The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-12-10
THE PACIFIC
commercial 9abertistr
Hawaiian Tradition of the Origin
of Fire.
COLLECTED and Translated by A. o. FOrbes.l


The Hawaiians formerly produced fire by rub
bng piece Of hard wood upon softer one,
until the heat, engendered by the friction, pro-
@suoed conb1stion among the fine tfnder-iike
PARTICLES or fbres Of the softer piece, which had
been disIodged by the action Of the harder piece.
THE soft piece was usually placed on the ground
or some suitable support, while the harder
piece was held firmly with both hands in a slant
ing direction and the necessary friction produced
Nv rubbing the end of it smartly upon the softer
nice in a Ionc1tudinaI direction. The piece held
IA the hands was called an AuliHG, and that on
Ebieb the fire was produced, was called the
AuHaki
Hawaiian tradition states that there was time
when fire was unknown to this people, and refers
their first knowledge of it to the common mud
hen, OF coot, 50 abundant in most of the ponds
and marshes of these islands. Whoever has OBJ
served these birds, has noticed heshy or callous
not on the front part of the head, at the root of
he beak In some, it is of a clear white; in
cthers, of a bright crimson color. The latter are
BE birds who were originally the pOssessOrs of
Ere, and from whom it passed into the possession
Of the people.
This acquisition is connected, in the tradition,
aneient story.
This Maui was the of Hina and Akalana,
nd dweIt with his parents at Kipahulu, on East
Naui. Akalana, however, was only his foster
fther. There were also three other sons, the
oEspring Of Hina and Akalana, named respect
i7ely, Maui-mua, Maui-hOpe, and Nlaui-kiikn,
Maui first, Maui next, and Maui big-bellied.)
Bat this one was called Maui Akalana. Maui
Akalana grew to manhood, being fed only un-
cooked food for they had no fire in those days,
and what they ate was prepared by burying it in
the ground.
There were potatoes, and kalo, and yams, and
& root, but there way of cooking them.
Maui, therefore, asked Hina, his mother, one
day, g How shall we cook these things?"
She answered 80 Fire will cook them"
ss Who has the fre?'
--r- The Alae (mud-hens) have it,
y Then L will go and get it,
z When thy strength and swiftness are great,
ftpu mayest get it,
q am able, - answered Maui.
Now he and his brothers often went out fishing
together in their canoes. And as they were fish
hg, they often saw the fires which the Alae had
kindled on the land to cook their food. And
Mani Of landed and pursued the birds to OBJ
aain the FIRE; but when he came near them, 10
IN a twinkIing, they gathered up the fire, the
ashes, the wood, and the bananas, and flew away,
feFiling him and saying " All now indeed thy |
tood will be cooked, thou mean looking coward /
SEift indeed is the son of Hina''
Thus he and his brothers pursued their way, |
fishing as they went, until they arrived at Wal
anae, on Oahu
There again they saw the fires lighted on the
shore. Thus it continued for five successive days.
Then said Maui to his brethren, SO am going
after the fire.
i" You will not get it, for those to whom the
f1e belongs are BIRDS
will get it. Stay you here and fish while
. But the birds will discover your absence
Eron your canoe.''
/ will set up my fsh-line calabash in the end
Ct ne canoe, and they will think it is a man.
50 they consented, and while they went a fish
ing, Maui proceeded inland toward the place
~here the birds were. When he was near the
5rst, he hid himself behind a rock. And the
birds counted the men in the canoes at the sea,
and saw, as they supposed, five men as before.
1een they built fire, and proceeded to cook their
se1anas as usual. While they were thus cooking
thsir food, Maui suddenly sprang from his hiding
ptEee and seized one of them, with the wood, and
the bananas. At this the rest took alarm, and |
bfashed the fire out with their wings, and even |
swept away the ashes. Maui then tied the feet
Of his bird, and was about to wiring its neck in
feEsnge for his disappointment, when the Alae
czRed out, " Kill me not, or you get no fire."
Then give me the fire, - demanded he. $50
ana rub the stem of the taro leaf for your fire.
Nas the answer
% he obtained taro leaf and rubbed awav.
and the hollow made by his rubbing remains in
the stem of the leaf to this day.
Again he demanded of the Alae, Give me
Tie fire. If not, you die. There is no escape. -
u Go and rub on the stem of the ii Leaf" re- |
pied the bird.
50 he rubbed away at the stem of the ii leaf, |
Put no fire appeared, though his rubbing made
11llOw which remains in the stem to this day. |
81 wrath flowed over, and he went back determ- |
ssea TO kill the bird. But the Alae again smoke |
Aaying, a. Kill me, and you lose the fire.
10 he demanded once more the secret of the
Then said the Alae, " Go and rub the aoai -
toT iodf means water. So he went and rubbed
sn- surface of the water, but without success.
Now thy death is sure. Thou shalt mock me
longer, :" said be to the bird But the AIae
nflied, 1t was your own fault, 1 did not
Mean wai-maoi, (water) but the tree called wal
nea"
e he tried the wood Of the sKaimea tree, and
- hst obtained fire. And as punishment for
n1ekIng him. he seized the bird and rubbed its
q7PH OF the ignited wood until the raw red flesh
feared on its forehead wherefore the bird is
A-iae, (burning 6rehead), to this day
7 ALSO called by the natives oIomea
s;zs - Iowa editor, IN noticing church choir said
rx M IKE dfift wood in stream-it drags on the
e<k yet dOa't amount to DAM