Folklore in Hawaii

Folklore in Hawaii in modern times is a mixture of various aspects of Hawaiian mythology and various urban legends that have been passed on regarding various places in the Hawaiian islands. The following is a partial list of some of these legends.

Ancient Hawaiian folklore

Night marchers

According to Hawaiian legend, night marchers ("huaka‘i po" in Hawaiian) are ghosts of ancient warriors. They supposedly roam large sections of the island chain, and can be seen by groups of torches. They can usually be found in areas that were once large battlefields (the Nuuanu Pali on the island of Oahu is a good example.) Legend has it that if you look a night marcher straight in the eye, you will disappear, never to be seen again. Hawaiians say that in the presence of night marchers, one should lie down on their stomach, face down to avoid eye contact. Moanalua Gardens is one of the many places the Night Marchers are said to roam.

Carrying pork over the Nuuanu Pali

Local folklore on the island of Oahu says that one should never carry pork over the Pali Highway connecting Honolulu and Windward Oahu. The stories vary, but the classic legend is that if one carries pork of any kind over the old Pali road (not the modern pali highway) by automobile, the automobile would stop at a certain point on the way and not re-start until the pork is removed from the vehicle.
* Some versions of the story require the pork to be raw; other versions say that this happens after dark.
* In some versions, a white dog will appear at the time the automobile stalls, and you must feed the pork to the dog to proceed.

This legend has its roots in ancient Hawaiian mythology. According to legend, the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele and the demigod Kamapua‘a (a half-man-half-pig) had a turbulent relationship, and the two agreed not to visit each other. If one takes pork over the Pali, the legend goes, one is symbolically taking a piece of Kamapua‘a from one side to the other, and it is said that Pele would stop that from happening.

Modern urban legends

Morgan's Corner

Morgan's Corner refers to two places on Oahu; one on the Nuuanu Pali Drive leading into Nuuanu valley above downtown Honolulu, and one in Windward Oahu below the Nuuanu Pali. It is said that the apparent spirit that haunts these places are in reference to the suicide of Morgan Wilder, whose residence was located on the Nuuanu Pali road in 1948. However, both of these places are connected to urban legends.

The story states that a girl from the Morgan's residence hanged herself on the tree at the end of the road, she was lost for a couple of days and by the time she was found, her head had severed itself from her body, leaving her head hanging by the rope alone. Her head and her body were never re-attached at burial, leaving her to forever roam the Nuuanu Pali Drive. It is said that fireballs can be seen behind boulders here, and it is also said that if you sit under the tree and look up you will see a girl hanging from the branches. if you're in a car you would see a big black figure sitting on the tree above you. The road is closed to cars but you can hike up on bike or walk.

even Bridges of Manoa

Inside of Paradise Park in Manoa Valley is a trail for hiking. It has been said that when hiking into the valley on this trail, you will cross seven bridges. But, when you hike back out of the valley, you will only count six bridges. You can apparently hear a spectre/banshee screaming while walking along the path.

Events in Waialae and Kahala

At one time, the land that is now subdivisions in Waialae and Kahala Mall in eastern Honolulu were once the site of a graveyard. Since that time, two known events have occurred there.

The Mujina

The Graveyard Child

It is said that if you drive past the remaining portion of the graveyard, across the street from Kahala Mall is a graveyard. If you drive past this graveyard with your windows open, you will feel somebody else in the car. Usually a child, but when you look at that somebody else in your back seat they are not there.

The Green Lady

Local People know not to go traveling or walking in the green in the night. NO one walks through the grass or the forests of Hawaii without a source of light. Story has it that if you do, a lady in a white dress will appear and scare you. Another story says that if you see her she will kill you. This will happen in any large green plant area, such as a park or forest and only at night.

ee also

* Glen Grant