Moʻolelo (Stories)

Moʻolelo are stories, myths, legends, and part of the cultural fabric of Hawaiʻi. The word moʻolelo itself is a combination of the word moʻo, meaning a series or succession, and ʻōlelo, meaning words. Originally an oral tradition, moʻolelo can be entertaining, but also relay important lessons about the values, norms, and traditions of the Hawaiian people.

The stories listed below are merely abbreviated summaries of important tales that have been passed from one generation to the next. Having been shared by many Hawaiians over long periods of time, different versions of moʻolelo may vary, in some cases significantly.

 

Pele

Pelehonuamea, the Hawaiian volcano deity and creator of volcanic landscapes

Pele & Lonomakua

How Lonomakua, the uncle of the volcanic deity, taught her to govern fire

Holo Mai Pele (The Journey of Pele)

The journey of Pele mirrors the geological formation of the Hawaiian Islands

Pele & Hiʻiaka

The saga of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele describes the journey of the favorite sister of Pele and an epic battle at the summit of Kīlauea

ʻŌhiʻa

Many Hawaiian moʻolelo involve the ʻōhia tree and its bright, fiery flowers.

Kamapuaʻa

Oral history tells us of the unique birth of a child named Kamapuaʻa or the “hog-child”

Punaʻaikoaʻe

The kinolau (body form) of Oʻahu chief Punaʻaikoaʻe can be seen as the koaʻe kea flying over Kīlauea

Kaʻehuikimanōopuʻuloa

The story of the little brown shark of Puʻuloa

The Legend of The Gourd

How twin girls became the ancestresses of the people of Kamāʻoa in Kaʻū

The Despotic Chiefs of Kaʻū

There were once three despotic chiefs who lived in Kaʻū, on the southern portion of the Island of Hawaiʻi.

Pīkoiakaʻalalā and the Giant Rat

Pīkoi challenges the locals' disbelief in a large rat near Puʻumanawaleʻa, successfully shooting it in a wager with a chief.