Description
Here are eighteen stories of Kauai, gathered from many sources. Some of them were written down by W.H. Rice. Some of them are in Formander, and in the writings of Hofgaard. One of them, Kawelo o Mรคnรค, is found in a long footnote in Emerson's "Unwritten Literature of Hawaii." Some of them were told to the au- thor by Jacob Maka of Ha'ena. All of them tell stories of the earliest period of time in Kauai's history.
It is possible, using these stories, to generally reconstruct where the ancient roads and trails went. In order to get to Kรถke'e from Hanalei, for instance, it was necessary to go up Wainiha valley to Maunahina before climbing to Kilohana, a trail that was used by Army engineers during World War II. In order to climb down into Kalalau from Koke'e, it was helpful to know the rocks of the Na'iwi family and to use them as guideposts. On a smaller scale, it was easier to remem- ber the place names along Waioli stream in Hanalei if you could link these places to a romantic story of a young man's search for the woman of his dreams.
Some of the stories are designed to explain local phenomena, such as the reason for Waimea river sometimes flowing red, or why the Mana beaches are dangerous for swimmers. The stories, however, are intended to amuse and enter- tain, not to carry a heavy historical significance. Enjoy them. ISBN:9780910043113 
