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

Wā ‘Akahi

Mānienie ‘Aki‘Aki
Ma Uka

‘O kāne iā Wai‘ololī, ‘o ka wahine iā Wai‘ololā
Hānau ka ‘Aki‘aki noho i kai
Kia‘i ‘ia e ka Mānienie ‘Aki‘aki noho i uka
He pō uhe‘e i ka wawā
He nuku, he wai ka ‘ai a ka lā‘au
‘O ke Akua ke komo, ‘a‘oe komo kanaka

First Epic

Mānienie ‘Aki‘Aki
Mountainside

Wai‘ololī the product of males, Wai‘ololā of females
The ‘Aki‘aki gives birth, it is found in the sea
Guarded by the Mānienie ‘Aki‘aki in the uplands
The night becomes tumultuous
Ranting, plants are sustained by water
The Gods enter, man does not have access

No ka Mahiki

Na Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

Inā ‘a‘ole ‘oe kama‘āina i ka mahiki ‘ana, he hana kēia no ka ho‘opale aku mai nā lapu. I nā mānawa a pau loa‘a kekahi ‘ano mo‘olelo e pili ana i kēia ‘ano hana. He mo‘olelo pili ‘ohana kēia i ka mahiki ‘ana i nā lapu.

I kekahi pō e holoholo ana ka ‘ohana Puni ma ke alanui e noho ana ma waena o nā kuahiwi nui ‘o Mauna Kea lāua ‘o Mauna Loa. Ho‘okahi wale nō pilikia, ‘o ia ho‘i ka pua‘a kālua ma loko o ke ka‘a. Inā kama‘āina ‘oukou i nā loina, ‘a‘ole maika‘i ke kalaiwa ‘ana ma ia alanui inā he pipi a i ‘ole pua‘a kāu i loko o ke ka‘a, no laila i ka manawa i kū ai ke ka‘a a ho‘opio ‘ia nā kukui, ua hopohopo ka makua kāne o ka ‘ohana Puni.

“He aha lā ka pilikia o kēia ka‘a,” i nīnau aku ai ka makua kāne, “‘Akahi nō au a ho‘okomo i ke kakalina a maika‘i loa ka ‘enekini.”

Ma hope o ka no‘ono‘o ‘ana o kekahi manawa ua ‘ā mai ke ka‘a a laila ua make hou ka ‘enekini. Ma laila ‘o ia i ‘ike ai ua pilikia ko lākou ka‘a i kekahi ‘ano lapu a i ka manawa like nō, ua ho‘omaopopo ‘o ia i ka pua‘a i loko o ke ka‘a, a kiloi aku ‘o ia i ka pua‘a i kahi ‘ē.

I mea e ho‘omaka hou ai kona ka‘a, ua ki‘i ‘o ia i ka mānienie ‘aki‘aki, i kekahi manawa kapa ‘ia kēia he Lau‘aki ma ka‘e o ke alanui. Hili aku i nā huila ka‘a a me nā mea ‘ē a‘e o ke ka‘a me ka mau‘u. Ua ‘ōlelo pelapela ‘o ia kekahi, no ka mea ‘a‘ole makemake ‘ia ka ‘ōlelo pelapela e nā lapu.

Kali iki ‘o Mika Puni a laila ho‘ā ‘o ia i ke ka‘a. Ua pū‘iwa maoli nō ‘o ia no ka mea ua ho‘ā ‘ia ke ka‘a. No laila he ‘ōlelo kēia iā ‘oukou, inā pilikia kou ka‘a a ‘a‘ohe pilikia o ia ka‘a, he lapu paha ia a he maika‘i ka ho‘ohana ‘ana i ka mānienie ‘aki‘aki.

Exorcise

By Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

If you aren’t familiar with exorcisms, it’s a way to ward off evil spirits. There is always a story about this subject. This is a family story about evil spirits and how to get rid of them.

One day the Puni family was driving on Saddle Road, this road is between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. There was only one problem, the presence of kālua pig in the car. If you are familiar with Hawaiian beliefs, you shouldn’t drive by this road if you have pig or pork in your car, so when the car abruptly stopped and the lights went out, the father started to worry.

“What is the problem of this car,” asked the father, “I just put gas and the engine is running fine.”

After thinking for a while the car suddenly started again and it stopped quickly. That is when he knew that a spirit was tricking them, and at this very same time he remembered that he had pig in the car, so he quickly threw out the pig.

So that his car would start indefinitely, he collected mānienie ‘aki‘aki, which is sometimes called Lau‘aki, on the side of the road. He hit the tires of the car and all the other parts of the car with the grass. He cursed at the car because evil spirits don’t like swearing.

Mr. Puni waited awhile and then he started his car. He was very surprised because the car started. So this is a warning to all of you, if your car is troubled and you know there isn’t anything wrong with your car, it could be a ghost and it would be smart to use mānienie ‘aki‘aki.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: ‘Aki, Lau‘aki, Mahiki, Māhikihiki, Mānienie, Mānienie ‘Aki‘aki, Mānienie Māhikihiki, Mānienie Maoli

Inoa Pelekānia: Seashore Rush Grass

Inoa ‘Epekema: Sporobolus virginicus

Kona ‘ano: Ulu kēia mau‘u ma kai. Ke hele wāwae ‘oe ma luna o nā pōhaku a me ke one a ‘ike ‘oe i ka mau‘u e ulu ana ma laila, i ka hapa nui o ka manawa he mānienie ‘aki‘aki kēlā mau‘u. Palaunu a malo‘o ‘o lalo a laila ‘ōma‘oma‘o ka mau‘u ‘o luna. Like ka nānā ‘ana o kēia mau‘u me ka mau‘u ma‘amau o ka pā hale, eia na‘e he ‘oi aku kona lō‘ihi.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: Ho‘ohana ‘ia kēia mau‘u e mahiki aku i nā ‘ino a me nā lapu ‘ino.

More Information

Hawaiian Name: ‘Aki, Lau‘aki, Mahiki, Māhikihiki, Mānienie, Mānienie ‘Aki‘aki, Mānienie Māhikihiki, Mānienie Maoli

English Name: Seashore Rush Grass

Scientific Name: Sporobolus virginicus

Description: This grass grows near the sea. When you walk on rocks and sand near the sea you will sea grasses growing there, most of the time it will be mānienie ‘aki‘aki. The bottom is dry and brown and the top is green. This grass looks like the grass found in your yard, however it is much longer.

Interesting Fact: This grass is used to exorcise evil and bad spirits.