--- title: Pele and the Owl Ghost-god — Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes (mythology) · full text with trees description: Pele and the Owl Ghost-god, «Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes (mythology)» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Many, many years after Pele’s angry sister Na-maka-o-ka-hai had driven her from the island Kauai and after the land had m --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66516/6/) [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 Legends of Volcanoes (mytholo…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66516/) / Pele and the Owl Ghost-god # Pele and the Owl Ghost-god Pele and the Owl Ghost-god of «Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes (mythology)» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole text, 51 sentences and 919 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Many, many years after Pele’s angry sister Na-maka-o-ka-hai had driven her from the island Kauai and after the land had many dwellers therein, a quarrel arose between two of the highest chiefs of the island.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") They were named Koa and Kau.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") It did not become an open conflict immediately, but Koa was filled with such deep hatred that he was ready to employ any means to destroy his enemy.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") There was a mighty Kupua, or dragon of the Pii family, at that time on Kauai.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") These dragons had come, according to the legends, to the Hawaiian Islands from the far-away lands of Kuai-he-lani, as attendants on the first young chief Kahanai-a-ke-Akua (The-boy-brought-up-by-the-gods).[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") These dragons had the mana, or magic power of appearing as men or as dragons according to their desire.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") This dragon was named Pii-ka-lalau, or Pii, the one dwelling at Ka-lalau.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") He was supposed to be semi-divine.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") His home was on the crest of an almost inaccessible precipice up which he would rush with incredible speed.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Koa, the angry chief, came to this precipice and called Pii to come to him.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") There they plotted the death of Kau, the enemy.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Assuming the appearance of a splendidly formed young man, Pii went down among the natives with Koa to watch for an opportunity to seize Kau.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") After a time Kau was lured to go at night to a house far from his own home.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") As he entered the door he received a heavy blow which smashed the bones of one shoulder and laid him prostrate.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") A great giant leaped out, thrusting an enormous spear at him.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Kau was one of the most skilful of all chiefs in what was known as “spear practice.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") He avoided the thrusts and leaped to his feet.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") He had a wooden dagger as his only weapon, but could not get near enough to the giant to use it.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Just as he was becoming too weary to move, his wife, who had followed him, hurled rocks, striking the giant’s face, then seizing her husband fled with him homeward.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") There followed a great battle in which Pii attacked all the warriors belonging to the wounded chief.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The legends say that “this giant was twelve feet high, he had eyes as large as a man’s fist, and an immense mouth full of tusks like those of a wild hog.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") His legs were as large as trees, and his weight was such that wherever he stepped there were great holes in the ground.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors fled as this mighty giant charged upon them.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Suddenly they stopped and rushed back.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Their chief’s wife had caught an ikoi, a heavy piece of wood fastened to a long, stout cord.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") This she hurled so that it twisted around him and bound his arms to his sides.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Stones and spears beat upon him, but he broke the coco-fibre cords of the ikoi and again drove the warriors before him, trying to gain the house where the wounded chief Kau was lying.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") There was an old prophetess who had rushed to the side of her master when he was brought to his home.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") She was one of the worshippers of Pele, the fire-goddess of the island Hawaii.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Powerful were her prayers and incantations.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon out of the clear sky above the conflict appeared Pele hurling a fierce bolt of lightning at the giant.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") It struck the ground at his feet, almost overthrowing him.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") A second flash of lightning blinded and stunned him.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") It was a curious element of old Hawaiian belief, but they did believe that demi-gods and supernatural beings had au-makuas, or ghost-gods, the spirits of their ancestors, to whom they prayed and offered sacrifice as if they were common people and needed ghost-gods to take care of them.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Pii, smitten by this new danger, called for Pueo, his most mighty ghost-god.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Pele’s fire-darts were falling upon him and he was near death.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Then came Pueo flying down from the steep places of the mountain.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Pueo was a great owl in which dwelt one of the most powerful of Pii’s ancestors.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Pueo hovered over the head of Pii facing Pele.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Whenever Pele hurled her fiery darts, the owl swiftly thrust his head from side to side, catching them in his beak, and with a shake of the head tossing them off to the ground.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Then came the warriors in a great body around the giant and his ghost-god.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Thickly flew their spears and darts.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Great clouds of stones were hurled, and both Pii and his owl-god were grievously wounded.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Pele’s flashes of lightning were coming with great rapidity.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The giant called to his au-makua to fly to the mountains, and then, suddenly changing himself into his dragon form, he dashed up the precipice toward his home.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors were so surprised at the wonderful change that they forgot to fight, and only realized that this dragon was their enemy when they saw him far out of the reach of their best weapons.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") They could see that dragon leaping from stone to stone, and swiftly gliding up the steep precipice.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") He escaped to his home in the mountain recesses and nevermore troubled the chief by the sea.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") His employer was killed in a later battle.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Pele returned to her home in the volcano Kilauea.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") IV[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [How Pele Came to Hawaii](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66516/5/) - next →: [Na Puu O Pele](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66516/7/) - ↑ back to [Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes (mythology)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66516/)