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

Wa&_macron; ‘Akahi

Lau‘aki
Ma Uka

‘O ka&_macron;ne ia&_macron; Wai‘ololi&_macron;, ‘o ka wahine ia&_macron; Wai‘olola&_macron;
Ha&_macron;nau ka Puaki&_macron; noho i kai
Kia‘i ‘ia e ka Lau‘aki 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

Lau‘aki
Mountainside

Wai‘ololi&_macron; the product of males, Wai‘olola&_macron; of females
The ‘Aki‘aki gives birth, it is found in the sea
Guarded by the Ma&_macron;nienie ‘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

Ina&_macron; ‘a‘ole ‘oe kama‘a&_macron;ina i ka mahiki ‘ana, he hana ke&_macron;ia no ka ho‘opale aku mai na&_macron; lapu. I na&_macron; ma&_macron;nawa a pau loa‘a kekahi ‘ano mo‘olelo e pili ana i ke&_macron;ia ‘ano hana. He mo‘olelo pili ‘ohana ke&_macron;ia i ka mahiki ‘ana i na&_macron; lapu.

I kekahi po&_macron; e holoholo ana ka ‘ohana Puni ma ke alanui e noho ana ma waena o na&_macron; kuahiwi nui ‘o Mauna Kea la&_macron;ua ‘o Mauna Loa. Ho‘okahi wale no&_macron; pilikia, ‘o ia ho‘i ka pua‘a ka&_macron;lua ma loko o ke ka‘a. Ina&_macron; kama‘a&_macron;ina ‘oukou i na&_macron; loina, ‘a‘ole maika‘i ke kalaiwa ‘ana ma ia alanui ina&_macron; he pipi a i ‘ole pua‘a ka&_macron;u i loko o ke ka‘a, no laila i ka manawa i ku&_macron; ai ke ka‘a a ho‘opio ‘ia na&_macron; kukui, ua hopohopo ka makua ka&_macron;ne o ka ‘ohana Puni.

“He aha la&_macron; ka pilikia o ke&_macron;ia ka‘a,” i ni&_macron;nau aku ai ka makua ka&_macron;ne, “‘Akahi no&_macron; 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 ‘a&_macron; mai ke ka‘a a laila ua make hou ka ‘enekini. Ma laila ‘o ia i ‘ike ai ua pilikia ko la&_macron;kou ka‘a i kekahi ‘ano lapu a i ka manawa like no&_macron;, 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 ‘e&_macron;.

I mea e ho‘omaka hou ai kona ka‘a, ua ki‘i ‘o ia i ka ma&_macron;nienie ‘aki‘aki, i kekahi manawa kapa ‘ia ke&_macron;ia he Lau‘aki ma ka‘e o ke alanui. Hili aku i na&_macron; huila ka‘a a me na&_macron; mea ‘e&_macron; a‘e o ke ka‘a me ka mau‘u. Ua ‘o&_macron;lelo pelapela ‘o ia kekahi, no ka mea ‘a‘ole makemake ‘ia ka ‘o&_macron;lelo pelapela e na&_macron; lapu.

Kali iki ‘o Mika Puni a laila ho‘a&_macron; ‘o ia i ke ka‘a. Ua pu&_macron;‘iwa maoli no&_macron; ‘o ia no ka mea ua ho‘a&_macron; ‘ia ke ka‘a. No laila he ‘o&_macron;lelo ke&_macron;ia ia&_macron; ‘oukou, ina&_macron; 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 ma&_macron;nienie ‘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 ka&_macron;lua 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 ma&_macron;nienie ‘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 ma&_macron;nienie ‘aki‘aki.

Kekahi ‘Ike Hou A‘e

Inoa Hawai‘i: ‘Aki, Lau‘aki, Mahiki, Ma&_macron;hikihiki, Ma&_macron;nienie, Ma&_macron;nienie ‘Aki‘aki, Ma&_macron;nienie Ma&_macron;hikihiki, Ma&_macron;nienie Maoli

Inoa Peleka&_macron;nia: Seashore Rush Grass

Inoa ‘Epekema: Sporobolus virginicus

Kona ‘ano: Ulu ke&_macron;ia mau‘u ma kai. Ke hele wa&_macron;wae ‘oe ma luna o na&_macron; po&_macron;haku a me ke one a ‘ike ‘oe i ka mau‘u e ulu ana ma laila, i ka hapa nui o ka manawa he ma&_macron;nienie ‘aki‘aki ke&_macron;la&_macron; mau‘u. Palaunu a malo‘o ‘o lalo a laila ‘o&_macron;ma‘oma‘o ka mau‘u ‘o luna. Like ka na&_macron;na&_macron; ‘ana o ke&_macron;ia mau‘u me ka mau‘u ma‘amau o ka pa&_macron; hale, eia na‘e he ‘oi aku kona lo&_macron;‘ihi.

‘Ikepili Hoihoi: Ho‘ohana ‘ia ke&_macron;ia mau‘u e mahiki aku i na&_macron; ‘ino a me na&_macron; lapu ‘ino.

More Infrormation

Hawaiian Name: ‘Aki, Lau‘aki, Mahiki, Ma&_macron;hikihiki, Ma&_macron;nienie, Ma&_macron;nienie ‘Aki‘aki, Ma&_macron;nienie Ma&_macron;hikihiki, Ma&_macron;nienie 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 ma&_macron;nienie ‘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.