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

Wa&_macron; ‘Akahi

Ko&_macron;‘ele‘ele
Ma Kai

‘O ka&_macron;ne ia&_macron; Wai‘ololi&_macron;, ‘o ka wahine ia&_macron; Wai‘olola&_macron;
Ha&_macron;nau ke Ko&_macron;‘ele‘ele noho i kai
Kia‘i ‘ia e ke Ko&_macron; Punapuna Ko&_macron;‘ele‘ele noho i uka
He po&_macron; uhe‘e i ka wawa&_macron;
He nuku, he wai ka ‘ai a ka la&_macron;‘au
‘O ke Akua ke komo, ‘a‘oe komo kanaka

First Epic

Ko&_macron;‘ele‘ele
Seaside

Wai‘ololi&_macron; the product of males, Wai‘olola&_macron; of females
The Ko&_macron;‘ele‘ele gives birth, it is found in the sea
Guarded by the Ko&_macron; Punapuna Ko&_macron; ‘Ele‘ele in the uplands
The night becomes tumultuous
Ranting, plants are sustained by water
The Gods enter, man does not have access

No ka Limu ‘Aki‘aki

Ha‘i hou ‘ia e Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

*He wehewehe: He ku&_macron;ka&_macron; ke&_macron;ia ma waena o Mary Ahio Haanio la&_macron;ua ‘o Mary Kawena Pukui. Pili ke&_macron;ia ku&_macron;ka&_macron; i ka limu ‘aki‘aki. Ua palapala ‘ia mai na&_macron; lola mai ka Hale Ho&_macron;‘ike‘ike ‘o Pi&_macron;hopa.

‘O ka limu ‘aki‘aki “ka ‘ai o ka honu,” wahi a ‘Anake&_macron; Mary Haanio i kona wala‘au ‘ana ia&_macron; Mary Pukui. ‘O ka mea hoihoi o ke&_macron;ia ‘ano limu, ‘ai wale ‘ia e ka honu. ‘A‘ole ‘ai ‘ia e ka Hawai‘i. I ke&_macron;ia manawa, “na ka po‘e Pilipino hele ki‘i e ‘ai.”

“Kupa ka Pilipino i ka limu ‘aki‘aki a mo‘a. Ho‘ohui ‘ia kekahi mau mea ‘e&_macron; a‘e e like me ka ‘inamona a me na&_macron; limu ‘e&_macron; a‘e a ‘ai ‘ia me ke koiu&_macron;.” He mea ‘oko‘a ia.

‘A‘ole ka&_macron;ko‘o ‘o Mary Haanio i ka ‘ai ‘ana o ka limu ‘aki‘aki. He punahele ka limu ‘aki‘aki i ka honu. “He ‘ai ko ka honu a he ‘ai ko ke kanaka. Ina&_macron; ‘ai ‘ia ka ‘ai o ka honu e ke kanaka, i ke aha ana e ‘ai ai ka honu? Ina&_macron; ‘ai ‘ia ka ‘ai o ke kanaka e ka honu, i ke aha ana e ‘ai ai ke kanaka?”

Ua ha&_macron;pai mana‘o ‘o Mary Haanio i ka lepo o ke kai. “Ina&_macron; lepo ke kai, ‘a‘ole e ola nui ana ka limu. Komo ka lepo i ke kai a ha&_macron;‘ule i ka papa kai. Ina&_macron; uhi ‘ia ka limu i ka lepo, ‘a‘ole i hiki i ka limu ke hanu a ola. ‘A‘ole e ho‘opa&_macron; ‘ia ka limu e ke kukuna o ka la&_macron; a e make ihola ana ka limu.” He mea pono kekahi mau mea he nui no ke ola maika‘i o ka limu. Pono ka&_macron;kou e ma&_macron;lama na&_macron; mea a pau ma kai. Ina&_macron; e ma&_macron;lama ‘ia ka limu, e ma&_macron;lama ‘ia ka honu. Pono e kiloi i ka ‘o&_macron;pala ma kahi ku&_macron;pono i hiki ke ma&_macron;lama i na&_macron; mea a pau ma kai. E ma&_macron;lama i ko ka&_macron;kou ‘a&_macron;ina.

Limu ‘Aki‘aki

Retold by Keonaona Kapuni-Reynolds

*Note: This is a conversation between Mary Ahio Haanio and Mary Kawena Pukui. This conversation refers to the limu ‘aki‘aki. It has been transcribed from cassettes from the Bishop Museum.

Limu ‘aki‘aki is “the food of the turtle,” says Aunty Mary Haanio in her conversation with Mary Pukui. The interesting thing abou this seaweed is that it is only eaten by turtles. It was not eaten by the Hawaiians. Today, “Filipino people go and get this limu to eat.”

“Filipino’s boil the ‘aki‘aki limu until it is cooked. It is mixed with different things like relish and other limu and eaten with shoyu.” It’s something different.

Mary Haanio does not support the eating of ‘aki‘aki limu. The ‘aki‘aki limu is a favorite of the turtle. “The turtle has their own food source as does man. If man eats the turtle’s food, what will the turtle eat? If the turtle eats man’s food, what will man eat?”

Mary Haanio also brought up the subject of how dirty the sea is. “If the sea is dirty, the limu will not grow a lot. The dirt enters the sea and falls to the sea floor. If the seaweed is covered with dirt, it cannot breathe and live. If the limu is not touched by the rays of the sun, the limu will die.” There are a lot of things needed for the limu to grow healthy. We must care for everything in the ocean. If we care for the limu, the turtle will be cared for as well. We must throw our rubbish in the proper place so that we can care for everything at sea. Let us care for our land.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: ‘Aki‘aki, ‘A&_macron;wikiwiki, ‘Eleau, Ko&_macron;‘ele‘ele

Inoa Peleka&_macron;nia:

Inoa ‘Epekema: Ahnfeltia concinna

Kona ‘ano: Ulu ke&_macron;ia limu he 6-12 ‘i&_macron;niha kona lo&_macron;‘ihi ma luna o ka pa&_macron;hoehoe. ‘Oi aku ka nui o na&_macron; la&_macron;la&_macron; o luna o ke&_macron;ia limu a he kula ke ‘ano o ke kala ma muli o ka la&_macron;. He palaunu ‘o lalo o ka limu kahi i pa‘a i ka po&_macron;haku a ‘a‘ole i pa&_macron; nui ‘ia e ka la&_macron;. Noho ka ‘alamihi i loko o ke&_macron;ia limu.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: Ua ho‘ohui ‘ia ke&_macron;ia limu me ka moa, pua‘a, i‘a a pipi e ka&_macron;lua ‘ia nei ma ka imu. I ke&_macron;ia mau la&_macron;, ho‘ohui ‘ia me na&_macron; ‘i‘o ma ke ‘ano he ho&_macron;‘ono i ka ‘i‘o a e ho‘oma&_macron;ku&_macron; i ke kai. ‘Ai pu&_macron; ‘ia ke&_macron;ia limu me ka ‘opihi.

More Information

Hawaiian Name: ‘Aki‘aki, Awikiwiki, ‘Eleau

English Name:

Scientific Name: Ahnfeltia concinna

Description: This limu grows between six to twelve inches long on pa&_macron;hoehoe rocks. There are more branches on the top of these limu and the color closely resembles gold because of the sun. The bottom is brown because it is attached to the rock and is hardly touched by the sun. ‘Alamihi crabs live in this limu.

Interesting Fact: This limu was combined with chicken, pork, fish and beef in the imu. Nowadays, it is combined with meats as a seasoning and to thicken the sauce. This limu is also eaten with ‘opihi.