Hawaiian Mythology, Folklore and Legends

This is a series of books of Hawaiian mythology, folklore, and legends by W.D. Westervelt from the turn of the 20th Century. The folklore is genuine from the real source. LEGENDS OF MAUI: A DEMI GOD OF POLYNESIA AND OF HIS MOTHER HINA A collection of Hawaiian and Polynesian legends about the culture hero, Maui. This is a collection of lore related to the Polynesian culture-hero, Maui, particularly his labors in creating the world. The book also includes some myths about Hina, Maui's mother, and several tales local to the Hawaiian islands. HAWAIIAN LEGENDS OF OLD HONOLULU Of all of the sacred landscapes of the Pacific, the area around Honolulu is rich in lore. HAWAIIAN LEGENDS OF VOLCANOES The Fire Goddess Pele, her deeds, family and loves. HAWAIIAN LEGENDS OF GHOSTS GODS Tales of the Hawaiian afterlife, and those who returned from it by magic or cunning. HAWAIIAN HISTORICAL LEGENDS Stories from Hawaii during the period of European contact. This is the last of Westervelt's six books of Hawaiian lore. Starting in mythological times, and retelling some of the migration legends, the book primarily focuses on the period of European contact, Hawaiian Historical Legends is of interest for anyone studying encounters between cultures, particularly where one of the cultures has a technological advantage. The core of the book is set against the background of consolidation of political authority in the islands (which was already underway before contact), the fall of the old tapu-bound absolute rule of the chiefs and the priests, and finally the emergence of modern Hawaiian civil culture. Of particular interest are Westervelt's speculations on early contacts, not only between the Hawaiians and the Europeans, but other Pacific rim cultures such as the Chinese, Japanese and Native Americans.