Ka Moolelo o Laielkawai
One of the earliest moʻolelo which provides us with references to Humuʻula, Mauna Kea and neighboring lands, and associates the names of places on Mauna Kea with the goddesses of the mountain, is “Ka Moolelo o Laieikawai” (The Tradition of Laieikawai). This tradition spans the Hawaiian Island group, and was collected by native historian, S.N. Haleole. While introducing the series, Haleole noted that he originally wrote out the tradition in 1844 (Haleole, November 29, 1862). It was published as a serial in the Hawaiian language newspaper, Kuokoa, between November 29, 1862 to April 11, 1863. In 1919, Martha Beckwith published Haleoleʻs, account, titled “The Hawaiian Romance of Laieikawai by S.N. Haleole.”
In Beckwithʻs translation, Poliʻahu is referred to as the “goddess of the snow covered mountain,” Mauna Kea. Below, is a synopsis of the account, by Beckwith, focusing on the main characters of the tradition, and their association with Mauna Kea:
The young chief [Aiwohikupua] of Kauaʻi when he goes to seek the beauty of Puna makes a vow to enjoy no other woman until he has won Laieikawai. At Hana on Maui, he is attracted by the lovely Hina-i-ka-malama as she rides the famous surf at Puhele, and he turns in at Haneoo. The chiefess falls in love with the handsome stranger and wins him at a game ofkonane (Hawaiian checkers). He excuses himself until his return and goes on to Hawaii, where he courts an even more beautiful chiefess in the person of Poliahu, who also promises him her hand. When he finally loses hope of winning Laie-i-ka-wai, he “claps his hands before his god” to free himself from his rash vow and proceeds to a marriage with Poliahu, whom he fetches home with a great cortege to Kauai. While the festivities are proceeding at Mana, the disappointed Hina, apprised of her loverʻs duplicity, appears and claims the forfeited stake. Aiwohikupua is obliged to relinquish himself to her embraces, but the angry Poliahu envelopes the lovers in alternate waves of unendurable heat and cold until they are obliged to separate, when the mountain goddess retires to her home attended by her three maidens, Lilinoe, Waiaie [sic6], and Kahoupokane, and Aiwohikupua finds himself bereft of both ladies… [Beckwith 1970:222].
Excerpts of the native texts from Haleoleʻs publication in Kuokoa are cited below, with translation by Maly. We focus here on excerpts that mention Humuʻula and specific locations on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea (sites today identified as being in the ahupuaʻa of Kaʻohe):
Mokuna VII (Dekemaba 27, 1862)
Chapter VII (December 27, 1862)
la Aiwohikupua ma i haalele ai ia Paliuli, hoi aku la laua a hiki i Keaau, hoomakaukau na waa, a ma ia wanaao, kau maluna o na waa, a hoi i Kauai…
Aiwohikupua and his companion departed from Paliuli, and went to Keaau, where the canoe was readied in the early morning, and they boarded the canoe to return to Kauai…
Ma keia holo ana mai Keaau mai, a kau i Kamaee, ma Hilopaliku, a ma kekahi la ae, haalele lakou ia laila, hiki lakou i Humuula, ma ka palena o Hilo, me Hamakua… A hala hope o Humuula ia lakou, hiki lakou mawaho pono o Kealakaha, ike mai la lakou nei i keia wahine e noho ana i ka pali kahakai, e hiamoe ana nae ke Alii ia manawa.
While on their way from Keaau, they arrived at Kamaee, in Hilopaliku, and on the following day they departed and arrived at Humuula, on the boundary of Hilo and Hamakua… Passing Humuula, they were outside of Kealakaha, where they saw a woman sitting along the ocean cliff. The chief (Aiwohikupua) was asleep at that time.