Author Archives: f002qyk

Never Take Pork on the Pali

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Never take pork on the Pali

General Information about Item:

  • Genre/Sub-genre: Customary and Verbal folklore: Superstition
  • Language: Hawaiian/English
  • Country: USA

Informant Data:

  • Sophia Domingo ’20
    • From Maui, Hawaii
    • Age 19

Contextual Data:

  • Having boundaries and respect for deities such as Pele brings community members together with their shared beliefs and customs.
  • Cultural Context: The Hawaiian people look to legends to explain natural phenomenon around them. Legends such as the goddess of fire and volcanos, Pele, are respected greatly.

Item:

The legend of the goddess of fire and volcanos, Pele, includes her relationship with the “hog child”, Kamapua’a. The two had a bad breakup, so now she is insulted if anyone dares to bring pork on the Pali, the cliffs that connect Kihei to Lahaina. If one were to get caught with pork on the Pali, the legend says that one would then have to feed the pork to Pele’s dog.

Collector: Makena Thomas ’20

Tags/Keywords: Pele, pork, Pali, Kamapua’a, Hawaii, tradition, legend, superstition, goddess, deity

 

Never Bring Bananas on a Boat

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Title: Never Bring Bananas on a Boat

General Information about Item:

  • Genre/Sub-genre: Customary and Verbal folklore: Superstition
  • Language: Hawaiian/English
  • Country: USA

Informant Data:

  • Sophia Domingo ’20
    • From Maui, Hawaii
    • Age 19

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Due to Hawaii’s landscape, an outdoor lifestyle is a large part of many local’s life. This includes boating and fishing.
  • Cultural Context: Various protocols and rituals are a part of life in the Hawaiian Islands. Legends and superstitions have developed over time and continued to be respected to the appreciation of the islands and ocean.

Item:

Hawaiian fisherman claim that bringing bananas on their boats is back luck. The superstition is that a banana on the boat will cause not only fish not to bite but also mechanical breakdowns on the boat. Angler fisherman of Hawaii journeyed on long fishing trips in dugout canoes in which they brought bananas as provisions. The longer the trip was in duration, the fewer the fish. The fisherman mistakenly confused the correlation between these two events for causation. Although the bananas were not the reason behind the lack of fish, the superstition stuck with the people.

Collector: Makena Thomas ’20

Tags/Keywords: ocean, water, boat, fish, Hawaii, tradition, banana, superstition