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Guardian Dogs of Nu‘uanu | |
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There are many stories of dogs associated with Nuuanu. The story of Kaupe was related back in the Native Place chapter. Another story of dogs is set in the area of Kapena Falls, a large pool and waterfall in the lower portion of the Valley. Here is a version of that story, from Taylor (1953):
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Ka-hau-komo is the place where robbers are said to have dwelt in upper Nuuanu. This was a grove of hau trees above Luakaha. As Raphaelson ( 1925:11) tells it, "Robbers were plenty in those foot-trail days. Back towards the hills, the old men still point to a hidden cave. There, two ruthless bandits kept watch on the trail. One climbed a tree, while the other stood ready with his trusted pikoi [a tripping club of wood or stone, with a rope attached, that was hurled at the foe to encircle his arms or legs and render him helpless]. "'Malolo kai' ["low tide"], the lookout would call--that was their signal for 'one man on the trail. "Then his companion let swing the pikoi. It twisted around the legs of the man. He fell. He was robbed. Sometimes he was killed."
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Konahuanui is the large mountain to the right side of the Pali when seen from Nuuanu valley. In one story, the mountain got its name when a man, probably a giant, was chasing a women and as she was escaping, he tore off his testicles and threw them at her. The two peaks of the mountain are said to be his testicles. On this mountain lived a moo woman. As Puakea related in his telling of the legend of Ke-ao-melemele, moo are associated with wet areas, or pools of water. Here is the story of the moo of Konahuanui and her dog, as told in the Saturday Press (1884):
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"One of the beliefs of the olden times was that a race of hairless dogs were related to the moos that formerly existed in our streams, ponds and inaccessible mountain peaks. One of these hairless dogs had been fattened, killed and cooked in ki (ti) leaves by people living in Koolau, who intended it as a part of heir annual tribute to the king. The latter was living on the kona side of the island of Oahu, and the people had to pass Nuuanu pali to get to him. "There were quite a crowd of people going to pay tribute besides those who had the laulau of cooked dog meat. These laulau had been put into a large calabash that was secured with knotted netting as befitted the fastenings of meat or poi containers for the king's table, and was suspended from a pole borne by two men on their shoulders, and going single file, the calabash being suspended between the two."
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"When the party was almost through the hala groves of Kekele at the foot of the Pali, the moo of Konahuanui called from the Pali, "ke hele ae nei" (you are travelling). The cooked dog immediately answered from the calabash, 'Yes, I am going to be offered in tribute for these people.' "On hearing these words issuing from the calabash, the men carrying it were so frightened that they threw it away and fled precipitantly. Those of the crowd who remained saw a live dog come out of the calabash and from the wrappings of ki and banana leaves that had contained the cooked dog meat, which looked at his disappearing masters and then turned and went up the Konahuanui peak, where no doubt it was welcomed by his relative the moo. "Ever since no native could be prevailed on to eat a hairless dog."
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Another version comes from Green's Folk-tales from Hawaii (1926). Here the dog is named Pae, who was caught and roasted and put in a calabash. As the men with the calabash reached the top of a cliff, they saw a pretty ehu (red-haired) woman sitting beside a pool of water. She called to the dog, "Pae, Pae." "Here I am," answered the dog from the calabash. "Where are you going?" "I am going with these men to visit the land of the chief." The men were so frightened that they stood rooted to the spot. "Come here to me, Pae. Let us go home together" said the woman. "Pae immediately jumped out of the calabash. He showed no trace of the roasting; he was once more the sleek, fat brindled dog from the mountains. He ran with delight to his mistress, who, throwing her arms about him, dived with him into the depths of the pool."
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