Kuulei Higashi
Laehala, Keaukaha, Hawai‘i
18/IX/00

Wā ‘Akahi

Pipipi
Ka Makua

Hānau ka Pipipi,
‘o ke Kūpe‘e kāna keiki, puka

First Epic

Pipipi
The Parent

The Pipipi gives birth,
the Kūpe‘e emerges

Kamapua‘a a me Nā Kupua

Na Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

‘O Kamapua‘a kekahi akua kaulana o Hawai‘i. Ua huaka‘i ‘o ia i nā ‘ano wahi like ‘ole. Iā ia e huaka‘i ana iā Kūkuluokahiki e hui pū me kāna wahine mua, ‘o Kaiha‘akūlou, ua ‘ike ‘o ia i ke kupua, ‘o Unauna. Ua pa‘a loa ‘o Unauna i kekahi pōhaku ma kai a ma muli o kona nui, ‘a‘ole i hiki ‘o Kamapua‘a ke kā‘alo aku iā ia. Nonoi ‘o Kamapua‘a iā Unauna e ne‘e, akā ‘a‘ole ‘o Unauna i ne‘e iki. Ho‘ā‘o ‘o Kamapua‘a e ho‘one‘e i ke kupua, akā, ‘a‘ole i hiki ke hele a kokoke ma muli o nā niho o ia Unauna. No laila, ho‘omaka‘u ‘o ia i ke kupua i komo loa ‘o ia i loko o kona pūpū. Ho‘omaka ‘o ia e ho‘opuka i ka pūpū ‘o‘ole‘a o Unauna i piha kūpono ka pūpū me ke kai a piholo i lalo loa o ke kai hohonu.

Ua ho‘omau ‘o Kamapua‘a i kona huaka‘i i Kahiki akā ua pō‘ele‘ele, ua pale ‘ia ka lā e kekahi mea nunui. Huli ‘o ia i kahi o ka lā a ‘ike ‘o ia i kekahi kupua pipipi nunui e pale ana i nā kukuna o ka lā. Koi aku ‘o ia i ka pipipi e ne‘e akā, ‘a‘ole ‘o ia i ne‘e iki. No laila ho‘opuka ‘o Kamapua‘a i ka pūpū o ia pipipi a hiki aku ‘o ia i ka ‘i‘o momona o ke kupua. Ho‘omaka ‘o ia e ‘ānai i ka pūpū o ka pipipi me kona niho pua‘a a wela loa ka pūpū i paila ke kai a make.

Maopopo ‘o Kamapua‘a he ‘ono nō kēia kai pipipi ke ku‘i ‘ia me ka i‘a, no laila, ‘ai ‘o ia i kekahi a mālama i ke koena no kāna wahine. Ho‘omau ‘o ia i kona huaka‘i a hiki aku ‘o ia i ka hikina, kahi o kāna aloha, ‘o Kaiha‘akūlou. Ma laila ‘o ia i noho ai a i ka ho‘omaka hou ‘ana o kekahi mo‘olelo kaulana no Kamapua‘a.

Kamapua‘a and the Demi-gods

By Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

Kamapua‘a, one of the most recognized gods of Hawai‘i, had traveled many areas. While traveling to Kahiki to meet his first wife, Kaiha‘akūlou, he met the demi-god, Unauna. Unauna was firmly gripped upon a rock and because of the overwhelming size of his body, Kamapua‘a could not pass. Kamapua‘a continuously inquired for him to move but still Unauna did not budge. Kamapua‘a tried to move the demi-god but could not go near him because of Unauna’s claws. So he frightened the demi-god and it retreated back into his shell. He began to dig holes into the hard shell until it filled with water and had sunk deep into the ocean.

Kamapua‘a continued his long journey to Kahiki but something enormous had blocked the sun. He turned to face the sun and saw a gigantic pipipi blocking out the rays of the sun. He urged him to move but he did not budge. So he drove holes through the hard shell of the pipipi until reaching the succulent meat of the pipipi. He began to quickly rub the shell of the pipipi with his boar tusk until it became so hot that the insides began to boil and it perished. Kamapua‘a knew that the sauce of the pipipi mixed with fish was a choice dish, so he ate some and took the rest to his wife. Continuing on he reached the place of his love and there he resided until another of his adventures.

E Lonoikapo

Nā Pule Kahiko, na June Gutmanis

I ke one i hanana,
O pipipi, o unauna,
O ‘ālealea, o naka,
O he‘e, o kualakai,
O ka pāki‘i moe one ‘ula,
O ka ‘ulae niho wakawaka ‘oi;
O kama a ‘opihi kaupali,
O kūlele po‘o; o helele‘i ke oho
O Wahalauali‘i; o Polihala;
O kahi i waiho ai o ka hua‘ōlelo.

E Lonoikapo

From Nā Pule Kahiko, by June Gutmanis

At the sand that was overflowed,
of pipipi, of unauna,
Of ‘ālealea, of naka,
Of octopus, of sea slug
Of the pāki‘i flounder that lies on red sand;
Of the ‘ulae with serrated sharp teeth;
Of offspring of the kaupali limpet
Of head that scatters, of scattered hair
Of Wahalauali‘i, of Polihala
Of the place that the word is left.