Hawaiian Legends & Myths is a collection of books by William Drake Westervelt, one of Hawaii’s foremost authorities on island folklore. It contains five books Westervelt wrote about Hawaiian legends, folklore and mythology.
‘Legends of Maui’ includes numerous myths of Māui, Polynesian demi god of Polynesia and Hina who is sometimes in myths his mother, and sometimes his wife. These myths and legends originate from various island groups around the Pacific and they are pesented in a clear and thorough manner.
‘Legends of Old Honolulu’ is collection of ancient Hawaiian folktales which also includes some information about where the Hawaiians came from and the sacred places in Honolulu. As might be expected in stories originating on a small island, many of them feature the sea, boats, sea creatures or water.
‘Legends of Gods and Ghost-Gods’ focuses on Polynesian mythology, taking a close look at Hawaiian folktales, mythology, and the history of the polytheistic practices still in place to this day.
‘Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes’ – The first part of this book focuses on the legends of Hawaii and its volcanoes. The second part considers the geology of the region and discusses the crack in the floor of the Pacific, Hawaiian volcanoes, volcanic activity and the changes in the Kilauea crater. It also looks at the foundation of the observatory.
‘Hawaiian Historical Legends’ take the reader through Hawaiian history from ancient times to becoming an American state. He adds that Hawaiian people are not overly concerned with dates but that these stories are all related one to another.
About the author
William Drake Westervelt (1849-1939) was the author of several books and magazines on Hawaiian history and legends. He drew upon several different collections to popularize Hawaiian folklore. Westervelt is noted as one of Hawaii’s foremost authorities on island folklore in the English language. His anthologies of Hawaiian myths, legends and folk tales are considered among the best of the English versions of a Hawaiian view of the sacred and profane.
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