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Overview
Hiilawe is born to Kakea and Kaholo, themselves children of the valley’s precipices, in Westervelt’s selected account. Wrapped in moss and cast into the sea, he is rescued by Hina-ulu-ohia. The narrator connects his name with Waipiʻo’s waterfall and identifies him as brother to Lau-ka-ieie and Makani-kau.
When dying, he asks to be buried where he can see people’s eyes and receive another body. Lau-ka-ieie places his garments and garlands along the valley, where they become vegetation. Makani-kau carries the body through thunder and lightning to a high precipice; it becomes stone. Hina restores him as an ancestral waterfall guardian and makes his ghost a kupua appearing in the misty falls. The narrative distinguishes the stone body from the waterfall manifestation.
Origins & earliest records
William Drake Westervelt, collected and translated account in Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Boston: Geo. H. Ellis; London: Constable, 1915). Individual narrator and earlier manuscript not identified in this chapter.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected chapter read. Colonial explanatory judgments are not adopted as descriptions of contemporary Hawaiian belief.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Legends of Gods and Ghosts, Chapter VI, pp. 36–48
Selected complete chapter; source spelling retained alongside Hawaiian place names.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected narrativeLegends of Gods and Ghosts, Chapter VI, pp. 36–48Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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