Creation Myths. 



A 



CCORDING to the legend of Kiunuhonua the creation of the world and of man 

 proceeded in this wise. In the beginning there were four ages or "/lo." First: 

 po-loa. Second: po-niii-axi-xva-ca. Third: po-kanaka. Fourth: po-hana. 



1 . During the po-loa there was neither heaven nor earth : there was simply a 

 deep, immeasurable darkness, in which dwelt the god Kane, called "Kanc-i-ka-po-loa." 

 He was a spirit (uliatic) without a body. 



2. During the po-iiui-ati-wa-ca or po-iuii-aca. the world and man were created bv 

 Kane, Ku, and Lono. Light was first made, and when it appeared the world (lioinia) 

 was seen floating about in the darkness ; then all other things were created, and lastly 

 man. 



3. During the po-kanaka man was created. Kiiiiiulioiiita was the first man. He 

 was made from the settlings of muddy water (Koana zvai Icpo), in the manner of steam 

 rising from the water ( piihololioloia ). He was also called Honua-ula or the red earth. 

 Afterwards Kane created the woman who was called Lalo-honua. She was made from 

 the side of Kumuhonua. Lalo is an ancient name in Hawaiian for the ribs ( nviaoao). 



4. The po-liaiia is divided in two parts: the po-liana and the po-aiiliiilihia. 



The po-hana reaches from the creation of Kumuhonua to the time of Nuu. At 

 first Kane li\'ed with Kumuhonua on earth : then Kane gave him laws and instructions and 

 went up to heaven to reside, and Kumuhonua and Lalo-honua remained on earth. 

 Kumuhonua was now called Kane-laau-uli. He broke the law of Kane. The law re- 

 ferred to a laan kapii (forbidden tree), and ///;' (feebleness, death,) was the punish- 

 ment. 



The po-auluililiia. so called because the earth and all on it was destroyed by the 

 flood ( koi-a-kaliiiialii). Nuu built a big canoe called Waa-halau-alii-o-ka-moku. 



The gods (Kane, Ku, and Lono), seeing the man without a wife, descended on 

 earth, put him into a sleep, took out one of his ribs (lalo-piihaka ) and made it into a 

 woman. They then awoke the man who found the woman on his right side, and she was 

 called Ke-Ola-Ku-Honua. 



The Hawaiian Legend of \\'elaahilani is substantially the same, but the first 

 woman's name is Owe. 



A Tahitian legend also refers to the creation of the first woman from a rib of the 

 first man, and calls her Owa, or Owe. 



In the Mele of Kamapuaa reference is made to Ku, Kane. Kanaloa, as the gods of 

 the night and of the day. 



Kamapuaa is also called "ka Jiaolc niii. iiiaka^ ololiilolii," and is said to have eight 

 legs and eight eyes. 



The legend of Pele and Kamapuaa represents some confused and half forgotten 



^Maka olohilohi, or more properly alohilohi, means bright, sparkling eyes. 



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