A Complete Story

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 42, 25 October 1923, Page 9

A Complete Story

(By Padraic Colum, in the Manchester Guardian.)

A Hawaiian Fairy Tale: The'Woman from Under the Sea“

[Mr. Padraic Colum has recently visited Hawaii, by official invitation, to make a survey of Polynesian folk-lore, and myth. The tale that follows is typical of the island legends.] Long, long ago there lived in Hawaii a King whose name was Koni-konia. He sent his fishermen out to catch deep-sea fish, and they, without knowing it, let down their, lines and fish-hooks at a place' where, "before this, strange things had happened. " In a while after they had let them down the hooks were taken off the lines. The fishermen wondered at this, for they knew that no fish had bitten at their baits. They went back to the King and they told him what had happened. There had come no quiver on their lines, they said, as there would have come if fish had touched the baits and their hooks had been cut off the lines as if someone with a knife had done it. The wizard (he was called a Kahuna) caipe before the King, and after he had been told of what had happened to the fishermen’s lines he said: “Your fishermen let their lines down over Lalo-hana, a country .that is at the bottom of the sea, just under the place where they let their canoes rest. A woman lives there, a very beautiful woman whose name is Hina; all alone she lives there, for her brothers, nffio, were given charge of her, have gone to a place far-. off. When he heard of this beautiful woman of the sea the King longed to see her and to have her for his wife. The Kahuna told him how she might be brought out ,of the sea to him. The King was to have a great many images made— image to be as large as a man, with pearl-shell eyes and dark hair, and with a malo or dress around it. Some of the imaged were to be brought out to sea and some of them were to be left on the beach and along a path that went up to the King’s house, and one of them was to be left standing by the door of the house. The Kahuna went with the men who took the images in their canoes. When they came to that part of the sea that the country of Lalo-hana was under the Kahuna told them to let down one of the images. Down, down, the image went, a rope around it. It rested on the bottom of the sea. Then another image was let down. But -this image was not . let as far as the bottom of the sea it was held about the height of a house above the bottom. Then another image was let down and held above that, and then another image, and another image, all held one above another, while other images were left standing in canoes that went in a line back to the beach. And when all the images were in their places a loud trumpet was blown. The Woman of Lalo-hana, Hina, came out of her house that was built of white and red coral, and she saw the image of a man, dark of color, with dark hair alnd eyes of pearl-shell, standing before her. She was pleased, for she had never seen even the likeness of a man since her brothers had gone away from her, and she went to the image and she touched it. As she did she saw'an image a love her, and she went and she touched this image too. All the way up to the top of the sea there were images, and Hina went upward, touching them all. When she - came up to the surface of the sea she saw canoes, and in each canoe there was an image standing. Each one seemed to be more beautiful than the other, and Hina swam on and on, gazing on each with delight and touching this one and that one. And so Hina, the Woman of the Sea, came to the beach. And on the beach there were other images; and she went on, touching each of them. And so she, went through the grove of coconut-trees and came before the King s house. Outside the house there : was a . very tall image with very large pearl-shell eyes and with a red male around it. Hina went to that image; The wreath of seaflowers that she had in her hair was now withered with

the sun the Woman of Lalo-hana was wearied now, and she lay down beside the image and fell asleep. When she wakened it was not the image but the King who was beside her. She saw him move his hands, and she was frightened because of the sounds that were around her after the quiet of .the sea. Her wreath of sea-flowers was all shrivelled up m the sunlight. The man kissed her, and they went together into the house. And so the Woman of Lalo-hana, the Country under : the Sea, came to Hawaii and lived there as the wife of Koni-konia the King. V. After a while, when she had learned to speak to him, ■ Hina told Koni-konia about precious things that she had in her house in Lalo-hana Under the Sea, and she begged the King to send a diver to get these things and bring them to her. They were , in a calabash within her house, she said.' And she told the King that the diver who brought. it up was not to open the calabash. : The diver went down and found the house of red and white coral, and went within and took the calabash that was there. He brought it back without opening it and gave it to Hina. j ! After some days , Hina opened the calabash. Within it was the moon. It flew up to the heavens, and there it shone clear and bright. When it shone in the heavens it Was called Kena. But it shone down on the sea too, and shining on the sea it was called Ana. And then, seeing Ana in the sea, the Woman of Lalohana was frightened. “My brothers will come searching for me,” she said. And the next day she said, “My brothers will bring a great flood of waters upon this land when they come searching for me.” And after that she said, “My brothers will seek me in the forms of pa-oo fishes, and the ocean will lift them up so that they can come seeking me.” When the King heard her say this he said, “We will go far from where the ocean is, and we will seek refuge on the tops of the mountains.” So. the King with Hina and with all his people went to the mountains. As they went they saw the ocean lifting dp. Hina’s brothers, in the forms of pa-oo fishes, were there, and the ocean lifted them up that they might go seeking her. / Over the land and up to the mountains the ocean went, bearing the pa-oo fishes along. Koni-konia and his people climbed to the tops of the mountains. To the tops of the mountains the ocean went, bearing the pa-oo fishes that were Hina’s, brothers. Koni-konia and Hina and all the people climbed to the tops of the trees that were on the tops of the mountains. Then the ocean, having covered the tops of the mountains, went back again, drawing down the pa-oo fishes that were Hina’s brothers; It was in this way that the Great Flood came to Hawaii. And after the waters of the ocean had gone to their own place Koni-konia the King, with Hina and his people, went back to where their houses had been. • All was washed away; there were mud and sand where their houses and fields had been. Soon the sun dried up the puddles and the wetness in the ground; growth came again; they built their houses and cultivated their fields, and Koni-konia with Hina and with his people lived once, again in a wide 'land beside the great ocean. * N.. — ‘ Conference of Catholic Ladies at Christchurch} At the Convent, Ferry Road, the following -ladies met on Saturday last to form a committee for the inauguration of a Catholic /Conference to be held at the Convent, on November 11: Mrs. J. S. Barrett, Mrs. Brittenden, Misses M. Cronin, M. Daly, N. Hayward, M. and J. Henley, K. Haughey, C. and C. Morkane, M. O’Connor, M. Ryan. Rev. Father T. Hanrahan was in the chair and after explaining the objects of the meeting called for the election of executive office-bearers, Mrs. Barrett being chosen president and Miss M. O’Connor, hon. secretary. 1 s It was then decided that the reunion which generally took place on the first Sunday in November should take place this year at 2.30 p.m., on the second Sunday in November, that day promising to be more suitable than the first Sunday. The usual Communion will take place in the morning but the reunion has been postponed until the afternoon as being a time more likely to allow a fuller

and more representative gathering 1 than could come together for a morning session. It was also decided to open the reunion to all Catholic ladies and girls who might be. able to attend, and all are therefore cordially invited. - In addition to the social part of the function, his Lordship Bishop Brodie, and others of the clergy have promised to address the gathering on subjects of interest to Catholics generally, and short papers will be read on dress, fashion, and home life from the Catholic point of View, after which discussion will be invited, the whole to close with afternoon tea followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. - . -