Ka Moolelo o Eleio - Mokuna 3

S. N. Pualewa
September 1863

Reproduced below is the third installment of S. N. Pualewa’s 12-part mo‘olelo published serially in the Hawaiian Language newspaper Kū‘ōko‘a in September–November 1863. Although Pualewa’s title suggests that ‘Ele‘io, the fleet-footed messenger of Maui’s high chief Kāka‘alaneo, will be the hero of the story, the greater part of the story is, in fact, concerned with the life of Kāka‘alaneo’s son, the trickster-chief Kaululā‘au, who is still remembered for ridding Lāna‘i of its horde of murderous akua. The story of Kaululā‘au has undergone something of a revival with the publication of Ellie Crowe’s children’s book The Boy Who Tricked The Ghosts and with Keali‘iwahine Hokoana’s production of the one-man play The Legend of Kaululā‘au. Crowe’s book, in our opinion, would have benefitted from a careful examination of the story’s primary, Hawaiian language sources. Much of Hokoana’s success, on the other hand, stems from her adherence to Pualewa. We present Pualewa’s "Mokuna 3" below.

Mokuna 3, Nupepa Kuokoa, 19 Kepakemapa, 1863

A hiki o Eleio i ka hale. A aloha aku la i ka makuahine o ka mea i make, aloha mai la no hoi lakou la.

Olelo aku la no hoi o Eleio. "Kai ka hele pu mai nei me ko‘u hoa hele, a hoi ae la no i kona wahi."

Olelo aku la ka wahine kamaaina, "Aia i hea kou hoa hele i hoi ae la."

Wahi a Eleio, "Aia i kela puoa e ku malaila la, aia ilaila ia i komo aku la." Alaila, ae aku la ka makuahine o ka mea i make. "Ae, he makuahine hoi paha no maua ua make iho nei, awalu la la ilalo, o ka iwa keia la o po iho, eia ka ua mahaoi hele aku nei a loaa mai nei ia oe."

Wahi hoi a Eleio, "Loaa mai nei la hoi iau i ke alanui, ua kuhi mai nei au he wahine maoli, aole ka, eia ka he wahine uhane, o ke koi mai nei ka iala ia‘u e hele mai ma kauhale nei e ai ai, oia ko‘u mea i kipa mai nei maanei." A lohe ka makuahine i keia mau olelo.

Olelo aku oia i ka Aipupuu e lawe i ai imua; i ai ka malihini malaila, a pau kana ai ana, olelo aku la oia, "Aole anei he mea i nalowale a ke kaikamahine?"

Hai mai la lakou. "He mea no i nalowale, he Ahuula, he Palaoa, aole nae i paa loa ka Ahuula i ka hanaia, hookahi poho i koe aole i paa."

Ninau aku la o Eleio i ka makuahine o ka mea i make, "Auhea kona makuakane."

Hai mai la kela, "A i aku nei la iuka me na kanaka i ka mahiai."

Ninau hou aku la o Eleio. "Aohe o oukou kanaka e ae e noho koke mai ana i keia manawa."

I mai la ka makuahine o ka mea i make, "He kanaka no, o ka Aipuupuu a makou, oia wale no ke kanaka i hoonohoia iho nei i mea lawelawe na makou."

Olelo aku la o Eleio, "E kahea aku ia ia, e hele mai a e eli malalo iho nei o ka paepae o ka puka la! Ma hoi e loaa, alaila, ua pololei hoi ke kuhikuhi ana mai nei a ka mea i make i na mea i nalowale; a i loaa ole hoi ea, e hoomanao ae no kakou, no ke Akua o ka hanalepo ulaula, he poa huna ko lakou la i aouli."

Ia manawa koke no hoi, o ka eli iho la no hoi ia o ua kanaka nei, ma kahi a Eleio i kuhikuhi ai, a loaa io ae la no hoi ka Ahuula ame ka Palaoa.

A i ka ike ana mai o ka makuahine i ka loaa io ana ae o na mea i nalowale ai mai ko laua mau maka aku, pihoihoi loa ae la o ia me ka haalulu, no kona ike pono ana aku i na mea a ke kaikamahine i lawelawe ai.

Ia manawa, uwe ae la oia ame na wahine a pau o ko laua alo no ke aloha i ke kaikamahine, no ka mea, oia no ka lakou mea nui i ka wa e ola ana.

A no ka piha loa mai o ko lakou naau i ke aloha i ka mea i make, nolaila, hapai nui ae la lakou i kekahi mele hoalohaloha no ua kaikamahine nei, penei:

No kuu kaikamahine makani ke aloha,

Aia la i Puakoi,

Ua hoohalikelike wale no Kilioe.

Me ka wahine noho makani la i Haena—e,

Ua hoeena, ua haalele i ka makua,

Kuu lei mae ole he keiki,

He hiwahiwa, he milimili kama lei,

No na la i hala ae ma Kalalau i Kee;

O ke alo kai o Lualailua nei la—e—la."

A pau ka lakou paiauma ana ma loko o ke mele; alaila, olelo aku la hoi o Eleio, "Ua oi aku paha ko oukou minamina i ka mea i make."

Hooho like mai la lakou me na leo lokahi, "Ae, ua oi aku ko makou minamina ia ia, no ka mea, hookahi wale no ia i ko makou alo i noho iho nei a nalo aku la; a o kona lua, he keiki kane ia, aia no i Hawaii i keia manawa e noho nei."

Alaila, olelo hou aku la o Eleio, "Ina oukou i makemake e ola hou mai oia, a laila, he hiki no ia‘u ke hana ia ia a ola e like me kona mau mamua."

Ae koke mai la no ka makuahine me ka olelo mai, "Ae, e hana koke no oe i keia manawa ano."

Olelo aku la o Eleio, "Aia a hoi mai ko kane, alaila, olelo aku oe; a i ae mai e hana au, alaila, pono wau ke hana aku."

A i ke ahiahi ana iho o ua la nei, hoi mai la ka makuakane o ka mea i make ai me na kanaka a pau. A hiki mai la lakou i kauhale, alaila, ike mai la lakou i keia kanaka malihini e noho ana i ko lakou kulanahale.

Alaila, ninau aku la ke kane i kana wahine. "Nohea mai keia kanaka malihini o ko kakou wahi nei, akahi wale no hoi au a ike i keia kanaka ano malihini i ko‘u mau maka?"

Olelo mai la kana wahine, "Aole no hoi paha wau i ike i keia kanaka, na ke kaikamahine make paha a kaua i alakai mai nei a hiki ia nei; he waiwai nui nae ka keia kanaka a makou i ike iho nei la, ua kahia iho nei nae, aia a hoi mai oe, alaila, hooponopono hou ia."

I mai la ke kane, "Heaha kana waiwai nui a oukou i ike ai?"

Alaila, hai aku la kana wahine, "Eia hoi paha la, o na mea a ke kaikamahine a kaua i nalowale iho nei; oia hoi ka Ahuula ame ka Palaoa, ua kuhikuhi mai nei no hoi paha ia ianei, a ua loaa ae nei malalo o ka paepae o ka puka hale o kakou kahi i waiho ai, e i ae la ke waiho mai nei, oia okoa no aohe he mea i nalowale aku."

A lohe ke kane i keia mau olelo a ka wahine, alaila, piha mai la kona lunamanao i ka olioli; a kena ae la oia i na Aipuupuu e hoomakaukau i ka ai no ko lakou aina ahiahi.

Olelo ae la oia ia Eleio, "E hoi kaua imua e ai ai."

A hiki laua imua, alaila, lilo ka hana o na mea o mua ia Eleio, aole nae i ike ka makuakane o ka mea i make o Eleio keia.

Noho iho la laua imua, a pau ka papaia awa ana a Eleio, alaila, ai iho la laua a maona. A mahope olaila, kukakuka iho la laua no ka mea i make, no ke ola ame ke ola ole o kana kaikamahine.

Aole nae he lana o ko Eleio manao, oia ka hoaluana o ka mea i make, na manao o ia i na e ola, alaila, o Kakaalaneo ka hoa e kohu ai ke kaunu.

Mahope iho o ke kamailio ana a ka makuakane o ka mea i make me Eleio, hooholo iho la laua i ka manao no ka lapaau ana.

Ia manawa koke no, ninau aku la o Eleio. "He nui no nae paha kou mau kanaka?"

Wahi hoi a ka makuakane o ka mea i make, "Ae, he nui no ko‘u mau kanaka, no ka mea, mai Waiopai ka palena o kela aoao a Keahuaiea ka palena o keia aoao, a o na kanaka maloko oia palena la, oia ko‘u mau kanaka."

Olelo hou aku la o Eleio i ka makuakane o ka mea i make. "E malu no na‘e paha ka‘u hana ia oe, ame ou mau kanaka."

Ae mai la no hoi kela, "Ae, malu no."

Olelo hou aku la o Eleio, "E pono oe ke olelo aku i ou mau kanaka e pii i ka wahie, e hana ka wahie a nui." Alaila, o ka manawa koke iho la no ia, ua eleu na kanaka i ka pii ana i ka wahie.

O keia wahie nae i pina‘i, he wahie na Eleio e lapaau ai ia Kelekeleiokaula.

A nui mai la ka hoi ka wahie, alaila, hoomaka ke kukulu ana i hale, i wahi e waiho ai ka mea i make, a malaila no hoi o Eleio e noho ai me ka makuakane, no ka mea, aole e pono kana oihana lapaau i kahi nui o kanaka, aia ma kahi mehameha e pono ai.

I ka makaukau ana nae o ka wahie i na kanaka, alaila, hoakaka aku la o Eleio i ka makuakane, "He nani hoi ia ke lapaau nei kaua i ko kaikamahine, eia ka mea kapu o kau hana la: o oe ea, mai noho oe a moe pu me ko wahine. Mai noho hoi oe ame ou mau kanaka a olelo ia‘u; e noho oe me ke kapu loa, a e noho hoi au me ka ike oleia a hiki i ka puni ana o ka mahina, alaila, ola no hoi ka mea make, puka no hoi ko kaua inoa. Alaila ka hoi, launa oe me ko wahine ame ou mau kanaka."

Ma keia noho ana a Eleio e lapaau i ka mea i make, akahi a ikeia o Eleio he kaula. Akahi no hoi a ulu mai ka haohao ia Kakaalaneo ame na kanaka no ka loihi loa o keia hele ana a Eleio.

A no ke kali o ke’lii, aole he hoi wawe aku, nolaila, "Kauoha ae la ke’lii e huli na kanaka a pau o Maui ia Eleio, a ma kahi e loaa ai, alaila, e hoopaa ia ia i ke kaula, a e laweia mai oia imua o‘u, no ka mea, ua hoohala oia i kuu olelo, a ke manao nei au e make ana oia."

I ka manawa a Eleio i hana ai i kana oihana lapaau, hookahi no a Eleio laau, o ka ho-a no i ke ahi, i kela la keia la, i kela po i keia po; peia mau no e a mau ai ke ahi me ka waiho mai no hoi o ka mea i make i ka manawa a Eleio i hana ai, ua loihi no ka manawa o ka hana ana, no ka mea aole no paha e ola wawe a‘e ka mea make i na la pokole loa.

Hookahi wale no paha o "Iesu (?)" ka inoa hikiwawe i ka lapaau ana, ma kana olelo wale aku no i ka makapo e kaakaa, ua kaakaa ae la, a pela wale aku no ke ano o kana mau oihana lapaau a pau.

Aka, o ko Eleio manawa i lapaau ai, oia no ka malama o Hinaiaeleele, a o Kekapuku, oia no kana kapu i hana ai; no ka mea, ma Kekapuku, poakolu ke kapu ana, e kapu ana i ka po o Hilo, a e noa ana i ke ao o Kulua.

A mamuli no oia mau loina ka Eleio lapaau ana i ka mea i make, a hiki wale i ka manawa i ola ai; elima malama o ka hana ana, loaa ke ola ekolu malama hou aku, hiki i ka hele elua malama hou aku, oia no na malama i hana ia i ke kino o ka mea make, i hoi hou mai ai ka nani o kona kino e like me kona ano mamua.

Aka, no ka auau mau o ka mea i make i ke kai o Lualailua, i kela la keia la, i kela po keia po. Nolaila, ua hele wale na papalina o ka mea e lapaauia nei a nonono me he kaikamahine la ua hele wale i ka la a puuia pu na papalina me na maka i ka ula, me he mea la he ahi e a mai ana ma waho o ke k_ho, e hoike ana i kona ano kahiko o kona mau la mamua.

A ola ae la o Kelekeliokaula, a hoi hou mai kona mau la, alaila, akahi no a launa hou kona mau makua, aka, koe no nae ko Eleio kino aole e haiia ia Kakaalaneo. Ma hope iho o ke ola ana o ka mea i make, hapai ae la kona mau makua i ahaaina hookahakaha no ka laua kaikamahine.

Ia manawa, kauoha koke ae la kona makuakane i na kanaka a pau o laua, e hoomakaukau koke i na mea no ka ahaaina hookahakaha a ke kaikamahine, a o ke konohiki ame ke kanaka i hoomakaukau ole, e like me ke kauoha i kauohaia aku ai, alaila, o ko lakou hope, o ka hemo o ka aina.

(Aole i pau.)

Ka‘iwakīloumoku’s Hawaiian language transcription of Ka Moolelo o Eleio was made by Keali‘iwahine Hokoana and edited by Kīhei de Silva. The story can be viewed in its original Kū‘ōko‘a context on the website Ulukau.org.