Battles in Kaʻū

Kaʻū

Battle 3: Pele turns on Kapapala

Pele also made friends and allies, but she was quick to turn on them when she felt slighted. Those that did not respect Pele’s authority always ended up feeling her wrath.

Chief Kapapala visited Pele at her home in Halemaʻumaʻu, the crater at the heart of Kīlauea. He was “welcomed by Pele. They delighted in each other. Many were the games and contests” (Westervelt 1999:33). Kapapala was victorious in the games, and flaunted his prowess in surfing by riding a lava flow on his surf board. An angry Pele then called upon her minions to warp the flowing lava, disrupting and killing Kapapala.

Westervelt, W. D. 1999. Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu

Hilo and Kaʻū

Battles 8, 9 and 10: The moʻo unite and take the fight to Pele

While moʻo were feeling the pinch of the expanding new wave of immigrants, they also managed to take the battle directly to Pele. Kihawahine, a powerful moʻo goddess (Beckwith 1970:125), was angered when her lover named Puna tried to leave her and hide with Pele (Westervelt 1991:157). Kihawahine gathered all of the mo‘o from the entire island chain, and went to Kīlauea to demand that they release her man. They fought at Pele’s doorstep [8], and many mo‘o were killed. Kihawahine escaped to a fishpond east of Hilo called Lokoaka, “the shadow of the dragon”, and from there hightailed it to Molokaʻi. Another version of this legend has Pele’s husband Puna, short for Punaʻaikoaʻe, being seduced by a different but just as beautiful moʻo named Wakakeakaikawai (Manu 1899:52) (moʻo could change form from lizard to human) . This was the pretext for a huge battle at Punaluʻu and Honuʻapo [9] between all of the moʻo from the island chain against Pele. Pele eventually chased Puna and his moʻo lover Waka around the eastern coast of the island finally vanquishing them at the large fishpond that now bears the name Lokowaka, “Waka’s pond” [10].

Beckwith, M. W. 1970. Hawaiian Mythology. The University of Hawai‘i Press, Honolulu.

Manu, M. (Tone-Iahuanu-Tahuira-Iarafrie) 1899. A Hawaiian Legend of a Terrible War between Pele-of-the-Eternal-Fires and Waka-of-the-Shadowy-Waters. Translated by M. K Pukui. From Ka Loea Kalaiaina, May 13-December 30. Hawaiian Ethnological Notes 2:942 to 1008. Bishop Museum Library, Honolulu.

Westervelt, W. D. 1963 (1991). Hawaiian Legends of Ghosts and Ghost-Gods. Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland, Vermont.

Kaʻū

Battle 11: Pele and Kamapuaʻa split the island

Kamapuaʻa, the pig-man god, was either born or settled on Oʻahu (Westervelt 1999:45; Beckwith 1970:201). He became smitten with the beautiful Pele, and in his handsome human form, became Pele’s husband. Their tempestuous love turned bitter, and ultimately to violent struggle. After repulsing Kamapuaʻa from her home in Halemaʻumaʻu, Pele and her family chased the pig-god and his allies down along the chain of craters, where he was finally driven into the sea. They reunited and had a child, but their union faltered and Kamapuaʻa left. Their child Opelunuikauhaalilo “becomes ancestor of chiefs and commoners on Hawaii (according to Kamakau in Beckwith 1970:206).

As a result of this final split, they agreed that Kamapuaʻa would reign over the verdant lands of the north and east portions of the island of Hawaiʻi (Kohalal, Hāmākua, and Hilo), and Pele would rule over the large portion of the island where her lava flows could scorch the earth (Puna, Kāʻu, and Kona) (Beckwith 1970:206; Charlot 1987:41; Elbert 1959:226). Another nemesis of Pele’s, the snow goddess Poliahu, battled Pele many times and restricted her from the lands of Hāmākua (Westervelt 1999:60)

Beckwith, M. W. 1970. Hawaiian Mythology. The University of Hawai‘i Press, Honolulu.

Charlot, J. 1987. The Kamapuaʻa Literature: the Classical Traditions of the Hawaiian Pig God as a Body of Literature. The Institute for Polynesian Studies Monograph Series No. 6. University of Hawaiʻi Press, Honolulu.

Elbert, S. H. (editor) 1959. Selections from Fornander’s Hawaiian Antiquities and Folklore. The University of Hawai‘i Press, Honolulu.

Westervelt, W. D. 1999. Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu.

Hilo and Puna and Kau and Kona

Battles 25 through 29: ʻUmialīloa establishes his dominion over the entire island

Hākau had been a ruthless ruler, so many chiefs were supportive of ʻUmi at the outset (Fornander 1996:96). There were concerns about having this new ruler born of a women of unrecognized rank, however (Elbert 1959:160), and the high chiefs of each district declared their independence from the new island ruler (Elbert 1959:158). After ʻUmi had been slighted in an encounter in Hilo he decided to march his army there. Starting in his royal home in Waipio valley, he took the high mountainous trail of Poliʻahu (Kamakau 1992:16) in an attempt to stay undetected as he approached Hilo. A fisherman named Nau from Puʻuʻeo just north of Hilo discovered the advancing army and met them at a narrow pass above Kaūmana where the army of ʻUmi had to proceed in single file. There Nau single handedly killed many warriors [25] until they finally figured a way around (Elbert 1959:166; Kamakau 1992:17). The army advanced upon and destroyed the chiefs of Hilo [26] after that, thus taking control of the Hāmākua and Hilo districts.

ʻUmi and his army headed southeast to Puna and defeated the Puna chief Huaʻa at the battle of Kuolo near Keaʻau [27] (Elbert 1959:168). ʻUmi’s army then moved south and may have set up headquarters at Ahuaʻumi (Kamakau 1992:35). From there he set to attack the amazing blind Kaʻū [[28]] warrior ruler named Imaikalani (Iʻi 1959:20) at the battle of Kapaliikua (Kamakau 1992:408). Imaikalani could throw five spears with each hand, and had the help of forty spear carriers and his two birds that guided him in battle, but he fell to the crafty general in ʻUmi’s army named Piʻimaiwaʻa (Kamakau 1992:18). ʻUmi’s militia then took Kona and Kohala by defeating ʻEhunuikaimalino [29] (Kamakau 1992:19), thereby establishing his authority over the entire island. Soon after that ʻUmi moved the seat of power for the island from Waipiʻo to Kailua in Kona.

Elbert, S. H. (editor) 1959. Selections from Fornander’s Hawaiian Antiquities and Folklore. The University of Hawai‘i Press, Honolulu.

Fornander, A. 1996. Ancient History of the Hawaiian People. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu.

I‘i, J. 1959. Fragments of Hawaiian History. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

Kamakau, S. M. 1992. Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, Revised Edition. The Kamehameha Schools Press, Honolulu.

Kohala and Kona and Hāmākua and Kaʻū

Battles 47 through 51: Civil War at the borderlands

During this time of warfare between the east and west sides of the island, there was also conflict between neighboring districts within the two major island factions. Desha (2000:193) mentions in passing a rebellion by Mahiʻololī, the famous chief from the powerful Mahi family in Kohala that was the chief counselor for Keakealaniwahine (Fornander 1996:128). Mahiʻololī rebelled against Mahiaeʻe (also known as Mahiua), a chief from Kona in an unspecified location that is presumed to have been in the homelands of Mahiaeʻe somewhere in Kona [47].

Mahiʻololī’s son, Kauauanuimahi (also known as Kauauaamahi), fought a protracted war against the forces from the eastern side of the island that were under the leadership of Mokulani. During this five year long struggle known as He Hale Māmala Koa (The House of Fragmented Warriors), the battle apparently moved all across the island from Mahiki [48], up and over Mauna Kea to Kalaieha [49], then up and over Mauna Loa to Kapuʻa [50] in southern Kona, and may have terminated at Kahuenaha [51] in barren Kahuku, Kaʻū.

Desha, S. L. 2000. Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekūhaupi‘o. Kamehameha Schools Press, Honolulu.

Fornander, A. 1996. Ancient History of the Hawaiian People. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu.

Kaʻū

Battle 83 through 87: Kamehameha’s commander Kaʻiana engages Keōua’s troops on the slopes of Mauna Loa

While Kamehameha was in Hilo, Keōua moved his Pōniu army to engage Kaʻiana, the general of Kamehameha’s Mahi army (Desha 2000:181). The forces moved about in the lower slopes of Mauna Loa just above the barren lands of Kilauea, and battles took place at ‘Ainapō [83], ‘Ōhaikea [84], and then at Kahualoa [85], from there to Keomuku [86] and finally Kapāpala [87]. Kaʻiana was successful in keeping Keōua’s troops at bay, and ultimately Keōua retreated south into Kaʻū (Desha 2000:182).

Desha, S. L. 2000. Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekūhaupi‘o. Kamehameha Schools Press, Honolulu.

Hilo and Puna and Kaʻū

Battles 97 through 102: Kamehameha’s forces strike into Keōua lands

Fornander (1992:326) mentions that Keʻeaumoku with the foreigners John Young and Isaac Davis attacked Keōua’s forces somewhere in Hilo [97]. At the same time Kamehameha’s army under the direction of Ka‘iana took a fleet of war canoes to South Point [98]. Keōua’s warriors set out in canoes and attacked Ka‘iana’s men just off the coast there. The battle moved to land at Paiaha‘a below Kamā‘oa [99] (Desha 2000:288). The fierce battle lasted for three days. The two forces continued fighting at Kamā‘oa [100] and Ua‘ohulelua [101], where the struggle was worst of all (Kamakau 92:153). Keōua maneuvered north to Punakoki in Puna [102] (Desha 2000:288) (called Puʻuakoki in Fornander 1996:327, and Puakokoki in Ellis 1974:210, and Puaʻakoki in Kamakau 1991:15) then made a stand before Ka‘iana’s pursuing army. They fought for three more days until Ka‘iana fled, boarding his canoes and leaving the east side of the island for the last time (Desha 2000:288).

Desha, S. L. 2000. Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekūhaupi‘o. Kamehameha Schools Press, Honolulu.

Ellis, W. 1969. Polynesian Researches Hawaii. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont.

Fornander, A. 1996. Ancient History of the Hawaiian People. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu.

Kamakau, S. M. 1992. Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, Revised Edition. The Kamehameha Schools Press, Honolulu.