6 Foiiiaiidir CoIIcciioii of Hira'aiian Folk-lore. 



how the race spread throughout the group. It is only the birth of the islands that is 

 referred to and made plain b)' this historj-, tradition or recital of events, and it is well 

 to look at the genealogy of the islands and see how they (the islands) became land 

 according to the setting of historical events shown in the following chapter. 



CHAPTER II. 



According to this tradition Hawaii just rose up from the ocean, together with 

 the group of islands of Tahiti, and it would seem the Tahitian Islands were the first 

 group in this Pacific Ocean, and Hawaii was of a later appearance, as shown bj' the 

 lines in the mele composed by Kahakuikamoana running thus: 



"Now Cometh forth Hawaiimiiakea, 

 Appeareth out of darkness. 

 An island, a laud is born, 

 The row of islands from Nuumea; 

 The group of islands at the borders of Tahiti." 



According to these lines of the song the origin of Hawaii is made clear and it 

 would seem it arose from the ocean, which theory would agree with that of some of the 

 scientific discoveries of the present day, and such is the belief of travelers. 



In looking to ascertain the origin of Maui it would seem that it was the same as 

 Hawaii's, just appearing from out of the sea, and here are some of the lines of the mele 

 composed by Kahakuikamoana before mentioned in Chapter I touching on that subject: 



"Maui was born an island, a land, 

 A dwelling place for the children of Kamalalawalu." 



As for Molokai the birth of that island is referred to in the lines of the same song 



in this wise: 



"It was Kuluwaiea of Haumea who was husband, 



It was Hinanuialana the wife, 



Then was born Molokai, a god, a priest, 



A j-ellow flower' from Nuumea." 



It would seem that Kuluwaiea was a husband of Haumea,' but went after 

 Hinanuialana who conceived Molokai, a god and priest. 



As to the tradition in regard to Lanai, it is not stated where it appeared from, 

 but it is told in the tradition that Lanai was a foster child. That is clearly shown in 

 the mele of Kahakuikamoana in the fourth verse reading thus: 



"Here stands the king, the heavenly one, 

 The life-giving water-drops, from Tahiti. 

 I^anai was found an adopted child." 



'See note 4, page 2. kane i moe ia Hinanuialana ka waliine a hanan, etc. 



^This is an erruncous conception of the meaning of the It was Kuluwaiea the son of Haumea who intermarried 



line "Na Kuluwaiea o Haumea". I believe the real with Hinanuilana as wife and was born to tliem, etc. 



meaning, in prose, is N'a Kuluwaiea keiki a Haumea ke [Trans, comment.] 



