A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

The story begins with the dog arriving among people and following rainbows to a chief’s daughter at a bathing pool. Initially he seems a small, intelligent companion, but her father discovers his ability to assume human form. A marriage demand is refused, and the conflict becomes violent. The chief places the women of his household in a defended cave while confronting the powerful dog.

Kūʻīlioloa’s speed and strength defeat several attacks before a final battle overcomes him. His divided body becomes two stones in the narrated aftermath. The chapter also discusses dog-like forms seen in clouds, but the collector’s speculation about a historical cannibal chief is not adopted as an explanation. Nor is the figure automatically identified with every account attached to a similarly named heiau; those local traditions need their own witnesses.

Dog and human appearanceChanging bodily scaleBody transformed into stones
01

Origins & earliest records

The selected publication is Westervelt’s 1916 chapter XII, whose subtitle gives Ku-ilio-loa. This profile retains that source spelling as an alias to aid verification. The modernized display spelling does not imply a new individual. Earlier accounts and relationships with specific temple traditions remain beyond the inspected chapter’s attestation. The linked witness is the second edition; its copyright page separately retains the earlier 1915 date.

02

Records & interpretation

The primary chapter directly describes changes in body and size, the chief’s defensive measures, the final conflict and stone transformation. These details attest a collected narrative rather than a measured animal. Westervelt’s later conjectures about clouds and cannibalism are identifiable editorial interpretations, not independent historical or zoological confirmation of the story.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Legends of Old Honolulu, XII: The Great Dog Ku

    William Drake Westervelt, collector and translator · 1916 selected second edition; earlier copyright 1915

    Selected inspected passages; edited witness, not a comprehensive bibliography. Linked title page is dated 1916 and labels the book Second Edition; its copyright page also records 1915.

  2. 02

    Legends of Old Honolulu (Mythology)

    William Drake Westervelt, collector and translator · 1916

    Second edition, Boston Ellis Press / London Constable,1916; work first published1915.

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.

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

Legends of Old Honolulu (Mythology)

Second edition, Boston Ellis Press / London Constable,1916; work first published1915.

  1. Ku comes down from the clouds in the form of a little dog.

    XII: The Great Dog Ku / Ku-ilio-loa; paragraph beginning “K u, the dog-man, decided to come down from the clouds…”

  2. Ku changes into a handsome man and demands marriage to a princess.

    XII: The Great Dog Ku / Ku-ilio-loa; paragraph beginning “Then Ku changed himself into a man of fine appearance and…”

  3. After Ku is defeated, priests turn the two pieces of his body into stones.

    XII: The Great Dog Ku / Ku-ilio-loa; paragraph beginning “At last a terrific battle was fought and Ku was overpowered…”

Documents this credited English collected version, not a universal account of Hawaiian tradition. European terms such as crocodile are historical translator choices, not evidence of native fauna. Collector racial or cultural generalizations are not adopted.

Encyclopedia background

An additional attributed reference, separate from the editorial profile above.

Read the open encyclopedia overview

In Hawaiian mythology, the Kupua are a group of supernatural entities which might be considered gods or spirits (see also Atua).

Hawaiian myths and legends abound with such characters. They are traditionally described as monsters having the power of appearing in different kinds of bodies. They usually have cruel and vindictive characters and are ready to destroy and devour any persons they can catch. There are, however, many kupuas of kindly spirit who give watchful care to the members of their own families.

Many Hawaiian kupua are considered as gods having a double body, sometimes appearing as a man and sometimes being able to change shape, into an animal, vegetable, or mineral form. The latter form always possesses supernatural powers. William Westervelt mentions the following classification for kupua:

Ka-poe-kino-lau (the people who had leaf bodies)

Ka-poe-kino-pua (the people who had flower bodies)

Ka-poe-kino-manu (the people who had bird bodies)

Ka-poe-kino-laau (trees of all kinds, ferns, vines, etc.)

Ka-poe-kino-pupu (all shells)

Ka-poe-kino-ao (all clouds)

Ka-poe-kino-maani (all winds)

Ka-poe-kina-ia (all fish)

Ka-poe-kina-mano (all sharks)

Ka-poe-kina-limu (all sea-mosses)

Ka-poe-kina-pokaku (all peculiar stones)

Ka-poe-kina-hiwa-hiwa (all dangerous places of the pali)

Text from Wikipedia contributors, “Kupua”. CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted introduction; formatting changed. Retrieved 5 October 2026. The source article may have changed since retrieval.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary textLegends of Old Honolulu, XII: The Great Dog KuResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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