Kaupe

The Cannibal Dog Man

In ancient Hawaii, there was a class of people called Olohe who were hairless and often specialized in wrestling and bone breaking. Unfortunately, they were also known to be cannibals and robbers.

They would often frequent narrow passes and pounce on unsuspecting travelers. One of the most famous of the Olohe, was Kaupe, a demigod who could assume the form of a large dog.

Kaupe resided on Oahu and kept a heiau (temple) at Lihue, near the Waianae mountains. He overthrew the government of the ruling chief, Kahanai, and cannibalized the commoners of the land. Not only the people of Oahu fell victim to his appetite, Kaupe also traveled to Maui and Hawaii to prey on the residents there.

It was on the island of Hawaii that he decided to take a prisoner for use as a human sacrifice at his heiau on Oahu. He carried back with him the son of a high chief. The chief was very distraught and followed Kaupe to Oahu, hoping to save his son. When he reached the shore, he sought aid and met Kahilona, the priest and teacher of Kahanai, the former ruler of the land.

Kahilona took the chief to Kaheiki, the temple built for Kahanai, and taught him incantations and prayers that would help him to free his son of Kaupe's magic and escape. When night fell, the chief traveled to Kaupe's heiau in Lihue and repeated the chants he had been taught. He discovered his son bound and guarded by a sleeping dog. Very carefully, and protected by the incantations, he slipped by the dog and released his son's bonds. Then they made their way away from the temple and set out for Kaheiki.

Relief washed over the chief as they made their way away from Lihue, but it was soon replaced by fear for a great noise was heard behind them. The dog had awakened and discovered his prisoner's escape. Kaupe quickly found their trail and began a rapid pursuit.

The chief and his son ran as fast as their legs could carry them, but it became obvious that they would soon be overwhelmed by the great, terrible dog. The chief uttered the prayers that Kahilona had taught him and they felt renewed strength and their legs carried them ever faster. However, they knew that the dog was unstoppable and would soon be upon them.

Uttering the prayer, the chief and his son pressed on until they found a great stone at Moanalua. There they hid in hopes that Kaupe would pass them by.

Lucky for them, Kaupe believed they were trying to escape to their home on the island of Hawaii and he sped on to the beach. There, he bounded up into the sky and flew to Hawaii. Meanwhile, the chief and his son reached Kaheiki and were greeted by Kahilona. While Kaupe hunted madly for them on Hawaii, the priest taught them the prayers they would need to destroy the cannibalistic dog man.

When they were confident in their new found skills, the chief and his son returned to Hawaii and waged war against Kaupe, eventually overcoming him with the prayers they had learned.

However, the ghost of Kaupe refused to leave the land and he returned as a ghost-god, resting high in the mountains of Nuuanu Valley on Oahu. At times he can be seen in cloud formations as a very large dog. Sometimes he's seen as a very small dog. But if the observer looks very closely, the shadow of his body can be seen through the clouds as he watches over the land that he once terrorized.

Kaupe The Cannibal Dog Man
By Genesis