AI-generated original interpretation.
Overview
In Westervelt’s version, two especially fine taro plants grow beside each other in a chief’s pond above Hookena in South Kona. Their curved stalks and well-proportioned leaves occasion mutual admiration, which becomes a pledge of lasting affection. When the chief chooses them for a feast, a servant warns them. They move to another part of the pond, leaving neighbouring plants to be pulled instead. The chief discovers them repeatedly and finally insists that they be taken wherever they hide.
The pair then acquire wings and fly between taro patches. The chief’s friends disclose their hiding places, while their own friends warn them of his approach. Exhausted, they descend near Waiohinu, briefly resting ahead of their pursuer. They take flight again and favourable winds carry them farther into Kau, where a kindly chief shelters them. They settle under the name Kalo-eke-eke, raise a large family and grow old together. Westervelt identifies the story as one received in this form among differing tellings. His suggestion that it may reflect a custom allowing people to change chiefs remains a conjecture. These are actions of the narrated plant lovers, not botanical behaviour.
Origins & earliest records
W. D. Westervelt, collected and translated historical account; individual teller unnamed.
Records & interpretation
Complete original historical chapter; collector-mediated English witness.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
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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.
- Historical collected and translated narrativeLegends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology), IV: Kalo-eke-eke, the Timid TaroResearch access: 2026-10-23
Image credits
AI-generatedAI-generated original interpretation.