714 Fornandcr Collection of Hawaiian Folk-lore. 



CONCERNIXG THF. REMAIXIXG OF THE GUARDS TO KEEP WATCH OVER THE CORPSE. 



\\ hilst they were residin"- and keeping vigil over the deceased, when four days 

 had elapsed since the jjlacing of Kawelo on high, and who had begun to decompose,^" 

 as the skin of the man was seen to burst open, they started to light a fire, because they 

 were short of fish. They had, however, plenty of vegetable food. As to the fire they 

 had kindled, it was oljtained from one of the woods, since fire was not then commonly 

 known. Their fire having been lighted and the kukui-nut" having been cooked, they 

 sat down to eat; after which they laid down to sleej). They heard the thump of the 

 bundle, and though they thought that its occupant was dead, yet it was still li\ing. 

 The wife said to the husband: "Go over and examine your brother-in-law; perhai)s 

 the ro])e has given way." The husband replied, "Maybe it is a ghost; 1 am afraid." 

 The wife spoke: "\'ou just simply go and jieep, and then come back." "All right," 

 the husband answered. 



\\ hereupon the husband \entured, trembling on account of fear, and peeped in. 

 But to his amazement, the corpse was shaking about in the covering, and the husband 

 exclaimed to his wife: "Say, he is a ghost, for he is here shaking!" The wife ran 

 over and, noticing it tremble, said to the husband: "Disengage him, you who have 

 strong hands, and examine his injuries." The husband unfastened it, but the wife had 

 withdrawn, and he saw the body of Kawelo trembling. If the brother-in-law had per- 

 haps then killed him, Kawelo would then have been fore\er done with ! Not so ! Pity 

 possessed him. and [he] called to his wife: "Say, you! Come hither and let us give 

 him treatment. He is alive." The other responded and both massaged'^'' him. 



But when they observed the skin was of dififerent colors, being black and red. 

 Perhaps the reason for the blackness was because of the continuous bruisings by the 

 stones. Nevertheless, Kawelo was lifted and conveyed to the place they had started 

 the fire, massaged and also warmed up near the fire; and they were up until midnight. 

 Then the body of Kawelo gradually came out of that state of syncope, and he saw 

 the others. He was assisted and sat up, though he was very feeble; he saluted and 

 the others did likewise. After they had si)ent a sleepless night, and somewhere be- 

 tween daybreak and the approach of daylight, they noticed that the body of Kawelo 

 was slowly recovering. It was not like that before in excessive darkness of color. He 

 had resumed his usual appearance. 



Kawelo said: "^V)U two are perhaps the only ones up here to guard me. Is 

 there no one else?" The woman replied: "Ves, we are alone. I never thought of 

 watching over you, but it became necessarv since I saw that vou were of my blood, 

 because the older brother of m\- father"'" is vour father. Therefore, mv pity for \'ou 

 welled up, and I besought the king that I kee]) watch until vou decomposed, when 

 you were to be sent for and your bones striniied." Kawelo spoke on: "Was there no 



""The term malchulehu (appearance) f'ka ac (burst- '"Lomi, or lomilomi, a massage treatment for bruised 



iiig) conveys the idea of decomposition liaving set in, or tired body in wbich Havvaiians arc acknowledged 



quite natural at the end of four days, yet not borne out experts, 



by subsequent events. "The caretaker of the body of Kawelo, stated as his 



"Cooked kukui-nut called akimoiui, is usually the sister, is here shown to be his cousin, 

 pounded kernels, thougii sometimes eaten without such 

 preparation. 



