[Found under: “MOOOLELO HAWAII.—Helu 49.”]

Pertaining to Umi.—Umi was an alii of the people of Hawaii. Here is the history of this alii:

Umi was the son of Liloa, he was not the first son of Liloa, but Hakau was the first son of Liloa with Pinea, who was Liloa’s true “wife” [wahine hoao maoli]; therefore, Hakau was called a high chief, for the rank of Pinea was equal to that of Liloa. Umi however was the child of Liloa with a woman who he just took, her name being Akahiakuleana. It was widely thought that she was not an alii, but according to her genealogy she is indeed an alii; she and Liloa had a common ancestor. They were both descendants of Kanipahu.

Here is the genealogy of that Akahiakuleana from Kanipahu and Liloa’s genealogy from Kanipahu.

Kanipahu dwelt with Alaikauakoke, born was Kalapana, that being Liloa’s ancestor; Kanipahu dwelt with Hualani, born was Kalahumoku, that being Akahiakuleana’s ancestor.

These are the generations from Kalahumoku, who dwelt with Laamea, begot was Oikialamea; who dwelt with Kalamea, begot was Kamanawakalamea; who dwelt with Kaiua, begot was Ouakaiua; who dwelt with Kuaimakani, begot was Kanahaeakuaimakani; who dwelt with Kapiko, begot was Kuleanakupiko; who dwelt with Keanianiahooleilei, begot was Akahiakuleana; who dwelt with Liloa, begot was Umi.

Here are the generations from Kalapana, who dwelt with Makeamalaihanae, begot was Kahaimoeleaikai; who dwelt with Kapoakauluhailaa, begot was Kalaunuiohua; who dwelt with Kaheka, begot was Kuaiwa; who dwelt with Kamuleilani, begot was Kahoukapu; who dwelt with Laakapu, begot was Kauhola; who dwelt with Neula, begot was Kiha; who dwelt with Waoilea, begot was Liloa; who dwelt with Akahiakuleana, begot was Umi.

Here is how Liloa lived, and his generation; pertaining to Umi, Liloa was the father of Umi; he was the high chief of Hawaii Island at that time, and he always lived at Waipio in Hamakua, Hawaii.

When he went to the north side of Hamakua adjacent to Hilo, he went to consecrate a heiau, that heiau being Manini; that heiau of Liloa’s was proposed at Koholalele in Hamakua. And after it was consecrated, he waited for the relaxing of the kapu [ka hoomahanahana] to be done, and moved to the north of that area and he stayed at Kaawikiwiki because he had a great desire to play pahee and all the other entertainments.

When he stayed there, he went to bathe in the river of Hoea; this land is adjacent to Kealakaha; he came upon Akahiakuleana there. She was returning from her menses, and was bathing before she was cleansed of her defilement (and then thereafter would return to her husband, as did the women of those days), and her woman servant was at the edge of the water holding her skirt.

Liloa saw that she was a beautiful woman, and wanted her. They slept together and Akahiakuleana became pregnant. Liloa asked her, “Who do you come from? What is your name?” She said, “I am Akahiakuleana; Kuleanakupiko is my parent.” Liloa said, “Perhaps you are a cousin of mine.” She said, “Perhaps yes.”

Then Liloa gave her his orders pertaining to the child, “If you give birth to our child and it is a girl, then name her for your side, but should you give birth to a son, then give him the name Umi.” Akahiakuleana said, “What is the thing that will make clear that this child is yours, the alii?”

It was then that Liloa gave her his malo, and his niho palaoa, and his war club [laau palau], saying, “Here are the symbols of our son; and when he grows up give him these items.” Then Akahiakuleana agreed to Liloa’s orders, and Akahiakuleana gave her servant woman to care for, these symbols which Liloa gave for the child. And when this was over, Liloa went and tied together ti leaves to make a malo, and Liloa put on this ti leaf malo.

When he returned to his own house, his men saw that his malo was made of ti leaves, and that it wasn’t his real malo; they said to him, “Liloa has gone mad, that is not his real malo! His malo is made of ti leaves!”

Liloa remained there, and when the relaxing of the kapu of his heiau was done, he returned to Waipio, where he originally lived.

After this, Akahiakuleana was pregnant with Umi, and it was assumed that her actual kane was the father of this child, it was not known that Liloa was the father of the child.

When the child was born, the mother called him Umi, in accordance with Liloa’s naming him Umi when Umi was fathered by Liloa.

And Umi was raised until he was grown. Here is something said of Umi: when his father (the husband of Akahiakuleana) went farming and returned, all of the poi was eaten by Umi and he beat Umi. And that is how Umi was beaten when the poi was all gone, and the fish, and when whatever was all eaten by Umi; that is how the father abused him, because he figured that the boy was his; Umi and his mother were greatly saddened by this beating. Therefore, Umi secretly asked his mother, “Do I not have another father? Is this my only father?”

Akahiakuleana responded, “You have a father who lives in Waipio, and his name is Liloa.” Umi said, “Maybe I will go to my father.” “Yes, you go.”

And another time when Umi ate all the poi, his father once again beat Umi; so Akahiakuleana said, “My dear kane, the boy you are beating is not yours.” The man was incensed and said sarcastically, “Well who is the father of your child, is it Liloa’s?” Akahiakuleana answered, “Yes, Liloa is the father of my son.” The man answered, “Where then are the symbols that show that my son from you, my wife, belongs to Liloa?” Akahiakuleana called her woman servant to bring the items left by Liloa for Umi. Akahiakuleana said to her kane, “Do you see for sure who the father of the boy is?” And he saw that the boy was not his.

[So begins the telling of perhaps the first story of Umi in the Hawaiian Language Newspapers. Many versions of this story would be told throughout the life of the newspapers, because of the great importance of this alii and his many royal descendants who follow after him. Umi’s story appearing in Hae Hawaii begins on 3/23/1859 and runs through 4/6/1859 under the title “Mooolelo Hawaii.”

The book “Ka Mooolelo Hawaii,” was originally written by students of Lahainaluna Seminary, edited by Sheldon Dibble, and published in 1838. This was then added to by John Fawcett Pogue (Pokuea) and printed in Hae Hawaii from 4/14/1858 to 4/6/1859 (without conclusion), and then printed in final book form in 1858 (appearing on sale in the middle of 1859 for half a dollar a book) with the same title, “Ka Mooolelo Hawaii.”]

(Hae Hawaii, 3/23/1859, p. 201)