The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people

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The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people

(2 User reviews) 408

By Evelyn Hall Posted on Mar 30, 2026

In Category - Meditation

Authors: Kalakaua, David, King of Hawaii, 1836-1891 Published By : Kalakaua, David, King of Hawaii, 1836-1891

Book Language: English

Hey, I just finished this incredible book that feels like listening to a wise elder tell stories around a fire—if that elder happened to be the last King of Hawaii. 'The Legends and Myths of Hawaii' is not a dry history lesson. It's a collection of stories written by King Kalakaua himself, and it's wild. He's not just writing down old tales; he's trying to save them. Imagine being the king of a nation that's being rapidly changed by outsiders, watching your people's language, religion, and way of life get pushed aside. This book was his way of saying, 'Wait, our stories are powerful. They explain who we are.' You get epic adventures with volcano goddesses, mischievous tricksters, and brave voyagers who navigated by the stars long before GPS. It’s a beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking, look at a culture fighting to be remembered, told by the man who loved it most. If you’ve ever wondered about the real Hawaii beyond the tourist beaches, start here.

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This isn't a novel with a single plot. Instead, think of it as a treasure chest of stories collected and written by Hawaii's last king, David Kalakaua. He published this in 1888, a time when Hawaiian culture was under immense pressure from American and European influences. The book is his personal project to preserve the oral histories, creation myths, and heroic legends of his people before they were lost.

The Story

The book is a series of stand-alone legends. You'll meet Pele, the passionate and fearsome goddess of volcanoes, whose fiery temper shapes the islands. You'll follow the adventures of Maui, a trickster demigod who tried to slow the sun and fish up the islands with his magical hook. There are tales of ancient chiefs, epic ocean voyages across the Pacific, and encounters with menehune, the mysterious little people of the forest. Kalakaua presents these not as simple fairy tales, but as the foundational history and spiritual beliefs of his nation.

Why You Should Read It

What makes this book special is the voice behind it. You're not getting a filtered, academic version. You're getting the stories as told by a king to his people. You can feel Kalakaua's pride and his urgency. He writes with a deep love for the land ('āina) and its history. Reading it, you understand that these myths were a map for living—they explained natural wonders, set moral codes, and connected Hawaiians to their ancestors. It completely changed how I see Hawaii. Now, when I look at a map of the islands, I think of them as fish pulled from the sea by Maui's hook, not just random dots in the ocean.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves mythology, cultural history, or a good adventure story. It's for travelers who want to understand the soul of a place, not just visit it. The writing is formal in that 19th-century way, so it might take a page or two to get into the rhythm, but the stories themselves are timeless and thrilling. This is essential reading if you want to hear Hawaii's history told by one of its own, straight from the source.