MO`OLELO:History,

Interpretations of the Past

MO`OLELO

• Derived from the words moʻo ʻōlelo, succession of talk; all stories were oral, not written

• Because Hawai`i language was an oral language, multiple versions of the same legend may exist today

MO`OLELO VS. KA`AO

• Mo`olelo:– Legend

– Historical in nature

– Documentation

• Ka`ao– Fanciful story or tale; usually fiction

– An embellished moʻolelo

KA`AO: The 4 H’s of myth

• Each ka`ao has 4 H’s– Hua (Catalyst)

– Ha`alele (Separation)

– Huaka`i (Journey)

– Ho`ina (Return)

HUA:The Catalyst

• Hua: egg, seed or result, effect

• The call to adventure. The person, thing or event that launches the entire myth. It is the thing that causes the journey to happen.

HAʻALELE:The Separation

• Haʻalele: to leave, abandon, or evacuate

• The point at which the main character separates from the community and embarks on the journey

• It means leaving the familiar landscape or the environment in which one is comfortable into an unknown realm where the rules and limits are unknown

HUAKAʻI:The Journey

• Huaka`i: a journey, a mission, to travel

• The main character often undergoes a series of tests, tasks, ordeals or challenges that he/she is required to accomplish as part of the adventure

• Experiences and lessons are learned that leads us to our ancient selves

THE CROSSROAD

• It is at this point that the main character confronts the final leg of the ritual…..

Do I return to society?

Do I leave society?

This leads us to……..

HOʻINA:The Return

• Hoʻi: a return, to go back, to come back, to leave with the intention of returning back to where you first came

• After answering the call to adventure and meeting its trials, the main character must return and integrate back into the community– The main character returns to the ordinary world with an

item or awareness that will benefit the society left earlier– The main character returns to tell his/her story and to

serve as inspiration for others who have not yet answered their call

KA`AO – HŌ`AILONA

• Hō`ailona– Symbols or omens/predictions

within a story

– A prophecy of what is to come

– Names of characters or place names often provide insight into the characters’ attributes, personality, and/or the plot of the story

MO`OLELO & KA`AO

• Historical Information

• Biographical Information

• Cultural Elements

FINAL THOUGHTS

• The images of myth speak directly to a person with a unique message.

• What the myth and its symbols mean to one person, may be different from another person. It may even mean something different to the same person at a different time in their life.

• Myths can always be revisited and something new can always be learned from them!

If you have any questions, please ask them on the

Discussion Board.

Mahalo!