Wā ‘Akahi

Pūpū ‘Awa
Ke Keiki

Hānau ka Makaloa,
‘o ka Pūpū ‘Awa kāna keiki, puka

First Epic

Pūpū ‘Awa
The Child

The Makaloa gives birth,
the Pūpū ‘awa emerges

He Wa‘a no Naihe

Mai loko mai ‘o Nā Mele ‘Aimoku, na Hawaiian Historical Society

‘Ike ‘oe i kai he‘e o ke kai loa,
I ho‘okē i loko o nā hua nui,
I mākolukolu i ka huaka‘i ali‘i,
Pāpa‘i kapukihi ka huaka‘i ‘awa‘awa,
Ka pūpū ‘a‘awa mulea o ka waha,
Mulemulea ‘awa‘awahia iā ‘Ī,
Mānalo ‘ole iā Keakamahana,
Ka haku pia ‘awa‘awahia ka mulea,
A ‘oi paia i ke kawai ali‘i.

He Wa‘a no Naihe

From Nā Mele ‘Aimoku, by Hawaiian Historical Society

You can see the surf of the massive sea,
That’s crowded in the large fruits
Thickly surrounding the king’s procession,
Traveling is sour like the Kapukihi crab,
The bitter tasting pūpū ‘awa of the mouth,
The sourness and bitterness of the great one,
Undrinkable to Keakamahana,
Creating a bitter and sour beer,
And it probably caused the kings to be drowsy.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: Aupūpū, Makaloa, Pūpū ‘Awa

Inoa Pelekānia: Spotted Drupe

Inoa ‘Epekema: Drupa ricina

Kona ‘ano: He pūpū ke‘oke‘o ko kēia kamaloli. Loa‘a he ‘ehā lālani o nā kukū ‘ele‘ele iā ia. Inā ‘ike ‘oe i kekahi pūpū kokoke i ka ‘āina, e pōkole a mānoanoa ana nā kukū, akā inā ‘ike ‘oe i kekahi pūpū ma ke kai hohonu, e lō‘ihi a wīwī ana nā kūkū o ka pūpū. ‘Ālani ke kala ‘o loko o kēia pūpū. Ke‘oke‘o a ‘ōma‘oma‘o ke kamaloli o loko o ka pūpū.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: Ulu kēia a i ho‘okahi me ka hapahā ‘īniha kona lō‘ihi.

More Information

Hawaiian Name: Aupūpū, Makaloa, Pūpū ‘Awa

English Name: Spotted Drupe

Scientific Name: Drupa ricina

Description: This snail has a white shell. There are four rows of black spikes on this shell. If you find a shell close to land, the spikes will be short and thick and if you see one in the deep water, the spikes of this shell will be long and thin. The inside of this shell is orange. The snail itself is white and green inside the shell.

Interesting Fact: This shell grows up to and inch and a half in length.