The Legend of Aukelenuiaiku. 



CHx'VPTER I. 

 AuKELE AND His Unkind Brethren. 



THIS legend of Aukelenuiaiku ' is one of the most noted of all the legends of 

 Hawaii nei, having its origin in the land of Kuaihelani.' Iku was the father, 

 a great chief, and Kapapaiakea was the mother, from whom twelve children 

 were born. Kuaihelani was the country in which they lived. The names of the 

 children' were: Kekamakahinuiaiku, Kuaiku, Nohoaiku, Heleaiku, Kapukapuaiku, 

 Heaaiku, Lonoheaiku, Naaiku, Noiaiku, Ikumailani and Aukelenuiaiku, all males; 

 and Kaomeaaiku, a female. This legend deals with Aukelenuiaiku. 



From the first-born child to the one just ahead of Aukelenuiaiku, Iku never 

 took them up in his arms, never spoke of leaving the kingdom to any of them, nor did 

 he make much of any of them. But at the birth of Aukelenuiaiku, Iku took the 

 greatest interest in him, took care of him, took him up in his arms, and to him he 

 willed all his honor and glory and the kingdom. Because of this show of favoritism 

 on their father's part toward Aukelenuiaiku, his brothers and sister hated him and 

 they tried to devise some way of getting rid of him. Said the oldest of the children, 

 Kamakahinuiaiku:^ "Yes, our father is indeed strange; although I am the first-born, 

 still our father did not promise to leave me his honor and glory, and not even the 

 kingdom, but here with the last son he has promised to leave these things to him." 



The main pastime indulged in by the brothers of Aukelenuiaiku was wrestling, 

 boxing and other manly games that were known at that time. In these games they 

 became famous in all the land of Kuaihelani as being the strongest, and furthermore, 

 these boys went around the whole countr}' without being beaten. On one of the trips 

 around Kuaihelani the fame and the strength of Kealohikikaupea, a strong man of 

 Kauai, reached these boys. The main deed of strength participated in by this man 

 which made him famous was the great ease he had in breaking a man in two.^ When 

 the boys from Kuaihelani arrived in Kauai, one of them met this strong man and with 

 one blow laid him low. They then made a complete circuit of Kauai without meeting 



'This famous legend of Aukele-nui-a-iku, says For- 

 nander, has the earmarks of great antiquity and is 

 known in some forniorother on severalof the Polynesian 

 groups, Aukcle, the hero, being the youngest son of 

 Iku, or Aiku in other lands. The story has marked 

 resemblance in several features to the Hebrew account 

 of Joseph and his brethren, and is traced back to Cushite 

 origin through wanderings and migrations rather than 

 being an evidence of Spanish influence during their 

 contact with this group of islands in the sixteenth and 

 seventeenth centuries. See Pol. Race, Vol. I, p. 40. 



-This point of origin is a popular mythical land whose 

 name, likely, was intended to perpetuate its favored 

 (32) 



location, "shouldering or supporting heaven." It is 

 freely used, anil at times becomes Kiiihelani. 



^The family connection -a- to Iku is maintained 

 throughout, Iku as the source, being the ending of each 

 name but one, the tenth, in which case it is changed to 

 Iku from heaven. 



■"The name of the tirst-born differs here, shortened by 

 omission of the prefix Ke, the. 



'This has reference to the alleged ability of expert 

 wrestlers to break the bones of an opponent while hold- 

 ing him in mid air. Lua, the art of breaking the bones 

 of a person was much practiced in ancient times. 



