Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/589

 THE JOURNAL OF

AMERICAN FOLK-LORE.

Vol. XIII. — OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1900.— No. LI.

��LAIEIKAWAI: A LEGEND OF THE HAWAIIAN

ISLANDS.

Introductory Note. — Dr. John Rae, the recorder of the follow- ing legend, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1796. He studied at the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh. In 182 1 he went to Canada, where he lived until 1849. From July, 1850 to 1871, he made his home in the Hawaiian Islands. He died in July, 1872, in Staten Island, N. Y. Dr. Rae was especially occupied with geolo- gical studies. His only published work is the " Statement of Some New Principles on the Subject of Political Economy," Boston, 1854. The notes left by Dr. Rae do not include further information in regard to the folk-lore of the islands.

The material here given appears to have been included in a dis- course, the date and place of which are not apparent. The manner in which a work of Sir George Grey is noticed would lead to the opinion that the period of the lecture was not much after 1855. The legend here treated has been given in its entirety, but also in abstract, in " The Legends and Myths of Hawaii," by King Kalakaua, New York, 1888, pages 455-480. The story appears to have been obtained by the editor of that work, Hon. R. M. Daggett, who presents the account as the condensation of the legend as more elaborately told by Haleole. The version of Dr. Rae, obtained a quarter of a cen- tury before, is not so much a variant as a different edition and ab- stract of the same tale, is apparently translated from the Hawaiian, and perhaps may have proceeded from the same narrator. The account of Dr. Rae is only a fragment, extending perhaps to less than a third of the tale, which must evidently have been very volu- minous. In the portion which it does cover, however, it is more full and literal, and appears to give a clearer idea of the literary character of the heroic legend. The two versions serve to complete each other, and Dr. Rae's narrative therefore forms a welcome addi- tion.

As will appear by the conclusion, the legend belongs to mythology

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