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5. “Faithless Lover Is Turned to Stone” (1958)
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chapter 5 “Faithless Lover Is Turned to Stone” (1958) Clarice B. Taylor Birds are among the most prevalent animals in Hawaiian mythology. According to Martha Beckwith, gods may be man-eating birds who take on human form, or they may appear as birds themselves to serve their family descendants. Beckwith notes that birds were also worshipped by canoe makers: “When a canoe was to be built, a priest would go to the forest, select a tree, and pray to the gods of the woods to bless it, then wait for an elepaio bird to alight on the trunk. If it merely ran up and down, the trunk was sound; but where it stopped to pick at the bark, that spot was sure to be found rotten and the builder would run the risk in making use of the trunk.”9 Since the kahunas who crafted surfboards followed similar rituals as the canoe builders, it is not difficult to imagine that they worshipped birds in much the same way.10 The Story of Laie-ika -wai demonstrated how mythical birds transported Lâ‘ie-i-ka-wai and her lover, Hala-aniani, to the feather-house at Pali-uli. The following tale describes a Bird Maiden who uses her bird messengers both to secure a lover and to survey his fidelity. The story of the Kaui‘i prince Ka-hiki-lani (“the arrival [of] chief”) is also of interest for its illustration of the strong link between Hawaiian myth and landscape. Many native tales derive primarily as explanations for specific, local features of geography (like the “George Washington” stone mentioned here). Finally, the story of Ka-hiki-lani is well known in surf culture because the prince’s fate is sealed at the famed break of Paumal û,* or Sunset Beach, on the North Shore of O‘ahu. A challenging field of play for both ancient and contemporary surfers, Sunset Beach continues to create legends as modern-day incarnations of Ka-hiki-lani come to test their skill at one of the world’s most dangerous and exciting waves. * Pau-malû: “taken secretly.” In Place Names of Hawai‘i, Pukui notes, “a shark bit off the legs of a woman who caught more squid than was permitted” (182). 32 as y o u t r av e l a l o n g the Ka-mehameha [“the lonely one”] Highway on the western side of Oahu Island, you pass Waialee and come to a barren ridge above Pau-malu Bay. There you will see a tourist bureau marker, George Washington Stone. Some people see the head of George Washington on the mountain side facing the sea, but that is not the ancient tradition. The head is that of a Kauai Prince named Ka-hiki-lani who had heard of the wonderful and difficult surfing to be had at Pau-malu Bay. Ka-hiki-lani came to Oahu determined to learn the art of riding the Paumalu surf. He practiced day after day and was constantly watched by a maid of supernatural bird powers who lived in a nearby cave. The bird fell in love with the Prince and sent her bird messengers to place a lehua* lei about his neck and bring him to her. By circling about the Prince, the birds guided him to the Bird Maiden’s cave. The Prince was enchanted with the maid and spent months with her until the return of the surfing season. The call of the surf was too much for him; he left the maiden after promising her that he would never kiss another woman. His vow was broken almost immediately. A woman passing by saw him surfing, placed an ilima* lei about his neck and kissed him. Ka-hiki -lani thought nothing of the act, but the bird messengers of the Bird Maiden were watching him. They flew away to tell their mistress that Kahiki -lani was faithless. The Bird Maiden ran to the beach with a lehua lei in her hand. She snatched the ilima lei from his neck and replaced it with the lehua. Ka-hiki-lani ran after her. As he got halfway up the mountain side he was turned to stone. He sits there today with a rock lehua about his neck, a warning to all faithless lovers. * lehua: “The flower of the ‘òhi‘a tree . . . The plant has many forms, from tall trees to low shrubs . . . The flowers are red, rarely salmon, pink, yellow, or white” (Hawaiian Dictionary). Elizabeth...