Sacred Texts  Pacific 

HAWAIIAN HISTORICAL LEGENDS

By William D. Westervelt

[1923, copyright not renewed]


This is the last of Westervelt's six books of Hawaiian lore. Starting in mythological times, and retelling some of the migration legends, the book primarily focuses on the period of European contact, Hawaiian Historical Legends is of interest for anyone studying encounters between cultures, particularly where one of the cultures has a technological advantage. The core of the book is set against the background of consolidation of political authority in the islands (which was already underway before contact), the fall of the old tapu-bound absolute rule of the chiefs and the priests, and finally the emergence of modern Hawaiian civil culture. Of particular interest are Westervelt's speculations on early contacts, not only between the Hawaiians and the Europeans, but other Pacific rim cultures such as the Chinese, Japanese and Native Americans.


Title Page
Contents
Illustrations
Preface
Pronunciation
I. Maui the Polynesian
II. Maui Seeking Immortality
III. The Water of Life
IV. A Viking of the Pacific
V. Legendary Home of the Polynesians
VI. The Sons of Kii
VII. Paao From Samoa
VIII. Moi-keha, The Restless
IX. Laa From Tahiti
X. First Foreigners
XI. Captain Cook
XII. The Ivory of Oahu
The Alapa Regiment
XIV. The Last Prophet Of Oahu
XV. The Eight Of Oahu
XVI. The Red Mouth Gun
XVII. The Law of the Splintered Paddle
XVIII. Last of the Tabu
XIX. First Hawaiian Printing
XX. The First Constitution
XXI. The Hawaiian Flag
Index