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‘Ai‘ai Moke Manu Translated by Moses Nakuina After the death of Kamohoali‘i, the ali‘i of Hana, ‘Ai‘ai left the people of Haneo‘o catching hinalea and went to Kumaka, a place where freshwater springs out from the sand and rocks near the surf of Puhele, at Hamoa. There he raised upright a large, long stone that lay in the sea and also placed other stones about the freshwater spring; then he told his friend: “Today I name this stone Ku-a-lanakila (“Erect in victory”), for I have triumphed over my enemies; and I hereby declare that all fishes, crabs, and seaweeds shall return again in plenty throughout the seas of Hana, as in the days when my parents were living in the flesh at Leho‘ula.” The story of Ku‘ula and ‘Ai‘ai is memorialized by this stone, and people have flocked to see the stone and verify the tradition. Some kahuna advise their suffering patients to visit the stone with offerings for relief from sickness and also to bathe in the spring of Kumaka and the surf of Puhele. This was a favorite spot for the ali‘i of olden times to bathe and surf, and is often referred to in the stories and legends of Hawai‘i-nei. This was the first stone raised by ‘Ai‘ai and established as a ku‘ula (a shrine to attract and multiply fish) at Hamoa, and the old people of Hana believe it brought the fish back to their waters. After ‘Ai‘ai carried out his father’s instructions to bring the fish back to Hana, his fame spread throughout the district, and the people made much of him during his stay with them. ‘Ai‘ai’s great service during his boyhood was to teach his friend and his friend’s parents how to make the various kinds of fishing nets and lines. When they were skilled in fishing with these nets and lines, ‘Ai‘ai called the people together and declared his friend the head fisherman of Hana, with full control of all the ko‘a i‘a (fishing grounds) ‘Ai‘ai had established there. Thus ‘Ai‘ai conferred his mana kupua, second to none, on his friend, whereby ‘Ai‘ai’s name would be perpetuated and his fame established all over the land. The first ko‘a i‘a where ‘Ai‘ai measured the depth of the sea is near Aleamai, his birthplace, and is called Ka-puka-ulua (“The ulua hole”), the cave where he hooked the puhi Koona. This spot is a few miles from the shore to the southeast of th rocky islet called ‘Alau. The second ko‘a he established was a spot a mile from Haneo‘o and Hamoa—for kala (a horned surgeonfish) palani (a surgeonfish), nanue (a rudder fish), puhi (eel) and ula (lobster). These varieties of fish are caught not with net or hook, but with basket traps filled with bait and let down in the deep sea. The third ko‘a, which ‘Ai‘ai named Ko‘a‘ula, was located out in the deep sea, at a depth of about two hundred fathoms. Fishermen have to locate this ko‘a for deep sea fish by certain shore bearings; otherwise the fishermen may miss the exact spot and end up fishing at a place where their hooks and lines can get caught in coral and rocks. All the ko‘a ‘Ai‘ai located have no coral ledges which catch and entangle hooks and lines, and old Hawaiians commended his skill in finding such locations, believing he was helped by his father, Ku‘ula. At the bay of Wananalua, the present port of Hana, with its noted hill Ka‘uiki and the sandy beach of Pueokahi, ‘Ai‘ai established a ku‘ula and also placed a fish stone, the ko‘a known as Maka-kilo-i‘a (“Eyes of the fish spotter”), in the cliff of Ka‘uiki. The people of Hana credit this stone with the frequent appearance of the akule (scad), ‘o‘io (bonefish), moi (threadfish), and other fish in their waters. ‘Ai‘ai then proceeded to Honoma‘ele (west of Hana on the northern coast of Maui), where he picked up three pebbles at the shore and placed them out beyond the breaking surf. In due time, these three pebbles attracted other pebbles and formed a regular ridge where the ‘aweoweo (a rough-skinned red fish with big eyes) gathered from the far ocean for rest; whereupon the people came with nets, hooks, and lines, and caught all they desired. The writer witnessed such fishing in 1845, but today, this ko‘a for ‘aweoweo is difficult to locate, because all the old residents who knew its location are gone—either died or moved away. ‘Ai‘ai next went over to Waiohue (a bay west of Honoma‘ele), Ko‘olau, where he placed a stone on a sharp rocky island called Paka, on which a few pu hala (pandanus trees) grow. At a certain time of the year, the kala come in from the ocean, attracted to this place by the power of this stone. They continue on westward to Mokumana, a cape between Ke‘anae and Wailua-nui. They come in gradually for two days, and on the third day, at the pali of Ohea, they are taken with nets. In olden times while the fishermen were hauling in their nets full of kala into the canoes, the akule and ‘o‘io also came in great numbers, making it impossible to catch all the fish in one day; and so many fish were gathered in the nets, it took the fishermen a day and a night before they could care for their catch, which was more than they could use, so the leftovers were fed to the pigs and dogs. The kala of Ohea is noted for its fatness and fine flavor. Few people are living there now, and the people who knew about this fishing are dead; but the stone ‘Ai‘ai placed on that little island at Waiohue is still there. ‘Ai‘ai stayed there a few days and then returned to Hana and lived at this birthplace quite a long time till he was a grown man. During this period he taught his art of fishing in all its forms; and when he was satisfied the people were proficient, he prepared to visit other places to teach his art. But before leaving Hana, ‘Ai‘ai told the friend he had appointed as head fisherman of Hana to go and kill the big he‘e kupua (supernatural octopus) in the deep sea right off of Wailuanui, Ko‘olau (west of Waiohue); and his friend consented. When the canoes were prepared and drawn to the beach and the people were ready to go, ‘Ai‘ai gave his friend the hokeo (gourd for fishing gear) in which the leho (cowry shell lure for catching octopus) his father had given him was kept. This shell is called Leho‘ula (“Red cowry ”), and Leho‘ula in Hana was named after it. The people went in the canoes till they reached the pali near Kopiliula, where they rested. ‘Ai‘ai was not with them, but supervised their work from the pali of Puhiai. While resting, they prepared the leho for lowering, and when it was ready, ‘Ai‘ai’s friend called on Ku‘ula and Hina for the assistance of their mana kupua. Then he removed the covering of the gourd and took out the leho, which had rich beautiful colors like the rainbow; he attached it to a line and lowered it into the sea, where it sent out rays of fiery light. The he‘e was so attracted by the radiance that it came out of its hole and with its great arms, which were as long and thick as full-grown coconut trees, pushed up to the surface of the water and stood there like a coconut grove. The men were frightened, for the he‘e entered among the canoes, intending to destroy the canoes and the men and capture the leho; but it failed because ‘Ai‘ai’s friend, at the proper moment, shoved a stone he had brought into the head of the he‘e; and the weight of the stone drew the he‘e down to the bottom of the sea and kept it there; being powerless to remove the stone, the he‘e died. The men seized and cut off one of the arms; it was so big it loaded down all the canoes and they returned to Hana with just that one arm. The rest of the he‘e turned to stone and is pointed out today just outside of Wailuanui, where a stone formation resembles the body of a he‘e with one arm missing. When ‘Ai‘ai saw from the pali that his friend had succeeded in killing the he‘e, he returned to Hana; the canoes arrived shortly after him and the arm of the he‘e was divided among the people according to his directions. When ‘Ai‘ai saw his friend and others of Hana were skilled in all the arts of fishing, he decided to leave his birthplace and journey elsewhere. So he called a council of his friends and told them he intended to leave to establish other ko‘a and instruct other people with all the knowledge thereof, as his father, Ku‘ula, wished him to do. They approved of this plan and expressed their indebtedness to ‘Ai‘ai for all the benefits he had bestowed on them. On leaving Aleamai, ‘Ai‘ai took with him the fishhook Manaiakalani and the pa hi aku Kahuoi from his little cave on the hill of Kaiwiopele and disappeared in the mysterious manner of his parents. He established ku‘ula and ko‘a ‘aina by placing three fish stones at various points as far as Kipahulu (district and valley on the southeast coast of Maui). At a bend in the streams of Kikoo and Ma‘ulili stands a stone which was thrown there by ‘Ai‘ai, unmoved by the many freshets that have swept the valleys since that time. Out in the sea of Ma‘ulili (west of Kipahulu on Maui’s southern coast) is a famous ko‘a known as Koanui, about a mile from shore and marking the boundary of the sea of Ma‘ulili. The fish that appear periodically at this ko‘a and are caught within its limits have ever since been subject to a division between the fishermen and the landowner. At this ko‘a, the fisherman’s hook will not return without a fish except if the hook is lost or the line cut. The first time ‘Ai‘ai tested this ko‘a and caught a fish with his noted hook, he saw a fisherman named Kanemakua drifting idly in a canoe without catching anything. Seeing ‘Ai‘ai, Kanemakua paddled till he came close to where ‘Ai‘ai was floating on an improvised canoe, a wiliwili log, without an outrigger, which much surprised Kanemakua. Before Kanemakua reached him, ‘Ai‘ai felt a tug at his line and knew he had caught a fish and began pulling it in. When Kanemakua came within speaking distance, ‘Ai‘ai greeted him and gave him the fish, putting it into Kanemakua’s canoe. Kanemakua was pleased and thanked ‘Ai‘ai for his generosity. While putting the fish in the canoe, ‘Ai‘ai said: “This is the first time I have fished in these waters to locate this ko‘a, and as you are the first man I meet I give you the first fish caught. I also give you charge of this ko‘a. But take my advice—when you come here to fish and see a man approach you in a canoe and float alongside of you, if you have already caught a fish, give it to him as I have done to you, without regret, and thus get a good name for yourself and be known as a generous man. If you follow this advice, you and your relations will receive great benefits.” As ‘Ai‘ai finished speaking, he suddenly disappeared, and Kanemakua could hardly believe he had not been dreaming, but for the assurance he had in the great fish lying in his canoe. He returned to shore with his prize, which was so large and heavy that it required the help of two others to carry it to the house, where it was cut up and baked in an imu (earth oven). When it was cooked, he took the eyes of the fish and offered them up as a thanksgiving sacrifice. Then his family, friends, and neighbors came to the feast and ate freely. All this time Kanemakua was thinking of ‘Ai‘ai’s words, which he duly observed. The first ku‘ula established at Ma‘ulili, Maui, was named after Kanemakua, and from that time the fish have been given out freely, without restriction or division. After establishing the different ku‘ula along the coast from Hana to Kipahulu, ‘Ai‘ai went to Kaupo (a district west of Ma‘ulili on the southern coast of Maui) and other places. A noted ko‘a and ku‘ula are at Kahikinui (a district west of Kaupo on the southern coast of Maui). All the ko‘a of this coast are in the deep sea, where nets of three kinds are used; there are also places for pole-fishing and ulua fishing because this part of the island faces the wind; but the ku‘ula on this coast are located on the shore, as is also the one at Honua‘ula (a district west of Kahikinui), where it has been covered over by a lava flow. Thus ‘Ai‘ai performed his good work in establishing ku‘ula and ko‘a all around the island of Maui. He is also said to have visited Kaho‘olawe and established a ku‘ula at Hakioawa (a bay on the NE coast), though it differs from the others in being built on a high bluff overlooking the sea, somewhat like a temple; its stones are in the form of a square, with a space in the middle where the fishermen of Kaho‘olawe laid their first fish caught as a thanks-offering. ‘Awa and kapa were also placed there as offerings to the fishing ‘aumakua. Some people believe the ko‘a of Kamohoali‘i, the king shark of Kaho‘olawe, is on this island, but if all the stories told of this ko‘a be examined, no reference to a ko‘a of his on this island will be found. From Kaho‘olawe, ‘Ai‘ai went to Lana‘i, where he started fishing for aku (bonito) at Cape Kaunolu (at the southern tip of Lana‘i), using his pa Kahuoi. This is the first known case of fishing for aku with a pa from land, as this fish is usually caught only in deep water far from shore. In the story of Kane‘apua, it is said Kane‘apua was the only one who fished for aku at Kaunolu Cape, where it was started by ‘Ai‘ai. From Kaunolu, ‘Ai‘ai went to Ka‘ena Cape (at the NW end of Lana‘i), where at a little sandy beach now known as Polihua, close to Paoma‘i (a district of NW Lana‘i), he took a stone and carved a figure on it, then carried it down to the beach and called on his parents. During the incantations, the stone moved toward the sea and disappeared into the water. When the incantations ended, the stone reappeared and moved toward ‘Ai‘ai till it reached the spot where he had laid it, whereupon it was transformed into a turtle and gave the name of Polihua (“Bosom [of] eggs”) to that beach. Thus ‘Ai‘ai introduced the first turtle in the seas of Hawai‘i on the island of Lana‘i, and also originated the turtle’s habit of going up the beach to lay eggs, then returning to the sea. After making a circuit of Lana‘i, ‘Ai‘ai went over to Moloka‘i, landing at Punakou (on the southern coast) and traveling along the shore till he reached Kaunakakai (east of Punakou). At this place right near shore, he saw spawns of mullet, called pua ‘i‘i, and kicked them onto the sand. This practice of kicking fish onto shore is carried on to this time, but only at this place. ‘Ai‘ai continued on along the Kona (south) side of Moloka‘i, examining its fishing grounds and establishing ku‘ula till he got to Halawa (a valley on the east end of Moloka‘i). On the Ko‘olau (north) side of the island, he stopped at Wailau (a valley west of Halawa) and saw the cave of the puhi Koona that went to Hana and stole the fish from his father’s pond, causing all the trouble that befell his parents and himself. When ‘Ai‘ai landed at Wailau, he saw both sides of the valley covered with men, women, and children engaged in closing up the stream and diverting its water to another course where they could scoop up the ‘o‘opu (goby fish) and ‘opae (shrimp). The water being low, the gourds of some of the people were full from their catch. ‘Ai‘ai noticed their wanton method of fishing, whereby all the ‘o‘opu and ‘opae were caught without any thought of conservation for their propagation, so he called on his parents to take all the fish away. The prayer was granted, for suddenly all the ‘o‘opu and ‘opae disappeared; those in the water went up the stream to a place called Koki, while those in the gourds were turned into lizards which scampered out and ran all over the rocks. The people were much surprised at this change and felt sorely disappointed at the loss of their food supply. Because of his regard for a certain local lad named Kahiwa (“The chosen one”), ‘Ai‘ai revealed to him the place of the ‘opae up the steep cliff of Koki. The youth followed ‘Ai‘ai’s directions and found the ‘o‘opu and ‘opae where they are still found today. This incident established the noted saying of the old people of that land: “Koki-o-Wailau is the ladder of the ‘opae.” The cliff is also known as the “Pali of Kahiwa.” Before ‘Ai‘ai left Wailau, he showed this lad the ku‘ula and the ko‘a in the sea he had established there, the ko‘a being at the same distance offshore as that rocky island known as Mokapu. ‘Ai‘ai then went to Pelekunu, Waikolu, and Kalawao (places west of Wailau along the north coast), even to Kalaupapa, the present home of the lepers. At Kalaupapa (the peninsula west of Kalawao), he left a certain fish stone, so the fish constantly gather there, even to this day. He also went to Ho‘olehua (a land divsion west of Kalaupapa Peninsula) and so on, as far as Ka lae o ka ‘ilio (NW cape of Moloka‘i) and Ka lae o ka la‘au (SW cape of Moloka‘i). Between these two capes is a ko‘a established by ‘Ai‘ai where a tree grew out from under a rock, Ekaha by name. It is a hardwood tree, but the trunk and branches are without leaves. This place is a great haunt for fishermen with their hooks. ‘Ai‘ai then went to O‘ahu, first landing at Makapu‘u (beach at the east tip of O‘ahu), in Ko‘olau, where he founded a pohaku-i‘a (fish stone) for red fish and speckled fish and called it Malei. This was a female rock, and the fish of that place is the uhu (parrot fish). The rock is referred to in a mele (song) of Hi‘iaka: I will not go to the stormy capes of Ko‘olau, From the time ‘Ai‘ai founded that spawning-place until now, the fish from Makapu‘u to Hanauma has been the uhu. There were also several gathering places for fish established outside of Kawaihoa (present day Portlock). ‘Ai‘ai next moved to Maunalua, then to Wai‘alae and Kahala-ia (places along O‘ahu’s southern coast going west from Makapu‘u). At Ka‘alawai (the beach between Black Point and Diamond Head) he placed a white and brown rock. There in that place is an underwater pit filled with aholehole (a silvery perch-like fish), so the name of the area is Ka-lua-hole (“The pit of the ahole”). Right outside of Kahua-hui there is a ko‘a where ‘Ai‘ai placed a large round sandstone that is surrounded by spawning-places for fish; Ponahakeone is its name. In ancient times the chiefs selected a very secret place wherein to hide the dead bodies of their greatly beloved, lest someone should steal the bones to make fishhooks, or arrows with which to shoot mice. For that reason the ancients referred to Ponahakeone as “He Lualoa no Na‘li‘i” (“A Deep Pit for the Chiefs”). |