Tag: 03. Origin of Things

Explanation of natural phenomena or cultural practices

How the Samoans First Got Pigs

In ancient Samoa, famine struck, forcing a chief to eat children for sustenance. A grieving couple, the “Man of Luck” and his wife, mourned their seventh child. A magical imp named Ilo-anga intervened, gifting them pigs—creatures to provide food and end cannibalism. The pigs multiplied, spreading to Tonga and Fiji, saving families from hunger and fostering peace among islanders.

Source
Tales from Old Fiji
by Lorimer Fison
Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
at the Ballantyne Press
by Alexander Moring Ltd
London, 1904

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The narrative explains how pigs were introduced to Samoa, providing an origin story for their presence in the region.

Sacrifice: The chief’s demand for children as food during the famine highlights the extreme sacrifices made by families during desperate times.

Loss and Renewal: The community experiences profound loss due to famine and cannibalism, but the introduction of pigs brings renewal and hope, ending the cycle of suffering.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Fijians

by the Lord of Naiau

In the old days there were no pigs in Samoa, nor fowls, nor ducks. Neither were there any in Tonga, nor did we, the men of Fiji, eat them, for we had them not. In those days we ate that which sprung up out of the earth, and fish which we caught on the reefs, so that we hungered after flesh, and killed men that we might eat and be full.

Now upon a time it fell out that no fish could be had in Samoa. What was the reason thereof our fathers did not fully know; but some said that a great monster came swimming into the Samoan waters, eating all the fish on the reefs, so that those fish that were left alive were afraid and swam away to other lands.

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Thus it came to pass that the men of Samoa were brought into great straits because of their hunger, for they had nothing to eat but the fruits of the ground, and their stomachs were always asking, “Alas! what shall be our food to-day?”

Now there was a chief, great and mighty, who dwelt in that land; and when the famine was heavy upon them he sent his messengers and took the children one by one, cooking them for his food, so that the souls of his people were sore; and they said one to another, “What shall we do? for we are perishing from off the earth; we are eaten up by this our lord.” And there was weeping in every house.

In the town of this chief there dwelt a man whose name was Kailufahe-tuugau, or the “Man of Luck,” and Faei-puaka, his wife, and their children — one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight: eight of them — so that it was a saying among the townsfolk, “A full house is the house of the Man of Luck.”

But at length it fell to his turn to furnish a child for the chief’s food, and the messengers came bringing a whale’s tooth, which they laid down before him, saying, “This is the carrying away of your child that our lord may eat.” Heavy then were the hearts of the “Man of Luck” and his wife, and bitter was their weeping; but they said, “Good is the word of the chief,” and made their child ready for death. It was their seventh child that they chose, because the mother loved the youngest more than all the rest, and could not bear to send him away. So they oiled the body of their seventh child, and combed his hair, plaiting the long locks that hung down behind his ear, and when they had tied a strip of white unpainted cloth to his arm they kissed him many times, ever more weepingly, and gave him up to the chief’s messengers.

Then they sat down, bowing their heads, for their souls were very sore. No word did they speak, but they sat in silence and in great sorrow, as they thought of their son whom they had lost for evermore. While they were thus sitting the woman felt something small and hard beneath her hand, and looking upon it she saw that it was a whistle — the whistle of her dead son. Then she held it up, saying, “Here is his whistle,” and with a bitter cry they both fell on their faces and wept aloud.

Now there was an imp who dwelt with them, living in the loft above the fireplace. His name was Ilo-anga, the “Cunning One,” and every evening they put food for him upon the shelf; for it was his custom to sleep through the day, and by night he guarded the house while they slept, keeping them safe from the evil ones, and from enemies that creep into the house by night. They never saw him, though they were often climbing up after the things that were kept on the loft, but sometimes, when they woke in the night, if they lay still, listening, they could hear him munching his food and chuckling over it; moreover, when he had finished he would clap his hands softly, and sing in a low tone: —

“Good is the yam, and good the taro;
Good is the fish from the salt sea-water;
Good is the love of the Man that’s Lucky;
Good is the cooking of Faei-puaka!”

So on this day the imp was sleeping on the loft when he was roused by their bitter weeping, and said, “What is this? What is the matter? Why are you thus weeping?”

And when they heard his voice they were afraid, for never before had they heard him speak aloud, so they kept silence and answered not a word.

Then the imp tapped the floor of the loft, and said, “Do you hear there, O Lucky One, O wife of the Lucky One? Do you hear? What is the matter that you are thus weeping? Tell me, for am I not the Cunning One, Ilo-anga?”

Then they feared no longer, for they knew that he was their friend; and the woman answered —

“We are weeping, sir, because of our boy — our seventh child — he who used so often to climb up to the loft with your food.”

“What about him? “ asked the imp in an anxious voice. “ Is he ill? or has he perhaps fallen from a tree? or what other evil has befallen him?”

“Alas! sir,” answered the man, “it is worse than that: the chief has eaten him; and now we live in fear, for our turn will soon come round again. Wretched parents that we are!”

“ Why did I bring forth children?” cried the wife. “ What is the good of them to me, miserable woman that I am? There were eight; there are now but seven, and soon will the house be empty, for the hunger of our lord is not satisfied.”

Thus they bemoaned themselves, and the sound of weeping came down also from the loft above the fireplace, for the imp pitied them.

“ Weep not,” said he; “weep not, O Lucky One! weep not, O wife of the Lucky One! for I will save your children. A strange thing will come to pass to-night. Therefore, fear not; for is not the Cunning One your friend?”

Glad then was the heart of the Man of Luck; and he said: “Let not your soul be small, my wife, for the Cunning One will help us, and our children shall live.”

But his wife refused to be comforted. “Alas!” sobbed she, “what can he do? They will die. They will be eaten. No one can save them,” and she wept more bitterly than ever.

Then there was a rustle and stir among the things in the loft above the fireplace; and the voice of the imp came angrily down to their ears.

“What words, perchance, are these?” said he sternly. “Am I not the Cunning One? He that is eaten is dead, and we cannot save him; but the living shall live. Have I not said it: I, the Cunning One?”

Then the woman dared weep no more; but she wept still in her heart, for she disbelieved his words. When darkness came over the land, they put the imp’s food up in the loft, and lay down to sleep among their children; and in the middle of the night great pains took hold of the wife, and she woke her husband, saying, “Rise, husband, rise and go for the midwife, for I am very ill.” But the man laughed and said, “Surely you are dreaming, my wife” — for they were both very old, and their youngest child was a big lad. But the woman cried all the more, beseeching him to go; till at length he went, though indeed he was ashamed, for he said, “Now will they laugh at me;” and he went wandering through the town, not daring to do as he was bid. Then came to his mind the words of the imp, “A strange thing will come to pass to-night,” and he said, “Lest this perhaps should be it! Truly nothing could be stranger; for I am old, and my wife is old likewise.” So he went at once to the house of the midwife, and begged her to come quickly to his wife. Then the midwife and her husband laughed at him, and mocked him; but he said, “Listen but a little while to me,” and told them all that had happened. “And now,” said he, “love us and come to my wife; for who knows what the Cunning One is about to do?”

When the midwife heard this, she said, “Let us go;” and they two went together through the night. Stepping softly into the house they heard the imp singing in the loft above the fireplace, and this is the song that he sung —

“Great now is the grief of Faei-puaka,
Though great her grief her joy shall be greater;
Not grievous are tears that are followed by laughter,
One is dead, but alive shall be saved the seven. —
One and two, and three and four, and five and six, and seven and eight!”

Then the midwife went in behind the screen, and the Lucky One sat down with his children in the middle of the house. Not long had he waited before he heard, within the screen, a strange squeaking and squealing, and the midwife cried out, “I am afraid! There are eight! Oh, their cheeks, their feet, the length of their noses! What are these, O Cunning One? My fear is great.”

Then the imp laughed down from the loft above the fireplace, “Fear not, helper of women,” said he, “for this is the thing that I promised to these two wretched ones. Now shall their children live. Rise up, O Lucky One, and build a little fence in the midst of your house for the creatures which I have now brought to you. Their name is ‘Pig’: they shall grow large and fat; and they shall be for the chiefs food, so that your children may live. They will also multiply exceedingly; therefore be not covetous, keeping them all for yourself, but give of them to the strangers who come sailing hither, that they may take them to their own lands, and eat them instead of eating one another, lest they all perish from off the face of the earth through cannibalism.”

These were the words of the imp, and the Man of Luck followed them, building a fence for the pigs, wherein they stayed till they grew large, and fat, and strong; and then he made a great fence for them out of doors, wherein they multiplied exceedingly, according to the words of the imp. Great was the joy of the chief when he tasted the first pig that the Man of Luck brought him, saying, “This, my lord, is our offering, which the gods have sent us: our offering, my lord, that our children may live.” Great also was the joy of the Samoans, and they said, “Two good things have the gods now sent us one, that our children shall no more perish in the ovens; and the other, that our hungering after flesh is at an end for ever more. True indeed is the saying, ‘A full house is the house of the Man of Luck.’ Blessed be the Lucky One, and blessed be Faei-puaka ; for they have saved us alive—us and our children also.”

Moreover, the Man of Luck was obedient to the words of the imp in the matter of giving pigs to strangers, so that when the men of Tonga came to Samoa, seeking the shell of the turtle, he gave them pigs, which they took back with them to their king. And, when they returned a second time, he gave them more, which they brought with them in their flight to Fiji, when they fled hither from the wrath of the Lord of Tonga, because they lied to him about the turtle.

And this is how the Samoans got their pigs.

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How the Fijians Learned to Build Canoes

Old Tui Nayau recounts the tale of Dengei, the Great Serpent, who taught the chosen “Boat-builders” the art of canoe-making, granting them power over Fiji. However, pride led Rokola and Kausam-baria to kill Dengei’s sacred dove. In his wrath, Dengei unleashed a flood, scattering the Boat-builders across Fiji, making them servants. This event, rich in myth, explains Fiji’s canoe-building tradition.

Source
Tales from Old Fiji
by Lorimer Fison
Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
at the Ballantyne Press
by Alexander Moring Ltd
London, 1904

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains the origin of canoe-building skills among the Fijians, detailing how the Great Serpent Dengei taught the chosen tribe this art, which significantly influenced their society.

Divine Punishment: Dengei’s wrath manifests when Rokola and Kausam-baria kill his sacred dove, leading him to unleash a devastating flood as retribution for their actions.

Conflict with Authority: The chosen tribe’s defiance against Dengei’s authority, culminating in the killing of his sacred dove, highlights their rebellion against divine command.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Fijians

by the Lord of Naiau

“They tell me,” said old Tui Nayau, “that you have been to the hill of Kau-vandra, where stands the temple of Dengei, the Great Serpent, In the old times our -fathers feared that spot, and reverenced it greatly, for there dwelt the Great Serpent whom they worshipped. “In those days Bau was not the greatest kingdom in Fiji, as it is now. There were then no boat-builders among us, and our fathers made no canoes, for they knew not how to fashion them. They were living in a wretched way, each tribe dwelling apart in its own land; for there were no canoes to sail from one island to another. So the Great Serpent took pity upon them, and chose a tribe whom he called ‘The Boat-builders,’ and them he taught the art of canoe-building, giving them also the entire rule over Great Fiji, so that in those days they were a great and powerful people, and Bau was of little account.

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“And indeed it was easy for them to become great, for they alone of all the dwellers in Fiji knew how to build canoes; so that men came from afar, begging to be taken as their servants, that they too might learn how to make the wonderful vessels which would carry men over the waters in safety. Thus, in the course of time, they grew proud and haughty, and were often disobedient to the Great Serpent; but he bore with them, for he loved them well.

“Now the Great Serpent dwelt on the hill of Kau-vandra, in Great Fiji; but all the country round about he gave to the tribe that he had chosen; and they built their town on the top of a high hill, where they dwelt in safety, for no enemy could get at them; and often did the god come among them, and talk with them, teaching them many things, so that they were wiser than all other men. These days were good days, for they dwelt in great peace and plenty.

“When it was evening, the Great Serpent used to go to a cave in the hill of Kau-vandra, and there laid him down to sleep. When he closed his eyes then it was dark, and men said, ‘Night is come over the land;’ when he turned himself over in his sleep, the earth shook, and men said, ‘It is an earthquake;’ and at dawn of day, when he opened his eyes, then darkness fled away, and men said, ‘It is morning.’

“Now there was a beautiful black dove, whose duty it was to awake him when it was morning. It slept always on a ‘Baka’ (or banyan) tree, which grew hard by the mouth of the Great Serpent’s cave, whence its voice, ‘Kru, kru, kru, kru,’ always roused him when it was time for the night to depart, and for the day to come over the land. Then he would get up, and call across the valley to the Boat-builders, saying, ‘Rise up, my children, and work; for the morning has come.’

“Therefore Rokola, chief of the Boat-builders, and Kausam-baria, his brother, hated the dove; for they had grown proud and idle, and they said, ‘Why should we thus work, work, work for ever? Work is for slaves, but we are chiefs, great and mighty. Let our slaves work, for they are many; as for us, we will rest. Come, let us kill the dove; and if the Great Serpent be angry, let him be angry. We will fight with him; for we are many and strong, and he is but one, though he be a god.’

“So they took their bows and arrows, and crept beneath the banyan tree, where the dove was sleeping. Then said Rokola to his brother, ‘I will shoot first. If I miss, then do you shoot;’ and his brother replied, ‘It is well. Shoot. I am ready.’ So Rokola shot, and his arrow pierced the breast of the dove, so that it fell dead to the ground, and the two brothers fled away to their town.

“When the Great Serpent awoke from his sleep, he wondered that he did not hear the voice of his dove; so he came forth from his cave, and looked up into the banyan tree, saying, ‘Ah, lazy one, must it be my business to wake you nowadays? But where are you?’ for he saw that she was not in the tree, on the branch where she always sat.

“Then, looking on the ground, he spied the dove, with the arrow sticking in her breast. Great was his grief for the dove, and great also was his rage; for he knew the arrow of Rokola, and, shouting across the valley with a terrible voice, he cried, ‘Woe to you, Rokola, and unto you all, O Boat-builders, ungrateful ones, because you have killed my dove! Now is your kingdom taken away, and given to the children of Bau. And I will scatter you among all the peoples of Fiji, making you their servants.’

“But the Boat-builders shouted back across the valley: ‘We fear you not, Great Serpent. We are many, and you are but one, though you be a god. Come, let us fight together. As we have served your dove, so also will we serve you; for we fear you not. Great Serpent, though you be a god.’ And they built a war-fence, strong, and wide, and high; whilst the Great Serpent sat on the hill of Kau-vandra, mocking them, and crying aloud, ‘Build your fences strong. Carry them up to the sky; for a god is your enemy.’ They also defied him, for they trusted in their war-fence, and in their numbers.

“When they had finished, Rokola shouted across the valley, ‘It is done. Come, let us fight, that our children may say in the days hereafter, “Our fathers ate the Great Serpent, the god who lived on the hill of Kau-vandra.” ‘

“Then the god arose in his wrath, and threw his club up into the sky; and the clouds were broken in pieces, and fell down to the earth in a deluge of rain. Many days did the rain continue — it was not like the rain which now falls upon the earth, but a great and terrible pouring out of waters — and the sea rose, flowing in over the land, a dreadful sight. Higher and ever higher rose the wave, till it swept away the war-fence of the Boat-builders, and their town with all its people. Rokola and many more were drowned; but many also (some two thousand, perhaps) floated away on trees and rafts and canoes, drifting along hither and thither over the waters, till they landed, some here and some there, on the mountain tops which were still above the waves, and begged their lives of the dwellers in the lands, who had fled thither before the rising waters. So that, when the sea went back again to its own place, they were taken down into the valleys in every kingdom, and became the servants of the chiefs, building their canoes, as at this day.

“As for the banyan tree, on which the dove used to sit, it was carried away by the great flood to Vatu-lele. Now Vatu-lele, in those days, was nothing but a reef, like Navatu, with no land upon it; but so much earth was still clinging to the roots of the banyan tree, that it became a land, and men came and dwelt thereon. “And this is how we, the men of Fiji, learned to build our canoes.”

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

Stories of the Menehunes: Hawaii, the Original Home of the Brownies

Hawaiian folklore reveals intriguing parallels with traditions from other cultures, despite the absence of a written language. Among these, the Menehunes stand out—a legendary race of industrious, nimble workers often likened to mythical gnomes. Hawaiian tradition varies in its depiction, portraying them as either the islands’ original inhabitants or mythical dwarfs. This collection explores their stories, preserving their cultural significance and offering insight into Hawaiian character and beliefs.

Source
Hawaiian Folk Tales
a collection of native legends
compiled by Thos. G. Thrum
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1907

► Themes of the story

Mythical Creatures: The Menehunes are depicted as legendary dwarfs or gnomes, embodying the archetype of mythical beings within Hawaiian culture.

Cultural Heroes: As industrious and skilled workers, the Menehunes are celebrated for their contributions to Hawaiian society, symbolizing foundational figures who shape cultural identity.

Origin of Things: The tales of the Menehunes often explain the creation of various structures and natural formations in Hawaii, providing mythical accounts of their origins.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Hawaiians

by Thos. G. Thrum

Students of Hawaiian folk-lore find much of coincident interest with traditional or more historic beliefs of other and older lands. The same applies, in a measure, to some of the ancient customs of the people. This is difficult to account for, more especially since the Hawaiians possessed no written language by which such knowledge could be preserved or transmitted. Fornander and others discovered in the legends of this people traces of the story of the Flood, the standing still of the sun, and other narratives of Bible history, which some savants accept as evidence of their Aryan origin. This claim we are not disposed to dispute, but desire to present another line of tradition that has been neglected hitherto, yet has promise of much interest.

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It will doubtless interest some readers to learn that Hawaii is the real home of the Brownies, or was; and that this adventurous nomadic tribe were known to the Hawaiians long before Swift’s satirical mind conceived his Lilliputians.

It would be unreasonable to expect so great a range of nationalities and peculiar characteristics among the pygmies of Hawaii as among the Brownies of story. Tradition naturally represents them as of one race, and all nimble workers; not a gentleman dude, or policeman in the whole lot. Unlike the inquisitive and mischievous athletes of present fame, the original and genuine Brownies, known as the Menehunes, are referred to as an industrious race. In fact, it was their alleged power to perform a marvellous amount of labor in a short space of time that has fixed them in the minds of Hawaiians, many of whom point to certain traces of their work in various parts of the islands to substantiate the traditional claim of their existence.

Meeting thus with occasional references to this active race, but mostly in a vague way, it has been a matter of interesting inquiry among Hawaiians, some of whom were noted kaao, or legend-bearers, for further knowledge on the subject. Very naturally their ideas differ respecting the Menehunes. Some treat the subject with gravity and respect, and express the belief that they were the original inhabitants of these islands, but gradually gave way to the heavier-bodied ancestors of the present race; others consider that the history of the race has been forgotten through the lapse of ages; while the more intelligent and better educated look upon the Menehunes as a mythical class of gnomes or dwarfs, and the account of their exploits as having been handed down by tradition for social entertainment, as other peoples relate fairy stories.

In the Hawaiian legend of Kumuhonua, Fornander states that the Polynesians were designated as “the people, descendants from Menehune, son of Lua Nuu, etc. It disappeared as a national name so long ago, however, that subsequent legends have changed it to a term of reproach, representing them at times as a separate race, and sometimes as a race of dwarfs, skilful laborers, but artful and cunning.”

In the following account and selection of stories gathered from various native sources, as literal a rendition as possible has been observed by the translators for the better insight it gives of Hawaiian thought and character.

MOKE MANU’S ACCOUNT

The Menehunes were supposed to have been a wonderful people, small of stature and of great activity. They were always united in doing any service required of them. It was their rule that any work undertaken must be completed in one night, otherwise it would be left unfinished, as they did not labor twice on the same work; hence the origin of the saying: “He po hookahi, a ao ua pau,”–in one night, and by dawn it is finished.

There is no reliable history of the Menehunes. No one knows whence they came, though tradition says they were the original people of the Hawaiian Islands. They are thought to have been supernatural beings, governed by some one higher in rank than themselves, whom they recognized as having power and authority over them, that assigned them to the mountains and hills where they lived permanently. They were said to be the only inhabitants of the islands up to the time of Papa and Wakea, and were invisible to every one but their own descendants, or those connected with them in some way. Many persons could hear the noise and hum of their voices, but the gift of seeing them with the naked eye was denied to those not akin to them. They were always willing to do the bidding of their descendants, and their supernatural powers enabled them to perform some wonderful works.

PI’S WATERCOURSE

Pi was an ordinary man living in Waimea, Kauai, who wanted to construct a mano, or dam, across the Waimea River and a watercourse therefrom to a point near Kikiaola. Having settled upon the best locations for his proposed work, he went up to the mountains and ordered all the Menehunes that were living near Puukapele to prepare stones for the dam and watercourse. The Menehunes were portioned off for the work; some to gather stones, and others to cut them. All the material was ready in no time (manawa ole), and Pi settled upon the night when the work was to be done. When the time came he went to the point where the dam was to be built, and waited. At the dead of night he heard the noise and hum of the voices of the Menehunes on their way to Kikiaola, each of whom was carrying a stone. The dam was duly constructed, every stone fitting in its proper place, and the stone auwai, or watercourse, also laid around the bend of Kikiaola. Before the break of day the work was completed, and the water of the Waimea River was turned by the dam into the watercourse on the flat lands of Waimea.

When the work was finished Pi served out food for the Menehunes, which consisted of shrimps (opae), this being the only kind to be had in sufficient quantity to supply each with a fish to himself. They were well supplied and satisfied, and at dawn returned to the mountains of Puukapele rejoicing, and the hum of their voices gave rise to the saying, “Wawa ka Menehune i Puukapele, ma Kauai, puoho ka manu o ka loko o Kawainui ma Koolaupoko, Oahu“–the hum of the voices of the Menehunes at Puukapele, Kauai, startled the birds of the pond of Kawainui, at Koolaupoko Oahu.

The auwai, or watercourse, of Pi is still to be seen at Kikiaola.

At one time Pi also told the Menehunes to wall in a fish-pond at the bend of the Huleia River. They commenced work toward midnight, but at dawn the walls of the pond were not sufficiently finished to meet, so it was left incomplete, and has remained so to this day.

LAKA’S ADVENTURE

Wahieloa, a chief, lived at Kalaikoi, Kipahulu, Maui. He took to him a wife named Hinahawea. In due time a boy was born to them, whom Hinahowana, the mother of Hinahawea, brought up under her own care at Alaenui. She called him Laka-a-wahieloa. He was greatly petted by his parents. One day his father went to Hawaii in search of the Ala-Koiula a Kane for a toy for his son, landing at Punaluu, Kau, Hawaii, where he was killed in a cave called Keana-a-Kaualehu.

After a long absence Laka asked for his father, and his mother referred him to his grandmother, who, on being questioned, told him that his father went to Hawaii, and was supposed to be dead. Laka then asked for means by which he could search for his father.

His grandmother replied: “Go to the mountains and look for the tree that has leaves shaped like the moon on the night of Hilo, or Hoaka; such is the tree for a canoe.”

Laka followed this advice, and went to the mountains to find the tree for his canoe. Finding a suitable one, he commenced to cut in the morning, and by sundown he had felled it to the ground. This accomplished, he went home. Returning the next day, to his surprise he could not find his fallen tree, so he cut down another, with the same result. Laka was thus tricked for several days, and in his perplexity consulted again with his grandmother, who sent him off with the same advice as before, to look for the crescent-shaped leaf.

He went to the mountains again and found the desired tree, but before cutting it he dug a big hole on the side where the Kalala-Kamahele would fall. Upon cutting the tree it fell right into the hole or trench, as designed; then he jumped into it and lay in waiting for the person or persons who were reërecting the trees he had cut down for his canoe.

While thus waiting, he heard some one talking about raising the tree and returning it to its former position, followed by someone chanting as follows:

E ka mano o ke Akua,
Ke kini o ke Akua, Ka lehu o ke Akua,
Ka lalani Akua,
Ka pukui Akua!
E na Akua o ke kuahiwi nei,
I ka mauna,
I ke kualono,
I ka manowai la-e,
E-iho!

O the four thousand gods,
The forty thousand gods,
The four hundred thousand gods,
The file of gods,
The assembly of gods!
O gods of these woods,
Of the mountain,
And the knoll,
At the water-dam,
Oh, come!

When this appeal ended there was a hum and noise, and in a short time (manawa ole) the place was filled with a band of people, who endeavored to lift the tree; but it would not move. Laka then jumped out from his place of hiding and caught hold of two of the men, Mokuhalii and Kapaaikee, and threatened to kill them for raising again the trees he had cut for his canoe. Mokuhalii then told Laka that if they were killed, nobody would be able to make a canoe for him, nor would anybody pull it to the beach, but if they were spared they would willingly do it for him, provided Laka would first build a big and long shed (halau) of sufficient size to hold the canoe, and prepare sufficient food for the men. Laka gladly consenting, released them and returned to his home and built a shed on the level ground of Puhikau. Then he went up to the woods and saw the canoe, ready and complete. The Menehunes told Laka that it would be brought to the halau that night. At the dead of night the hum of the voices of the Menehunes was heard; this was the commencement of the lifting of the canoe. It was not dragged, but held up by hand. The second hum of voices brought the canoe to Haloamekiei, at Pueo. And at the third hum the canoe was carefully laid down in the halau. Food and fish were there spread out for the workers, the ha of the taro for food, and the opae and oopu for fish. At dawn the Menehunes returned to their home. Kuahalau was the name of the halau, the remains of the foundation of which were to be seen a few years ago, but now it is ploughed over. The hole dug by Laka still exists.

KEKUPUA’S CANOE

Kakae, a chief, lived at Wahiawa, Kukaniloko, Waialua, Oahu. One day his wife told him that she desired to go in search of her brother, Kahanaiakeakua, who was supposed to be living at Tahiti. Kakae thereupon ordered his man Kekupua to go into the woods and find a suitable tree and make a canoe for his wife for this foreign voyage. Kekupua, with a number of men under him, searched in the forest belt of Wahiawa, Helemano, and Waoala, as also through the woods of Koolau, without success. From Kahana they made a search through the mountains till they came to Kilohana, in Kalihi Valley, and from there to Waolani, in Nuuanu, where they slept in a cave. In the dead of night they heard the hum as of human voices, but were unable to discern any person, though the voices sounded close to them. At dawn silence reigned again, and when the sun arose, lo, and behold! there stood a large mound of stones, the setting of which resembled that of a heiau, or temple, the remains of which are said to be noticeable to this day.

Kekupua and his men returned to their chief and reported their unsuccessful search for a suitable koa (Acacia koa) tree for the desired canoe, and related also the incident at Waolani. Kakae, being a descendant of the Menehunes, knew immediately the authors of the strange occurrence. He therefore instructed Kekupua to proceed to Makaho and Kamakela and to stay there till the night of Kane, then go up to Puunui and wait till hearing the hum and noise of the Menehunes, which would be the signal of their finishing the canoe. And thus it was; the Menehunes, having finished the canoe, were ready to pull it to the sea. He directed them to look sharp, and two men would be noticed holding the ropes at the pu (or head) of the canoe. One of them would leap from one side to the other; he was the director of the work and was called pale. There would be some men farther behind, holding the kawelewele, or guiding-ropes. They were the kahunas that superintended the construction of the canoe. He reminded them to remember these directions, and when they saw these men, to give them orders and show them the course to take in pulling the canoe to the sea.

Kekupua followed all these instructions faithfully. He waited at Puunui till dusk, when he heard a hum as of many voices, and proceeding farther up near the slope of Alewa he saw these wonderful people. They were like ordinary human beings but diminutive. He directed them to pull the canoe along the nae, or farther side of the Puunui stream. By this course the canoe was brought down as far as Kaalaa, near Waikahalulu, where, when daylight came, they left their burden and returned to Waolani. The canoe was left in the ditch, where it remained for many generations, and was called Kawa-a-Kekupua (Kekupua’s canoe), in honor of the servant of the chief Kakae.

Thus, even with the help of the Menehunes, the wife of Kakae was not satisfied in her desire.

AS HEIAU BUILDERS

The Menehunes are credited with the construction of numerous heiaus (ancient temples) in various parts of the islands.

The heiau of Mookini, near Honoipu, Kohala, is pointed out as an instance of their marvellous work. The place selected for the site of the temple was on a grassy plain. The stones in the nearest neighborhood were for some reason not deemed suitable for the work, so those of Pololu Valley, distant some twelve miles, were selected. Tradition says the Menehunes were placed in a line covering the entire distance from Pololu to Honoipu, whereby the stones were passed from hand to hand for the entire work. Work was begun at the quiet of night, and at cock-crow in the morning it was finished. Thus in one night the heiau of Mookini was built.

Another temple of their erection was at Pepeekeo, Hilo, the peculiarity of the work being that the stones had been brought together by the residents of that part of the district, by direction of the chief, but that in one night, the Menehunes gathered together and built it. The chief and his people were surprised on coming the next morning to resume their labors, to find the heiau completed.

There stands on the pali of Waikolu, near Kalaupapa, Molokai, a heiau that Hawaiians believe to have been constructed by no one else than the Menehunes. It is on the top of a ledge in the face of a perpendicular cliff, with a continuous inaccessible cliff behind it reaching hundreds of feet above. No one has ever been able to reach it either from above or from below; and the marvel is how the material, which appears to be seashore stones, was put in place.

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Lonopuha; or, Origin of the Art of Healing in Hawaii

During Milu’s time in Waipio, Hawaii, foreigners from Kahiki arrived, spreading diseases and introducing healing practices through Kamakanuiahailono. He trained Lonopuha, a skilled healer who cured Milu of severe illnesses. Despite warnings, Milu’s curiosity and impatience led to fatal consequences—first through a mythical bird’s attack and later during surf sports. His repeated disobedience symbolized the tragic cost of ignoring wisdom and guidance.

Source
Hawaiian Folk Tales
a collection of native legends
compiled by Thos. G. Thrum
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1907

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains the introduction of diseases and the practice of healing in Hawaii, detailing how foreigners from Kahiki brought illnesses and how Kamakanuiahailono introduced medicinal practices.

Transformation: The narrative illustrates the transformation of Hawaiian society with the advent of new diseases and the subsequent development of healing arts, marking a significant change in their way of life.

Tragic Flaw: Milu’s repeated disobedience and curiosity lead to his demise, highlighting the consequences of ignoring wisdom and guidance.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Hawaiians

Translated by Thos.G. Thrum

During the time that Milu was residing at Waipio, Hawaii, the year of which is unknown, there came to these shores a number of people, with their wives, from that vague foreign land, Kahiki. But they were all of godly kind (ano akua nae), it is said, and drew attention as they journeyed from place to place. They arrived first at Niihau, and from there they travelled through all the islands. At Hawaii they landed at the south side, thence to Puna, Hilo, and settled at Kukuihaele, Hamakua, just above Waipio. On every island they visited there appeared various diseases, and many deaths resulted, so that it was said this was their doings, among the chiefs and people. The diseases that followed in their train were chills, fevers, headache, pani, and so on.

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These are the names of some of these people: Kaalaenuiahina, Kahuilaokalani, Kaneikaulanaula, besides others. They brought death, but one Kamakanuiahailono followed after them with healing powers. This was perhaps the origin of sickness and the art of healing with medicines in Hawaii.

As has been said, diseases settled on the different islands like an epidemic, and the practice of medicine ensued, for Kamakanuiahailono followed them in their journeyings. He arrived at Kau, stopping at Kiolakaa, on the west side of Waiohinu, where a great multitude of people were residing, and Lono was their chief. The stranger sat on a certain hill, where many of the people visited him, for the reason that he was a newcomer, a custom that is continued to this day. While there he noticed the redness of skin of a certain one of them, and remarked, “Oh, the redness of skin of that man!”

The people replied, “Oh, that is Lono, the chief of this land, and he is a farmer.”

He again spoke, asserting that his sickness was very great; for through the redness of the skin he knew him to be a sick man.

They again replied that he was a healthy man, “but you consider him very sick.” He then left the residents and set out on his journey.

Some of those who heard his remarks ran and told the chief the strange words, “that he was a very sick man.” On hearing this, Lono raised up his oo (digger) and said, “Here I am, without any sign of disease, and yet I am sick.” And as he brought down his oo with considerable force, it struck his foot and pierced it through, causing the blood to flow freely, so that he fell and fainted away. At this, one of the men seized a pig and ran after the stranger, who, hearing the pig squealing, looked behind him and saw the man running with it; and as he neared him he dropped it before him, and told him of Lono’s misfortune, Kamakanuiahailono then returned, gathering on the way the young popolo seeds and its tender leaves in his garment (kihei). When he arrived at the place where the wounded man was lying he asked for some salt, which he took and pounded together with the popolo and placed it with a cocoanut covering on the wound. From then till night the flowing of the blood ceased. After two or three weeks had elapsed he again took his departure.

While he was leisurely journeying, some one breathing heavily approached him in the rear, and, turning around, there was the chief, and he asked him: “What is it, Lono, and where are you going?”

Lono replied, “You healed me; therefore, as soon as you had departed I immediately consulted with my successors, and have resigned my offices to them, so that they will have control over all. As for myself, I followed after you, that you might teach me the art of healing.”

The kahuna lapaau (medical priest) then said, “Open your mouth.” When Lono opened his mouth, the kahuna spat into it, [an initiatory act, as in the priesthood] by which he would become proficient in the calling he had chosen, and in which he eventually became, in fact, very skilful.

As they travelled, he instructed Lono (on account of the accident to his foot he was called Lonopuha) in the various diseases, and the different medicines for the proper treatment of each. They journeyed through Kau, Puna, and Hilo, thence onward to Hamakua as far as Kukuihaele. Prior to their arrival there, Kamakanuiahailono said to Lonopuha, “It is better that we reside apart, lest your healing practice do not succeed; but you settle elsewhere, so as to gain recognition from your own skill.”

For this reason, Lonopuha went on farther and located in Waimanu, and there practised the art of healing. On account of his labors here, he became famous as a skilful healer, which fame Kamakanuiahailono and others heard of at Kukuihaele; but he never revealed to Kaalaenuiahina ma (company) of his teaching of Lonopuha, through which he became celebrated. It so happened that Kaalaenuiahina ma were seeking an occasion to cause Milu’s death, and he was becoming sickly through their evil efforts.

When Milu heard of the fame of Lonopuha as a skilful healer, because of those who were afflicted with disease and would have died but for his treatment, he sent his messenger after him. On arriving at Milu’s house, Lonopuha examined and felt of him, and then said, “You will have no sickness, provided you be obedient to my teachings.” He then exercised his art, and under his medical treatment Milu recovered.

Lonopuha then said to him: “I have treated you, and you are well of the internal ailments you suffered under, and only that from without remains. Now, you must build a house of leaves and dwell therein in quietness for a few weeks, to recuperate.” These houses are called pipipi, such being the place to which invalids are moved for convalescent treatment unless something unforeseen should occur.

Upon Milu’s removal thereto, Lonopuha advised him as follows: “O King! you are to dwell in this house according to the length of time directed, in perfect quietness; and should the excitement of sports with attendant loud cheering prevail here, I warn you against these as omens of evil for your death; and I advise you not to loosen the ti leaves of your house to peep out to see the cause, for on the very day you do so, that day you will perish.”

Some two weeks had scarcely passed since the King had been confined in accordance with the kahuna’s instructions, when noises from various directions in proximity to the King’s dwelling were heard, but he regarded the advice of the priest all that day. The cause of the commotion was the appearance of two birds playing in the air, which so excited the people that they kept cheering them all that day.

Three weeks had almost passed when loud cheering was again heard in Waipio, caused by a large bird decorated with very beautiful feathers, which flew out from the clouds and soared proudly over the palis (precipices) of Koaekea and Kaholokuaiwa, and poised gracefully over the people; therefore, they cheered as they pursued it here and there. Milu was much worried thereby, and became so impatient that he could no longer regard the priest’s caution; so he lifted some of the ti leaves of his house to look out at the bird, when instantly it made a thrust at him, striking him under the armpit, whereby his life was taken and he was dead (lilo ai kona ola a make iho la).

The priest saw the bird flying with the liver of Milu; therefore, he followed after it. When it saw that it was pursued, it immediately entered into a sunken rock just above the base of the precipice of Koaekea. As he reached the place, the blood was spattered around where the bird had entered. Taking a piece of garment (pahoola), he soaked it with the blood and returned and placed it in the opening in the body of the dead King and poured healing medicine on the wound, whereby Milu recovered. And the place where the bird entered with Milu’s liver has ever since been called Keakeomilu (the liver of Milu).

A long while afterward, when this death of the King was as nothing (i mea ole), and he recovered as formerly, the priest refrained not from warning him, saying: “You have escaped from this death; there remains for you one other.”

After Milu became convalescent from his recent serious experience, a few months perhaps had elapsed, when the surf at Waipio became very high and was breaking heavily on the beach. This naturally caused much commotion and excitement among the people, as the numerous surf-riders, participating in the sport, would land upon the beach on their surf-boards. Continuous cheering prevailed, and the hilarity rendered Milu so impatient at the restraint put upon him by the priest that he forsook his wise counsel and joined in the exhilarating sport.

Seizing a surf-board he swam out some distance to the selected spot for suitable surfs. Here he let the first and second combers pass him; but watching his opportunity he started with the momentum of the heavier third comber, catching the crest just right. Quartering on the rear of his board, he rode in with majestic swiftness, and landed nicely on the beach amid the cheers and shouts of the people. He then repeated the venture and was riding in as successfully, when, in a moment of careless abandon, at the place where the surfs finish as they break on the beach, he was thrust under and suddenly disappeared, while the surf-board flew from under and was thrown violently upon the shore. The people in amazement beheld the event, and wildly exclaimed: “Alas! Milu is dead! Milu is dead!” With sad wonderment they searched and watched in vain for his body. Thus was seen the result of repeated disobedience.

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Exploits of Maui: The Origin of Fire

Maui-mua and his brothers, fishermen living on the island of Maui, were teased by curly-tailed alae, who lit fires only when all four brothers were fishing. Maui-mua devised a plan, using a decoy in the canoe, to catch the alae. Upon capture, the alae revealed fire’s secret in a dry stick. Maui-mua, angered by their trickery, left the alae with a red head, marking their mischief forever.

Source
Hawaiian Folk Tales
a collection of native legends
compiled by Thos. G. Thrum
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1907

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains how fire was discovered and introduced to humanity.

Cunning and Deception: Both Maui-mua and the alae engage in deceptive strategies, highlighting the use of wit to achieve their goals.

Supernatural Beings: The story features the alae, who possess the secret of fire, indicating their mystical nature.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Hawaiians

by Rev. A.O. Forbes

Maui and Hina dwelt together, and to them were born four sons, whose names were Maui-mua, Maui-hope, Maui-kiikii, and Maui-o-ka-lana. These four were fishermen. One morning, just as the edge of the Sun lifted itself up, Maui-mua roused his brethren to go fishing. So they launched their canoe from the beach at Kaupo, on the island of Maui, where they were dwelling, and proceeded to the fishing ground. Having arrived there, they were beginning to fish, when Maui-o-ka-lana saw the light of a fire on the shore they had left, and said to his brethren: “Behold, there is a fire burning. Whose can this fire be?” And they answered: “Whose, indeed? Let us return to the shore, that we may get our food cooked; but first let us get some fish.”

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So, after they had obtained some fish, they turned toward the shore; and when the canoe touched the beach Maui-mua leaped ashore and ran toward the spot where the fire had been burning. Now, the curly-tailed alae (mud-hens) were the keepers of the fire; and when they saw him coming they scratched the fire out and flew away. Maui-mua was defeated, and returned to the house to his brethren.

Then said they to him: “How about the fire?”

“How, indeed?” he answered. “When I got there, behold, there was no fire; it was out. I supposed some man had the fire, and behold, it was not so; the alae are the proprietors of the fire, and our bananas are all stolen.”

When they heard that, they were filled with anger, and decided not to go fishing again, but to wait for the next appearance of the fire. But after many days had passed without their seeing the fire, they went fishing again, and behold, there was the fire! And so they were continually tantalized. Only when they were out fishing would the fire appear, and when they returned they could not find it.

This was the way of it. The curly-tailed alae knew that Maui and Hina had only these four sons, and if any of them stayed on shore to watch the fire while the others were out in the canoe the alae knew it by counting those in the canoe, and would not light the fire. Only when they could count four men in the canoe would they light the fire. So Maui-mua thought it over, and said to his brethren: “To-morrow morning do you go fishing, and I will stay ashore. But do you take the calabash and dress it in kapa, and put it in my place in the canoe, and then go out to fish.”

They did so, and when they went out to fish the next morning, the alae counted and saw four figures in the canoe, and then they lit the fire and put the bananas on to roast. Before they were fully baked one of the alae cried out: “Our dish is cooked! Behold, Hina has a smart son.”

And with that, Maui-mua, who had stolen close to them unperceived, leaped forward, seized the curly-tailed alae and exclaimed: “Now I will kill you, you scamp of an alae! Behold, it is you who are keeping the fire from us. I will be the death of you for this.”

Then answered the alae: “If you kill me the secret dies with me, and you won’t get the fire.” As Maui-mua began to wring its neck, the alae again spoke, and said: “Let me live, and you shall have the fire.”

So Maui-mua said: “Tell me, where is the fire?”

The alae replied: “It is in the leaf of the a-pe plant” (Alocasia macrorrhiza).

So, by the direction of the alae, Maui-mua began to rub the leaf-stalk of the a-pe plant with a piece of stick, but the fire would not come. Again he asked: “Where is this fire that you are hiding from me?”

The alae answered: “In a green stick.” And he rubbed a green stick, but got no fire. So it went on, until finally the alae told him he would find it in a dry stick; and so, indeed, he did. But Maui-mua, in revenge for the conduct of the alae, after he had got the fire from the dry stick, said: “Now, there is one thing more to try.” And he rubbed the top of the alae’s head till it was red with blood, and the red spot remains there to this day.

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The Origin of Death

This folktale explains why the hare’s nose is slit. The Moon sent an insect to tell humans they would die and live again, as she does. The hare intercepted, changed the message to say humans would die permanently, and delivered it. Angry, the Moon struck the hare’s nose, leaving it permanently marked as a symbol of his deceit.

Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: This tale explains the origin of death among humans, detailing how a miscommunicated message from the Moon led to the current human condition of mortality.

Trickster: The hare serves as a trickster figure, altering the Moon’s original message to humans, which results in significant consequences for mankind.

Divine Punishment: The Moon punishes the hare for delivering the wrong message by striking its nose, leading to the hare’s distinctive split nose as a lasting mark of its deceit.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Bushmen
Learn more about the Zulu people

The Moon, it is said, sent once an Insect to Men, saying, “Go thou to Men, and tell them, ‘As I die, and dying live, so ye shall also die, and dying live.'” The Insect started with the message, but whilst on his way was overtaken by the Hare, who asked: “On what errand art thou bound?” The Insect answered: “I am sent by the Moon to Men, to tell them that as she dies, and dying lives, they also shall die, and dying live.” The Hare said, “As thou art an awkward runner, let me go” (to take the message). With these words he ran off, and when he reached Men, he said, “I am sent by the Moon to tell you, ‘As I die, and dying perish, in the same manner ye shall also die and come wholly to an end.'”

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Then the Hare returned to the Moon, and told her what he had said to Men. The Moon reproached him angrily, saying, “Darest thou tell the people a thing which I have not said?” With these words she took up a piece of wood, and struck him on the nose. Since that day the Hare’s nose is slit.

A Second Version

The Moon dies, and rises to life again. The Moon said to the Hare, “Go thou to Men, and tell them, ‘Like as I die and rise to life again, so you also shall die and rise to life again.'” The Hare went to the Men, and said, “Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall also die, and not rise to life again.” When he returned the Moon asked “What hast thou said?” “I have told them, ‘Like as I die and do not rise to life again, so you shall also die and not rise to life again.'” “What,” said the Moon, “hast thou said that?” And she took a stick and beat the Hare on his mouth, which was slit by the blow. The Hare fled, and is still fleeing.

A Third Version

The Moon, on one occasion, sent the Hare to the earth to inform Men that as she (the Moon) died away and rose again, so mankind should die and rise again. Instead, however, of delivering this message as given, the Hare, either out of forgetfulness or malice, told mankind that as the Moon rose and died away, so Man should die and rise no more. The Hare, having returned to the Moon, was questioned as to the message delivered, and the Moon, having heard the true state of the case, became so enraged with him that she took up a hatchet to split his head; falling short, however, of that, the hatchet fell upon the upper lip of the Hare, and cut it severely. Hence it is that we see the “Hare-lip.” The Hare, being duly incensed at having received such treatment, raised his claws, and scratched the Moon’s face; and the dark spots which we now see on the surface of the Moon are the scars which she received on that occasion.

A Fourth Version

The Moon, they say, wished to send a message to Men, and the Hare said that he would take it. “Run, then,” said the Moon, “and tell Men that as I die and am renewed, so shall they also be renewed.” But the Hare deceived Men, and said, “As I die and perish, so shall you also.”

A Zulu Version

God (Unknlunkuln) arose from beneath (the seat of the spiritual world, according to the Zulu idea), and created in the beginning men, animals, and all things. He then sent for the Chameleon, and said, “Go, Chameleon, and tell Men that they shall not die.” The Chameleon went, but it walked slowly, and loitered on the way, eating of a shrub called Bukwebezane.

When it had been away some time, God sent the Salamander after it, ordering him to make haste and tell Men that they should die. The Salamander went on his way with this message, outran the Chameleon, and, arriving first where the Men were, told them that they must die.

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Why Has Jackal a Long Black Stripe on His Back?

The tale explains how the jackal’s back became black. Men ignored the Sun sitting by the wayside, but the curious jackal picked it up and carried it on his back. When the Sun began to burn him, he tried to shake it off, but it stuck, leaving his back permanently scorched.

Source:
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains the natural phenomenon of the jackal’s black stripe.

Transformation: The jackal undergoes a physical change due to his interaction with the Sun.

Supernatural Beings: The Sun is personified, influencing the events of the story.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Bushmen

The Sun, it is said, was one day on earth, and the men who were travelling saw him sitting by the wayside, but passed him without notice. Jackal, however, who came after them, and saw him also sitting, went to him and said, “Such a fine little child is left behind by the men.” He then took Sun up, and put it into his awa-skin (on his back). When it burnt him, he said, “Get down,” and shook himself; but Sun stuck fast to his back, and burnt Jackal’s back black from that day.

► Continue reading…

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The Zebra Stallion

A young zebra stallion grows up with the support of his herd and leads them to water amidst harassment from baboons. When confronted by a baboon, the stallion’s strength and anger prevail after a dispute over food, leaving the baboon with a bald spot. The tale explains the baboon’s bald back and highlights the zebra’s resilience.

Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains the baboon’s bald back, providing a mythical origin for this physical trait.

Cunning and Deception: The baboon deceives the stallion by licking milk from his tongue, an act that leads to conflict.

Revenge and Justice: The stallion’s retaliation against the baboon for the deceit results in the baboon’s bald spot, serving as a form of justice.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Bushmen

The Baboons, it is said, used to disturb the Zebra Mares in drinking. But one of the Mares became the mother of a foal. The others then helped her to suckle (the young stallion), that he might soon grow up.

When he was grown up and they were in want of water, he brought them to the water. The Baboons, seeing this, came, as they formerly were used to do, into their way, and kept them from the water.

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While the Mares stood thus, the Stallion stepped forward, and spoke to one of the Baboons, “Thou gum-eater’s child!”

The Baboon said to the Stallion, “Please open thy mouth, that I may see what thou livest on.” The Stallion opened his mouth, and it was milky.

Then the Stallion said to the Baboon, “Please open thy mouth also, that I may see.” The Baboon did so, and there was some gum in it. But the Baboon quickly licked some milk off the Stallion’s tongue. The Stallion on this became angry, took the Baboon by his shoulders, and pressed him upon a hot, flat rock. Since that day the Baboon has a bald place on his back.

The Baboon said, lamenting, “I, my mother’s child, I, the gum-eater, am outdone by this milk-eater!”

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Jackal, Dove, and Heron

A jackal demanded dove chicks, threatening to fly if refused. The dove, believing him, reluctantly surrendered her young. Heron advised the dove that jackals cannot fly and to resist further demands. When the jackal learned of Heron’s guidance, he deceived and attacked Heron, breaking his neck. This tale explains why herons have bent necks and highlights gullibility’s consequences.

Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The jackal employs deceit, threatening to fly to coerce the dove into surrendering her chicks.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts lessons on gullibility and the consequences of naivety.

Origin of Things: The story provides an etiological explanation for the heron’s bent neck.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Bushmen

Jackal, it is said, came once to Dove, who lived on the top of a rock, and said, “Give me one of your little ones.” Dove answered, “I shall not do anything of the kind.”

Jackal said, “Give me it at once! Otherwise, I shall fly up to you.” Then she threw one down to him.

He came back another day and demanded another little one, and she gave it to him. After Jackal had gone, Heron came, and asked, “Dove, why do you cry?”

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Dove answered him, “Jackal has taken away my little ones; it is for this that I cry.” He asked her, “In what manner did he take them?” She answered him, “When he asked me I refused him; but when he said, ‘I shall at once fly up, therefore give me it,’ I threw it down to him.”

Heron said, “Are you such a fool as to give your young ones to Jackal, who cannot fly?” Then, with the admonition to give no more, he went away.

Jackal came again, and said, “Dove, give me a little one.” Dove refused, and told him that Heron had told her that he could not fly up. Jackal said, “I shall catch him.”

So when Heron came to the banks of the water, Jackal asked him: “Brother Heron, when the wind comes from this side, how will you stand?” He turned his neck towards him and said, “I stand thus, bending my neck on one side.” Jackal asked him again, “When a storm comes and when it rains, how do you stand?” He said to him: “I stand thus, indeed, bending my neck down.”

Then Jackal beat him on his neck, and broke his neck in the middle.

Since that day Heron’s neck is bent.

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Cloud Eating

Jackal and Hyena discovered a cloud they could eat like fat. Jackal descended safely with Hyena’s help but betrayed her when it was her turn. Pretending to be injured, he moved aside, causing Hyena to fall and injure herself. The story explains why, according to legend, Hyena’s hind legs are shorter than her front ones.

Source
South-African Folk Tales
by James A. Honey, M.D.
New York,1910

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The Jackal embodies the trickster archetype, using cunning to deceive the Hyena.

Origin of Things: The tale explains the physical characteristic of the Hyena’s shorter hind legs as a result of the Jackal’s trickery.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts a lesson on the consequences of betrayal and the importance of trust.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Bushmen

Jackal and Hyena were together, it is said, when a white cloud rose. Jackal descended upon it, and ate of the cloud as if it were fat. When he wanted to come down, he said to Hyena, “My sister, as I am going to divide with thee, catch me well.” So she caught him, and broke his fall. Then she also went up and ate there, high up on the top of the cloud.

When she was satisfied, she said, “My greyish brother, now catch me well.” The greyish rogue said to his friend, “My sister, I shall catch thee well. Come therefore down.”

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He held up his hands, and she came down from the cloud, and when she was near, Jackal cried out (painfully jumping to one side), “My sister, do not take it ill. Oh me! Oh me! A thorn has pricked me and sticks in me.” Thus she fell down from above, and was sadly hurt.

Since that day, it is said that Hyena’s hind feet have been shorter and smaller than the front ones.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page