Myths and Legends of Hawaii is a one-volumn selection from the four volumes of collected tales of ancient Polynesian lore by Dr. William D. Westervelt, the most prolific and popular of the retellers of Hawaiian folk tales. The selections have been edited for the enjoyment of the modern reader. Many of the tales embody the ethos of the Hawaiian people that is still to be found in the islands today.

Myths and Legends of Hawaii (Tales of the Pacific)

Travel

W.D. Westervelt

United States

Mutual Publishing

The legends of the Hawaiian Islands are as diverse as those of any country in the world. They are also entirely distinct in form and thought from the fairy-tales which excite the interest and wonder of the English and German children. The mythology of Hawaii follows the laws upon which all myths are constructed. The Islanders have developed some beautiful nature-myths. Certain phenomena have been observed and the imagination has fitted the story to the interesting object which has attracted attention.

Legends Of Gods And Ghosts (hawaiian Mythology)

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Any exploration of Hawaii's supernatural traditions begins with W.D. Westervelt's classic collection of unexplainable tales entitled Hawaiian Legends of Ghosts and Ghost Gods. Based upon a variety of oral sources gathered at the end of the ninteenth century, Westervelt's anthology takes the reader on a marvelous journey through mythology and mysticism. 
The legends connected with heiau or temples, the birth of the first taro plant, the supernatural creatures of the mo o or lizards, shark gods and restless spirits are woven through a fabric of Hawaiian everyday life. Included in this collection are the epic tales of Maluae, the "Hawaiian Orpheus" who journeyed to the otherworld to bring back the spirit of his son, Kahalaopuna; the tragic "rainbow maiden" of Manoa who undergoes the "ghost test"; and Puna, the young chief from O ahu who was seduced by the "dragon-goddess" Kihawahine. Written in a lyrical style that captures the rhythms of the oral tradition, Hawaiian Legends of Ghosts and Ghost Gods is a testament to the spiritual values which embraced all aspects of the ancient Hawaiian worldview.

Hawaiian Legends of Ghosts and Ghost-Gods

Literature & Fiction

Contemporary

Mutual Pub Co

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Books by W.D. Westervelt