Legend of Polihale

From "Legend of Polihale" in Polihale and other Kauai legends by Frederick B. Wichman.
Retold here by Mason C.

INTRODUCTION:

Mano the shark god, a colossal and handsome man from the island of Hawaii, has heard of a chief’s daughter, a lovely young lady, called Ko-maliu living on the island of Kauai. When Mano heard of the young lady he wanted to see how beautiful she really was. When he gets to the village where the chief’s daughter lives he is immediately put under a trance by her attractiveness. He then tries his best to impress the beautiful and youthful lady by showing off his brute strength in wrestling with the village’s men. He also tries to impress everyone with his politeness; when ever he broke a man’s arm or leg while wrestling he would apologize and ask if they needed help up, or whenever he was by the chief he would compliment him on his great work as the chief of the village. Yet no matter how polite, strong, or handsome he was, Ko-maliu didn’t indicate her affection for him.

He tries the same things over and over to try and impress her, but Ko-Maliu does not want Mano to marry him. One day Mano comes up with a final and desperate plan to attempt to change the daughter’s opinion on him, for sooner or later the chief of the village will find that Mano is the shark god in masquerade. Will his plan work and become in favor of Mano or will it come out to be a disastrous outcome for him and maybe even the whole village itself?

I am a fan of Fantasy stories, especially those in exotic locations, and this story is as good as many that I have read. Like many other Hawaiian legends this one speaks of how some things came to be what they are today. So, if you are interested in ancient Hawaii, or are a fan of stories filled with magic, then this is definitely the tale for you.