Sacred Texts -- Pacific Islander Religions

Hawaiian Mythology: Part Four. Heroes and Lovers in Fiction: XXXIX. Wooing Romances

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This is a scholarly introduction and analysis of "Laie-i-ka-wai," a traditional Hawaiian romance narrative, likely from an early 20th-century academic edition of the text. The work summarizes and analyzes the plot of the story: a high-ranking chiefess hidden at birth is raised under sacred restriction (tapu) in an earthly paradise, pursued by multiple suitors, betrayed by an impostor, eventually married to a solar deity, and ultimately deified after her divine husband proves unfaithful. The scholar (writing about Haleole's printed version) argues that the romance is notably "novelistic" in its character handling—particularly the youngest Maile sister, a kupua figure rationalized into a clever, resourceful chaperone whose human intrigues drive much of the plot. The analysis draws systematic comparisons to related Hawaiian romances (Ke-ao-melemele, the Pele cycle) and argues that Laie-i-ka-wai shares significant traits with volcano goddess mythology, including a parallel journey from Oahu to Hawaii and a garden paradise resembling Pele's Fern-house. The scholar also traces the mythological roots of the Maile sisters (fragrant kupua figures associated with hula worship) and suggests they may be a later substitution for an older divine sisterhood connected to Pele. Someone interested in Hawaiian oral literature, comparative mythology, or the intersection of native narrative tradition with early 20th-century folkloristic analysis would find this valuable.

Hawaiian Mythology: Part Four. Heroes and Lovers in Fiction: XXXIX. Wooing Romances

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