&_macron;ua i ka wa‘a ma kai, a me ka hoe ho‘okalakupua o ‘Iwa, ka&_macron;hea aku ‘o ia, “Kapahi ka moana i kai e ‘Iwa,” a ho&_macron;‘ea aku la&_macron;ua ma waena ‘o Kaua‘i a me Ni‘ihau. Ni&_macron;nau aku ‘o ‘Iwa, “Ua hiki ka&_macron;ua i Hawai‘i?” Pane aku ‘o Kea‘au, “‘A‘ole.” A ho‘a&_macron;‘o hou ‘o ‘Iwa a hiki aku la&_macron;ua i Hawai‘i. Aia la&_macron; ke lawai‘a nei ‘o ‘Umi me ka leho ‘o Kalokuna. Lu‘u ‘o ‘Iwa i loko o ke kai a ho‘ohemo ia&_macron; Kalokuna, a na&_macron;ki‘i ‘o ia i ke aho i ka ‘a&_macron;ko‘ako‘a o lalo. Lele koke ‘o ‘Iwa ma ka wa‘a, a ho‘i la&_macron;ua i Puna. Ua ho‘iho‘i ‘ia ka leho ia&_macron; Kea‘au, a ua ho‘i ‘o Kea‘au i ka hale aka&_macron; ‘a‘ole i pau ka le‘ale‘a o ‘Iwa.

Ho‘i hou ‘o ‘Iwa i ke ali‘i ‘o ‘Umi a ha‘i aku ia&_macron; ia, “‘O wau ka mea na&_macron;na i ‘aihue i ka&_macron; Kea‘au leho maia&_macron; ‘oe.” “‘O ia ka&_macron;,” wahi a ‘Umi, “ina&_macron; makemake ‘oe e ola e pono ana ‘oe e ho‘oku&_macron;ku&_macron; me na&_macron; ka&_macron;naka ‘aihue o‘u.” ‘Ae aku ‘o ‘Iwa, “Hiki no&_macron;.” “Eia ka ho‘oku&_macron;ku&_macron; e huaka‘i ana ‘oukou i ka po&_macron; a ‘aihue i na&_macron; mea he nui wale i hiki ke ‘aihue ‘ia, a ke ao ka po&_macron;, ‘o ke kanaka na&_macron;na ka mea waiwai he nui, ‘o ia ka lanakila,” wahi a ‘Umi.

I ia po&_macron;, ua ‘aihue na&_macron; ka&_macron;naka ‘aihue o ‘Umi i na&_macron; mea he nui a piha ka hale, a ho‘i la&_macron;kou e hiamoe. Aka&_macron; na‘e ma mua pono o ka puka ‘ana o ka la&_macron;, hele ‘o ‘Iwa i ka hale a ‘aihue i na&_macron; mea waiwai a pau mai na&_macron; ka&_macron;naka ‘aihue mai! Ke ao ka po&_macron; ala mai na&_macron; ka&_macron;naka a pau a ua ‘ike ‘ia ‘o ‘Iwa ka lanakila, a ua ‘ae ‘ia kona ho‘i ‘ana i Makapu‘u.

The Legend of Iwa

Retold by Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

Kea‘au is a fisherman from Puna, Hawai‘i and he owns the famous cowry Kalokuna. All he has to do is show his cowry to the sea and the fish will jump into this boat. ‘Umi heard of this great cowry so he sent his men to steal the Kalokuna, the cowry. After Kea‘au’s cowry was stolen he filled his canoe with all kinds of valuables such as pig, ‘awa, ‘O&_macron;‘u&_macron;holowaiola‘a the kapa and the ‘eleuli as offerings to the greatest thief of them all, ‘Iwa.

Once he arrived in Makapu‘u where ‘Iwa lived he saw a naked child running on the beach, so he asked the child, “Hello, are you Iwa?”
The child answers, “No, ‘Iwa is at home.”

Kea‘au then climbs to the home of ‘Iwa and finds out that the naked child was indeed ‘Iwa. Kea‘au returns to the sea and gives the presents to ‘Iwa, “My cowry was stolen by ‘Umi the king of Hawai‘i. Will you help me to get it back?” “Yeah, sure lets eat and sleep.”

In the early morning, they set the canoe into the water and with ‘Iwa’s famous paddle, he called out, “Kapahi go,” and they were between Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau. ‘Iwa asked, “Did we reach Hawai‘i?”

Kea‘au answered, “no.” And ‘Iwa tries again until they reach Hawai‘i. ‘Umi is fishing with Kalokuna the cowry. ‘Iwa dives into the water and unties Kalokuna from the line, and ties the line to the corals on the bottom. Iwa then quickly jumped back into the boat and they return to Puna. The cowry was returned to Kea‘au and he returned home but Iwa’s fun isn’t over just yet.

Iwa returns to the king, ‘Umi, “I am the one who stole back Kea‘au’s cowry from you.”

“Oh really?” said ‘Umi, “If you want to live you’re going to have to challenge my thieves.”

‘Iwa agrees. “Here is the challenge, you are to go out at night and steal everything valuable that can be stolen, and when it is no longer dark, the thief who has the most valuables is the winner,” said ‘Umi.

That night, ‘Umi’s thieves stole everything they could and filled a house, and they returned home to sleep. However, ‘Umi did not sleep, before sunrise, ‘Iwa went to the house of the thieves and stole all the valuables that the thieves had only stole hours before. When it was morning everybody seen that ‘Iwa was the winner and he was allowed to return to Makapu‘u.

Eia ka Leho

Mai loko mai ‘o Na Pule Kahiko, na June Gutmanis

Eia ka Leho,
He leho ‘ula no ka he‘e ho‘opa‘i,
Eia ke kao, he la&_macron;‘au,
He lama no ka he‘e mahola, he‘e pa&_macron;laha.
E Kanaloa i ke Ku&_macron;,
Ku&_macron;lia i ka papa,
Ku&_macron;lia i ka papa he‘e!
Ku&_macron;lia ‘ia ka he‘e o kai uli
E ala, e Kanaloa
Ho&_macron;‘eu! Ho&_macron;‘ala! E ala ka he‘e!
E ala ka he‘e pa&_macron;laha! E ala ka he‘e mahola!

Eia ka Leho

From Na Pule Kahiko, by June Gutmanis

Here is the cowry,
A red cowry to attract the squid to his death,
Here is the fish spear, a mere stick,
A spear of lama wood for the squid that lies flat.
O Kanaloa of the kapu nights,
Stand upright on the solid floor,
Stand upon the floor where lies the squid!
Stand up to the squid of the deep sea!
Rise up O Kanaloa!
Stir up! Agitate! Let the squid awake!
Let the he‘e pa&_macron;laha, the he‘e mahola awake!