Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1 January 1983 — HINA OF THE FIRE AND HINA OF THE WATER [ARTICLE]

HINA OF THE FIRE AND HINA OF THE WATER

No Hilo, Hawai'i, 'o Hinaikeahi ame Hinaikawai, a he mau wahine kupua laua. 'O Hinaikeahi ke kaikua'ana, a 'o Hinaikawai no kona muli, I kaikaina ho'i me ka wai. Ua mahele 'ia laua mau 'aina a me ko laua mau kanaka, e ko laua makuahine, e Hina. I ka hiki 'ana mai o kekahi wi weliweli maluna o ka 'aina, ua nui ka 'uwe o kanaka i ka pololi. Ua nui no ho'i na keiki li'ili'i i make i ka nele o ka makuahine i ka waiu. Nana mai nei 'o Hinaikeahi i kona po'e kanaka, a ua hu 'ane'i ke aloha ia lakou, nolaila 'oia i hea mai ai ia lakoue 'akoakoa aku i kona alo. Kauoha aku nei 'oia i na kane e ahonui a e hele i ke kuahiwi i ka lapulapu wahie, a i ka muliwai i pohaku imu. A i ka 'ahua 'ana o keia mau mea, e hana i imu 'ena'ena nui. Kahaha ka na'au o kanaka i ke kauoha 'ia i imu, 'oiai "a'ohe mea ai e ho'omo'a aku ai. No ke aloha no i ke ali'i, hana kunukunu 'ole no. I ka makaukau 'ana i ka imu, hele ka'apuni 'ane'i 'o H inaikeahi, a 'olelo iho nei, "Ma'ane'i ka 'uwala, ke kalo, ka uhi, 'ilio, pua'a, i'a. hapu'u, a me ka moa!" Pau no kana 'olelo 'ana. ho'i aku nei 'oia i waena o ka imu, a hea mai la i kanaka e uhi ia ia i ka lepo. 'Uwe 'ane'i kanaka, "'A'ole! 'a'ole!" 'Olelo mai nei 'o Hinaikeahi, "E o'u mau kanaka, mai uwe 'oukou! Uhi mai ka lepo maluna o'u, a e hele a'e au i na kupuna akua o kakou i ola na kakou. E nana'oukou i ke kolu o ka la.'ike 'oukou i ke ao e kau pono 'ana maluna o ka imu nei. I ku he wahine me ke 'ano olioli ke nana aku. hu'e 'ia ka imu. Uhi mai ia'u!" Me ka hopohopo no kanaka i kanu aku ai i ke ali'i aloha o lakou. I ke kolu o ka la ua'ike'ia he ao. kohu kino wahine, maluna pono o ka imu. 'o ko lakou hu'e no ia i ka imu. 'A'ohe i loa'a aku 'o Hinaikeahi e moe mai ana. aka 'ona mea 'ai wale no ana i helu ai, 'o ka uhi. ke kalo. ka i'a, a pela wale aku. Pau no ka lakou wehewehe'ana. 'ike 'ia'o Hinaikeahi e ho'i mai ana mai kahakai mai. ua 'ohu'ohu i ka lei limu kala. Me ka'awiwi loa i ku'i 'ia ai ka 'ai, a noho lakou a pau e pa'ina. la lakou e 'ai ana, ha'i mai 'o Hinaikeahi i kona hele 'ana i na kupuna ahi e aloha mai ia lakou. A i ka piha 'ana o kana imu i ka 'ai. ua hele 'oia i ka 'au'au kai me Hinaopuhalako'a. E like no me ke 'ano ma'a mau o kanaka o ka wala'au, ua ohiohi aku nei ko Hinaikeahi mau kanaka i ka Hinaikawai i ka ono maoli o na mea 'ai a ka haku o lakou i ho'olako ai! Ho'i aku nei ko Hinaikawai mau kanaka. a uwe aku nei i ke ali'i o lakou. me ka ho'ike pu aku no ho'i i na mea a pau a lakou i lohe mai ai mai na kanaka o Hinaikeahi mai. Komo iho nei ka mana'o lili iloko o Hinaikawai. Kauoha aku nei 'oia i na kanaka e hana i 'imu nui, a i ka makaukau 'ana, ua ho'ohalike 'oia me ka kona kaikua'ana i ka helupapa i na mea 'ai; a pau 'ia, hea aku nei i na kanaka e uhi ia ia i ka lepo. I ke kolu o ka la, he la 'umamalu ia, ua 'ike 'ia he ao uliuli, me he wahine la, e kau pono ana maluna o ka imu. Me ka 'eleu loa na kanaka i hu'e ai i ka imu. 'Auwe! 'a'ohe 'ai i loa'a aku, aka 'o ke kino papa'a wale no 'o Hinaikawai! I hamama 'ana 'o ka imu. ua ho'ohelelei ka ua, a ua 'olelo 'ia, 'o na waimaka ia mai ka lani mai no Hinaikawai. Ina ua ki'i no 'o Hinaikawai i kona mahele, he wai, ina no ia i ola. 'A'ole na'e, pi'i koke ka lili, a lele kamoko i ka mana o ke kaikua'ana. 'O ka hopena ia o ka ho'oki'eki'e. 'Ike 'ane'i na kanaka, 'a'ohe a lakou haku, 'a'ohe mea 'ai, 'o ke ho'i no ia a pau me Hinaikeahi.

( As told to Mrs. Mary Kawena Pukui when she was a child, by an old lady from Hilo, Hawaii, named Kanui Kaikaina.) There were two kupua women living in Hilo on the island of Hawaii. Hina of the Fire was the elder and Hina of the Water was heryoungersister. To theelder belonged the power to work magic with fire; to the younger, with water. Eaeh was given her portion of land and of retainers by their mother Hina. Onee famine eame and great was the lamentation of the people because of hunger, and very many infants died because their mothers could not provide them with milk. As Hina of the fire saw her people's distress, her eompassion flowed out to them and she called them all to gather before her. Then she commanded the men to be strong and to climb the mountain after wood and to bring stones from the river in order to prepare an underground oven or imu. and when everything was brought, to prepare a very hot oven. Amazement filled the men's hearts at the command to prepare an oven when there was no food to be cooked. but out of love for their chiefess they did it all without a murmur. When the oven was ready, Hina of the Fire spoke, "My people, do not weep, but cover me over with earth. And I will go to our divine ancestors that you may have life. Watch, and on the third day you will see a cloud directly over this oven in the form of a woman with radiant face, then remove the earth. Now cover me!" With great reluctance the men did as their beloved chiefess commanded them. On the third day a c!oud in the shape of a woman appeared directly over the oven and immediately the men uncovered it. There was nobody lying there, but the foods she had enumerated were there — yam, taro, fish, and all the rest. And after the oven had been opened, Hina of the Fire appeared coming from the direction of the sea coast wreathed with the limu. Quickly the food was served and all were seated at the feast while Hina of the Fire related the story of her visit to her ancestors who had shown their love to her. After eating, she went to bathe in the sea with Hinaopuhalako'a, Hina of the coral, who was one of the wives of the god, Ku. Not surprisingly, word of this occurrence was spread about, and the retainers of Hina of the Fire boasted about the delicious food provided by their chiefess. The followers of Hina of the Water therefore complained before her, reporting what they had heard from their counterparts. Hina of the Water was e\tremely jealous and she commanded her retainers also to prepare a great oven, and when this was done she imitated her older sister by repeating the names of various foods and then calling upon her retainers to cover her with earth. The third day the sky was overcast and a dark cloud in the form of a woman stood directly over the imu. The men quickly removed the covering. Alas! no food was visible. only the charred body of Hina of the Water burned to a crisp. The rain began to fall after the oven was opened, and it was said that this was the weeping of heaven over Hina of the Water. If she had only used her own gift of water she would have been saved alive, but no so! She ws jealous and wanted to out-do the magic gift of her older sister, henee the penalty of her pride. When the retainers saw that they had neither chiefess nor food, they all went to live with Hina of the Fire.