Favorite Story: Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā
Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā is my favorite character because he is resilient and will find a way to live according to his kuleana. At no point did he take "no" for an answer if it was an invalid answer. Pīkoi accepted what his responsibility entailed and got right to it. His dedication brought Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā and his family great fortune for their faith.
In a time far beyond our imagination, lived many variations of god and spiritual beings that protected people who interacted or belonged to them. These god-like beings were known as kupua - shapeshifters that also took human form. Somewhere during the time of famed historical figures such as Lonoikamakahiki and Kakuhihewa, lived a family of rats born from the womb of Koukou, who was married to Alala, became a rat kupua named Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā.
A notorious rat hunter on Kauaʻi, Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā sought to venture outward to compete with his skill of ace marksmanship. On one of his first competitions in his own birthplace of Kauaʻi, he was bullied, which led to his drifting to the shores of Kou [Honolulu Harbor area]. Washed ashore suffering from starvation, Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā eagerly accepted help from a konohiki whose land also housed Pīkoiʻakaʻalalāʻs older sister. He was well taken care of there. Not letting anyone know what he was up to, Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā quietly found his way to where the queen was being entertained by the local rat shooter. Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā could not help himself but to join the competition. He did, succeeding tremendously over Mainele - Pīkoiʻs opponent, who was shamed by his losses to the rat boy.
Mainele was the Kou queenʻs entertainer and people loved gambling over his skills. He did not take well to Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā, consistently calling him a deceiver. Seeing this reaction from Mainele caused the queen to ponder Pīkoiʻs skills. Giving Pikoiʻakaʻalalā a chance to shoot had proved to be a bit more entertaining, as now there was a true skill show for all to watch. By the end of the competition, Pīkoiʻakaʻalalāʻs clever riddling allowed him to kill a kupuna without recourse. As many chants say, the ripe old age of passing describes kupuna as having shriveled skin such as lauhala, and the eyes of rats. Pīkoiʻs challenging is comparable to that of Kakuhihewa in the moʻolelo of Lonoikamakahiki.
In that story, Kakuhihewa covets Lonoikamakahikiʻs pōhaku on the front of his canoe therefore he wagered everything, losing his governance over Oʻahu.
What makes these two stories differ is the mana that Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā bestows in his challenging Mainele. It seems that Pīkoi had a reason far beyond that of a simple challenge. In Pīkoiʻs shooting, he did not kill the rats, he merely controlled them, giving me the idea to call Pīkoi the Rat King. However, Mainele killed the rats, to which they may not have had the same perception. Although some other stories use the language of Pīkoiʻs reputation as having been a rat killer, it is very possibly seen in this story that he may have only been a rat shooter. It seems to me that the rat boy was a progenitor of morality. His mana is rooted in justice. In the earlier part of the story, it briefly outlines that Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā was bullied at Pāʻanimakahiki.
In the moʻolelo of Lonoikamakahiki, Kakuhihewa is simply exuding greed - it is nothing more than coveting what another man has. There is no definitive volume of mana in that behavior as outlined because only the mists know the storm that caused the streams to swell. This same behavior is what the rats from ʻEwa side were doing to the rats from Koʻolau side, except their numbers tormented the mountainsideʻs food supply.
This story varies in content from publication to publication however much of the baseline remains the same. Logically speaking, it is difficult to resonate with the thought that Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā was a cold-hearted rat killer because he is a rat, who seemed to have wanted to make a point to Mainele about discrimination; which Pīkoi was often a victim of. This thought is backed by the history of a rat which came with human migration and is considered just as native as the people who brought it. According to various sources on history, there were more than one tribe or clan of rats. One of the clans was native to the Koʻolau side and the other traveled from Hālawa. Therefore a researcher would be left to deduce that Pīkoi is a kiaʻi - or defender of his homeland.
Duly noted in the history of Heʻeia and ʻIolekaʻa, the rats from Hālawa behaved obnoxiously, known to bully around the rats who were native to Koʻolau side. In a landslide victory, the local Koʻolau rats were said to have made the bullies of Hālawa chase them over the cliffs, where the local rats jumped down to a ledge while the bullies who were not aware of the cliff jumped to their own death, rolling all the way down the steep slopes, they landed in a deep pool and drowned.
According to an account in Heʻeia, Pīkoi also sailed out from Kaoio Point to have shot a rat on a hill that became known as ʻIolekaʻa. The general perception offers enough information to say that the aggressive rats from Hālawa on the ʻEwa side caused a lot of trouble and were taken out by the locals, which included Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā.
Map of Kualoa Ahupuaʻa 1878
Pīkoi was a very athletic rat, eager to join the events of Pāʻanimakahiki. Hearing the victorious shouts following the sportsmanship of others, he begged his father ʻAlalā to allow him to go join in the games. From this point, the story of Pīkoi somewhat resembles the story of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, because Pīkoi wasnʻt really given a chance and could have died at the Pāʻanimakahiki festivities when another boy jaded Pīkoi, causing him to float down the river and across the ocean to Oʻahu.
In comparison with the song about Rudolph, the other reindeer did not allow Rudolph to join in any reindeer games, which was the similarity in the case here. In addition, as the story behind Rudolph depicts his roots as the least, and the success of his feats making him the greatest, such is the case with Pīkoi as well. After his plight on the boat across the ocean, he is taken care of and continues to honor his passion and skill, earning himself quite the reputation along with the acquisition of new lands and a wife for the konohiki that saved him from withering away on the shoreline of Kou.
Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā entertained human chiefs such as Kakuhihewa and his wife, before going to help Keawenuiaumi on Hawaiʻi island, who is Lonoikamakahikiʻs father. Kakuhihewa is the king of Oʻahu who coveted the pōhakuwaʻa, or canoe stone of Lonoikamakahiki. Keawenuiaumi was a mighty warrior who was skilled in many optimal levels of battle. His son Lonoikamakahiki was more of a desk politician who loved to play the metaphorical game of golf of those times. He was known for his skills however was far more of a clever negotiator in style. He only preserved three of his fatherʻs weapons for his own use. Pīkoiʻakaʻalalāʻs only weapon of choice was his bow and arrow. He too, advanced in his clever capabilities to navigate adversity peacefully.
Throughout the variation of sources who had noted this story as part of Hawaiian history, the theme that follows Pīkoi seems to be that of a catalyst of change. Many of his experiences allude to his becoming a target of both success and jealousy. Those who were comfortable with themselves and their own positions were not threatened by this arrow-shooting young man. However those who had an ego to feed, an ulterior motive to negotiate and who generally felt threatened by Pīkoiʻakaʻalalāʻs qualities of precision and wit had treated him badly and had suffered as a consequence. The general kaona that accompanies this theme would be that of karma. Much like the stories prior to the Battles of Lonoikamakahiki, Pīkoi did not fall into the mana-sucking traps of his enemies, his mana remained by his side with his ancestors, wisdom, and cleverness.
Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā trusted himself and was overall secure in his capabilities. His faith carried his courage that gave him strength. Evidence of this is depicted in Sacred Texts of Hawaiʻi website, in the repetitious behaviors of the alpha-ego competitors from place to place and Pīkoiʻs lack of response after each victory. His humility carried him well, which is mentioned in a few of the texts available.
Citations
Fornanderʻs version of the Story of Pīkoiʻakaʻalalā
Website Title: A Collection of Native Legends
Access: 4 May 2020
Article Title: Hawaiian Folk Tales
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/18450/18450-h/18450-h.htm
Website Title: He'eia, O'ahu -- Footprints: 'Ioleka'a
Access: 4 May 2020
Article Title: ʻIolekaʻa
URLhttp://www.pacificworlds.com/heeia/stories/story3.htm
Website Title: Ulukau
Access: 4 May 2020
Article Title: Hawaiian Mythology
http://www.ulukau.org/elib/cgi-bin/library?e=d-0beckwit1-000Sec--11haw-50-20-frameset-book--1-010escapewin&a=d&d=D0.31.26&toc=0
Website Access: Evols at Library of UH Mānoa
Book Title: Guide to Hawaiian Folklore
Section Title: Hawaiian Riddling
Author: Martha Backwith
Published: 1940 through Vassar College
Access: 4 May 2020
https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/11972/1/1922Beckwith.pdf
Website Access: OHA Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Association Brochure Article Title: Heʻeia
Author: Writers at OHA
Access: 4 May 2020
http://www.koolaupoko-hcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Heeia.pdf
Website Access: Sacred Texts of Hawaiʻi
Article Title: XXI: Pīkoi the Rat Killer
Access: 4 May 2020
https://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hloh/hloh25.htm
270: Hawaiian Mythology
Kumu Papaikaniʻau Kaiʻanui
Spring 2020: Final Research
J Kahala Azuma Māui Chrupalyk
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