116 Bernicc P. Bishop Museum — Bulletin 



MAKUAKAUMANA 



A LEGEND OF OAHU 



The story of a man who was swallowed by the big 

 fish, and of this man's gods, Kane and Kanaloa. 



Maktiakavimana was a farmer, planting anv, bananas, and sugar cane 

 for his gods, and taro and sweet potatoes for liimself and his friends. He 

 and his wife lived at Kauluanui in the district of Koolau, on Oahu. They 

 had one child, a boy, and when this boy was twelve years old his mother 

 died. 



After the death of his wife, IMakuakaumana went alone to his farm in 

 the mountains, leaving his son in charge of his house. Whenever Makua 

 ate, or slept, or worked, he prayed to his gods, Kane and Kanaloa, but he 

 did not know exactly how to end his prayers, for he always omitted the 

 words "amama ua noa:"' 



The gods had noticed Makua's strict observance of prayer and so they 

 had decided to take him to live with them on Ulukoa, the land that was 

 hidden from the sight of man, and called the Island-Hidden-by-Kane. The 

 people who lived on this island were the direct descendants of Kane. 

 They were 0-Kane, Kanaloa, Kane-of-the-Water-of-Life, Kane-of-Thun- 

 der, Kane-that-Breaks-the-Heaven, Kane-of-the-Rocks, Kane-of-the-Roll- 

 ing-Thunder, Kane-of-the-Rough-Cave, Kane-of-the-White-Cave, Kane- 

 that-Sleeps-in-the-Road, Kane-that-Sleeps-in-the-Water, Kane-that-Shakes- 

 the-Earth, Kane-of-the-Light, Kane-in-the-Break-of-Day, Kane-in-the-Twi- 

 light, Kane-in-the-Whirlwind, Kane-in-the-Sun, Kane-in-the-Prayers, Kane- 

 the-Skilful, Kane-the-Jumper, Kane-the-Brave-One, Kane-Who-Hid-the- 

 Island, Kane-the-Watchman, Kane-that-Ran-on-the-Cliff, and Kane-the- 

 Eyeball-of-the-Sun. 



Each of these gods had his own tasks to perform as indicated by his 

 name. These gods lived in bodies of men on the beautiful land of 

 Ulukoa. There all food grew without cultivation. There everyone was 

 happy. There no weeping, no wailing, no pain, no sickness, no death was 

 known. There the inhabitants lived forever and when they became very 

 old, their bodies were changed into spirit bodies without tasting of death, 

 and then they become gods and lived in the clouds. From their home in 

 the clouds their spirits could come to earth in men's bodies or in spirit 

 bodies as they preferred. 



'"Amama ua noa," "The prayer is finished, or freed." This is almost equivalent 

 to "Amen," but its use antedates any Christian influence. 



