Hawaiian Legends and Superstitions

Introduction:

  • Here we have collected Hawaiian folklore including superstitions, legends, myths, and traditions. Up to and after making contact with the outside world, Hawaii remained largely in the stone age and had pagan beliefs and practices deeply ingrained in the culture. After making contact with the modern world and adopting many new technologies and practices, Hawaii’s culture became an interesting mix of pagan practices like worshipping many gods, goddesses, and deities while also developing a written form of the Hawaiian language and using electricity in the new palaces. Today, these “ancient” traditions and folklore remain a highly relevant and important part of life in Hawaii. The folklore subgenres we collected are highly intertwined with each other like superstitions stemming from legends and myths that are still circulated, relevant, and often believed to be true today. The best example of a modern practice of an old tradition is hula, the story-telling dances chanted in Hawaiian with traditional clothing that is still practiced today and even has a statewide competition called Merry Monarch.

Presentation:

Items:

Collectors:

  • 💡 Marlo Mundon
  • Makena Thomas
  • Adrease Jackson
  • Michael McGovern
  • Aaryn Rai
  • Nigel Alexander

Tags/Keywords

  • customary folklore, verbal folklore, superstitions, Hawaii