Hawaiian Women in Myths

The myths of Hawai’i have a fluid concept of marriage. Women move from husband to husband devoid of the pomp and circumstance Western cultures often give to marriage and divorce. While this seems potentially empowering there is a lack of agency for the women and when a woman does display agency regarding her own marriage it does not go well for her. For example, in the myth “A Surfing Legend” Mamala is married to Ouho. When another Chief sees her prowess as a surfer, “The Chief, Hono-kau-pu, chose to take Mamala as his wife, so she left Ouha and lived with her new husband” (27). Mamala’s agency is non-existent. In fact, it seems that he kidnapped her and took her away to land. In, Kelea-nui-noho-‘ana-‘api’api” Another heroine, Kelea (also an excellent surfer) is taken to be someone’s husband and denied agency. There are wife seekers who hear about her and, “they decided to obtain her as wife for their master...” (20). Later she is, “taken up to Lihu’e and became the wife of the Lo chief” (20). We can see that the woman is being treated like an animal to be hunted and taken. The language indicates a strong patriarchal society which denies women the right to choose their partners. Again, at the end of the myth, Kelea lands on the shore after surfing and a (different) chief, “took hold of her board” and that was all it took for her to be married to the new Chief. In “The Story of Laie-i-ka-wai” the princess Laie-i-ka-wai is given the agency to accept her husband however she is met with disastrous results. She is deceived and ends up marrying the wrong man. At the end of the story, although she was deceived, is the one who is blamed, “Angered at the deception , Waka declared that she would deprive Laie-i-ka-wai of her powers and privileges, and desired never to behold her face again” (25). 

The marriages all take place in the ocean and surfing is involved in the ritual. The ocean is central to the Hawaiian and the fact that these events occur in the ocean reflect this. Another thing to think about is the effects of post-colonization. These myths were recorded and translated by Westerners. When they use the word wife and husband that is a Western view of relationships and not necessarily how the Hawaiians saw it. 

Here is a cool video of ancient Hawaiian chanting. I think it is interesting that although it is only two years old, it is an anthropological video. This is a representation of how Westerners are still seeing Native Hawaiians as "The Other" today. 

Hawaiian Chanting