--- title: Moi-keha, the Restless — Hawaiian Historical Legends · full text with trees description: Moi-keha, the Restless, «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Folklore is sometimes the outgrowth of a sympathy with nature, resulting in nature myths and sometimes it is an outgrowth of sympathy with --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/9/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Hawaiian Historical Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/) / Moi-keha, the Restless # Moi-keha, the Restless Moi-keha, the Restless of «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole text, 89 sentences and 1536 words. 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Folklore is sometimes the outgrowth of a sympathy with nature, resulting in nature myths and sometimes it is an outgrowth of sympathy with history.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The imagination loves a truth in nature or in history and weaves around it a web of thoughts of things which might have been.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") The story of Moi-keha, the restless, is an historical myth.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") There are some unquestioned facts and much which was impossible.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Fornander, the omnium-gatherum of Hawaii, thinks Moi-keha lived in the thirteenth century.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The two boys, Moi-keha and Olopana, were born on the island of Oahu.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Their boyhood was like that of other Hawaiian youths of high chief blood.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") They studied the spear and surf-board exercises.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") They gambled with hidden stones.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") They sported with discus and javelin throwing.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") They raced down green hillsides with their long coasting sleds.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") They wrestled and fought with their companions and listened to the tales of the sea rovers of the Pacific.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") They learned the routes to the southern and southeastern islands and heard with fired imaginations the descriptions of Tahiti and Samoa.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") If the Romans believed that an ocean of thick mist, peopled with all imaginable terrors lay to the north of Europe, we can well accept the fact that strange fascinations and the hope of marvellous adventures in the South Pacific might stir the restless minds of young Hawaiian chiefs.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Moi-keha and Olopana gathered a strong band of brave retainers and, bidding farewell to Oahu, as their ancestors had done before them, sailed toward the South.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") For some reason the brothers took with them a young chief of high position, whose ancestor, Pau-makua, had made renowned voyages to far-off lands.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The story of Laa, who, in late life, was known as “Laa from Tahiti,” must be reserved for later record.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Moi-keha, however, seems to have taken this young man under his own especial protection as his foster son.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") The company from Kauai stopped at Waipio Valley, on the island of Hawaii, one of the most beautiful and inaccessible valleys of the whole Hawaiian group.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Here Olopana was set apart as ruler of the district.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The days and nights were filled with fishing and feasting, ruling and revelling.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Olopana soon found a beautiful young chiefess, who was in full sympathy with his ambitions, whom he took from her home as his life-companion.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") This woman, Luu-kia, was said to be a descendant of the Nanaulu line of chiefs, originally coming to Hawaii from Tahiti.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Storms, floods and freshets swept Waipio Valley.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") The people fled from the scene of disasters.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The young chiefs found themselves homeless.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Again the love of adventure excited them.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") They prepared provisions for a voyage of many days.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") They selected the wisest students of the stars.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") They plotted their proposed route over the ocean.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") We are not told that they had any one with them who had already been to Tahiti.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") It is probable, however, that some of the old prophets and astrologers of their fathers were with the young people as their priestly guardians.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") They never seemed to doubt their ability to find their way.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") With their selected companions the two brothers sailed for Tahiti.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Olopana and his wife, Luu-kia, occupied one of the large ocean-going canoes and Moi-keha with Laa sailed in another.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the legends say that they went away with a fleet of five large canoes.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The Hawaiian story says that the brothers arrived safely in Tahiti, where Olopana soon became chief of a district known in the legends as “The-open-great-red-Moa.”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the harbours of Raiatea of the Tahitian Islands was known as Ava-Moa, the Moa Harbour, or “The Sacred Harbour.”[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Fornander justly argues that there is little doubt that this was the place selected by Olopana as his permanent home.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Moi-keha appears to have been the priest of the family, for it is said that he built a temple and called it Lanikeha or “the heavenly resting-place.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") After a time Moi-keha found that life with his brother was not so pleasant as might be desired, therefore he again prepared for a new voyage, this time returning to his native land.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") He left Laa with Olopana.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Two of the companions of Moi-keha on this return voyage became famous in the annals of Hawaii.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Kama-hua-lele was known through all the ages by his chant in honour of Moi-Keha.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") He superintended the building of the strong canoes.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") He was a kilokilo, an astrologer who understood the places of the stars in the heavens and the proper course to steer, guided by the sun by day and the stars by night.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") He was the poet and seer and kahu or guardian of his chief Moi-keha.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The expedition was practically subject to his directions.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Laa-mao-mao, who aided Moi-keha as priest of the gods of the winds, later dropped out of the story and moved to the island Molokai, where he was supposed to have made his home near a place known as House of Lono, a well-known hill on that island.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Here he took his calabash of winds and became the god of the winds, opening his calabash and letting breezes or storms escape according to the wishes of the one seeking his aid.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") He controlled the direction in which the winds should travel, by lifting the cover on one side of the calabash.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the imprisoned winds burst forth and sped away in the desired direction.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") It is said that when Moi-keha came back to the Hawaiian Islands he visited all along the island coasts until he came to Kauai.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") Whenever he landed he seems to have given prominence to one after another of the companions of his long voyage.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Places were named after some of them and other places given to others for their future residence.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") At last they came to Kauai, the most northerly island of the group.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") They timed their approach so that the shadows of the night were around them.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") Then as the light of the morning rose over sea and shore, with his canoes flying the royal banners of a high chief, he drew near.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") Kama-hua-lele, standing by the mast which bore the royal colours, sang the chant of Moi-keha.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") The closing part of the chant is thus translated by Fornander:[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") “O, Moikeha, the chief who is to reside.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") My chief will reside on Hawaii.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Life, life, O buoyant life\![63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Live shall the chief and the priest.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") Live shall the seer and the slave, Dwell on Hawaii and be at rest, And attain to old age on Kauai.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") O Kauai is the island O Moikeha is the chief.”[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") This chant had been clearly recited wherever Moi-keha had visited any of the islands, and now fell for the first time on the ears of the curious inhabitants of Kauai.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") The warm welcome was given to Moi-keha and his companions, which was always extended to high chiefs.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") King Kalakaua adds a romantic incident to the coming of Moi-keha to Kauai.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Puna, the king, had a daughter who belonged to the fairy tale period of Europe rather than to the free giving and taking in marriage of the Hawaiians.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") She had many suitors among the young chiefs, but could not decide upon the one highest in her esteem.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") Her father at last had decided that the only way to keep her suitors from always living at his cost was to have a contest.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") This had been agreed upon before the coming of Moi-keha.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") When Moi-keha saw Hooipo, the daughter of the king, he determined to have her for his wife and planned to enter into the contest.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") The king had sent a human hair necklace and whale tooth ornament to be placed on one of the small islands some distance from Kauai.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") The first chief to secure the necklace should have the king’s daughter.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") The fine large canoes of the various chiefs with their strong crews of oarsmen were drawn up in line.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") Moi-keha had only a small canoe prepared which still lay on the shore under the care of one of his comrades from Tahiti.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") At the given signal the canoes sped on this journey, but Moi-keha lingered.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") The young princess had now decided that Moi-keha was the chief she desired, but she could not urge him to go, and still he lingered.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") After a time, when the other boats were almost lost to sight, he launched his little canoe, and with his companion, paddled out into the ocean.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he raised his mast and fastened to it his mat-sail.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon the boat leaped through the waters.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") No paddle was needed save for steering.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") Laa-mao-mao was in the canoe with him, holding strong winds in his calabash.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") He let loose these servants just behind the sail and they pushed the canoe forward with incredible rapidity.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") Long before the other chiefs came in sight of the island Moi-keha had found the necklace and had sailed away to Hooipo.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") In time Moi-keha became the king of Kauai.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") IX[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Paao From Samoa](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/8/) - next →: [Laa From Tahiti](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/10/) - ↑ back to [Hawaiian Historical Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/)