Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology) Collected and Translated from the Hawaiian — A Closer Reading

Journeys Between Islands

The excerpts repeatedly depict travel as a central structural element. Characters like Kau-lana use a "shell boat of the deep blue sea" to move swiftly from Hawaii to Oahu. The text describes how "Mo-o-inanea prepared large ocean-going canoes" for some families while she and her people used "magic boats." These journeys are not merely transitions but are described with specific landmarks: landing at Heeia on the northern side of the Nuuanu precipice, then going over to Waolani. The movement is often accompanied by changes in the environment—the land is "covered with rainclouds, heavy and black" as Mo-o-inanea departs. This emphasis on travel suggests that the geography of the islands is integral to the mythology, with each location carrying its own significance.

Recurring Images of Boats and Trees

Two recurring images stand out in the excerpts: boats and trees. Boats appear as shell boats, magic boats, and ocean-going canoes, each with distinct properties. The shell boat responds to a call: "O my red shell boat of the deep blue sea and the black sea, come up to me." Trees also play a pivotal role, particularly the trees Makalei and Makuukao, which "prepared cooked food and fish." Makalei brings fish from the ocean, but its journey is interrupted when noisy menehunes and eepas shout, causing it to fall at the foot of the pali. These images are not static; they are active agents in the narrative, driving the plot forward. The combination of boats and trees underscores the connection between travel and sustenance in Hawaiian mythology.

Transformation and Hidden Lands

The excerpts show a pattern of transformation and concealment. Mo-o-inanea changes her land before leaving, "shutting up all the places where her family had lived" and making them "entirely different from any other lands, so that no other persons but gods or ghosts could live in them." This creates a hidden land, later known as "The Hidden Land of Kane." Similarly, the Maiden of the Golden Cloud and her husband, after death, "laid aside their human bodies" and became aumakuas, or ghost-gods, appearing "in the skies, over the mountains and valleys." These transformations are not merely personal; they alter the physical landscape. The dragons also settle in Western Oahu, from Waialua to Ewa, marking the land as their home. This interplay between visible and hidden realms is a key structural feature.

The Role of Noise and Silence

A notable detail in the excerpts is the emphasis on noise and silence as forces that shape events. When Makalei begins to come up from the sea, Kau-lana-iki-pokii instructs that "there must not be any noise when that great tree came up from the sea. They must hear and remain silent." The menehunes and eepas, however, shout in astonishment, causing Makalei to fall and the fish to scatter. Kau-lana's wrath leads to the punishment of the noisy ones, who are driven away from Waolani. This episode highlights the power of sound—or its absence—in determining outcomes. It also serves as a cautionary tale within the narrative, illustrating how disobedience can disrupt divine plans. The contrast between commanded silence and chaotic noise recurs as a motif.

Readers will find that Westervelt's collection rewards attention to the specific details of travel, transformation, and the consequences of noise. The excerpts suggest a world where geography is fluid and actions have immediate, tangible effects on the landscape. Rather than a static mythology, these stories present a dynamic system of movement and change, where gods, ghosts, and humans interact across visible and hidden realms. The structure of the book, with its focus on journeys and recurring images, invites readers to trace these patterns across the chapters.

Some evenings, I think of those Hawaiian voyagers in Westervelt’s collection, crossing the sea in shell boats toward hidden shores, and I am reminded of Finn’s own restless travels through Ireland’s misted landscapes. Both tales hold that same quiet ache of leaving, of seeking what lies just beyond the familiar. The high deeds of Finn, and other bardic romances of ancient Ireland — Background and Themes carries a similar salt wind, a shared longing for otherworldly thresholds.