And interesting aspect of living in the Hawaiian Islands is the people’s intriguing legends and myths. There are a lot of them. But as I mention in my prior post, the two legends that grab me more than the others are the Night Marchers and the Menehune. But it’s the Menehune legend that intrigues me most of all. Many local in habitants believe the mysterious Menehune roam the islands even today.
The Menehune are said by locals to be a people, often described as dwarfs in size, who inhabit the deep forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian Islands, far from the eyes of normal humans. It’s also said they primarily venture from their hiding places at night, again to avoid normal human contact. Their favorite food is the banana. It’s believed they like fish as well.
In Hawaiian mythology, the Menehune are credited with being superb craftspeople with unusual strength. Legend says that the Menehune built temples, fishponds, roads, canoes, and houses. Some structures that Hawaiian folklore attributed to the Menehune still exist, especially on the island of Kauai. One such structure is the Menehune Ditch, a historic irrigation ditch that carries water from the Waimea River. Another one of their amazing feats is the legendary overnight creation of the Alekoko Fishpond, which archaeologists estimate to be approximately 1,000 years old.
It’s believed this industrious race of little people lived in Hawaii before settlers arrived from Polynesia many centuries ago. And even though no physical evidence for their existence has been discovered, there have been a number of documented sightings into the twentieth century.