The Rainbow Maiden

Kahalaopuna was born of the divine wind and rain of Manoa Valley. For centuries, the valley has been regarded as the royal palace of rainbows where the beautiful rainbow maiden can be seen playing wherever the light of sun or moon touches the misty rain. Natives of the valley often called Kahalapuna by the name of Kaikawahine Anuenue; the Rainbow Maiden.

Kahala had taken two cheifs as lovers. One ws from Waikiki, the other from Kamoilili. Both men wanted the maiden to live in their homes with the colors of the rainbow arching overhead.

Kauhi was the cheif from Waikiki. Unfortunately, he was a cruel and jealous man. Angry with Kahala, he killed her and buried her where no one would find her. However, Kahala's guardian spirit, the owl, scratched at the earth until her body was uncovered and joined once again with her spirit. Again, Kauhi killed Kahala and buried her. Again, the owl restored her to life. This happened several times until finally, the cheif chose a burial site under the roots of a great koa tree. The owl scratched and pulled in vain, for the roots of the tree were strong and would not be moved. After a time, the owl decided that so much time had passed, that Kahala's spirit surely must have descened to Po, the Underworld, and thus he abandoned his task.

The spirit of Kahala frantically searched for someone who could restore her body. She had been separatd from her body for so long that death was starting to overwhelm her. She had nearly lost hope when Mahana, the cheif from Kamoiliili approached.

Mahana could feel the distress of a spirit around him. He let the ghost guide him to the great koa tree where he found the earth disturbed amidst the roots of the tree. He tore the roots away and dug until he uncovered the battered body of his beloved Kahala.

Although lifeless, Mahana hoped that Kahala's spirit may still be restored to her body and he bore her to his elder brother who was a renowned kahuna (priest). The powerful kahuna chanted and prayed. Long into the night, he called upon all his skill and experience to restore Kahala, but utterly failed. In desperation, he called upon two spirit sisters who were family guardians. The sisters found Kahana's spirit and guided it back into her body through the feet while the kahuna performed the chants to restore life.

With the help of the spirit sisters, Mahana nursed Kahala back to her original beauty and health and their love grew deep and strong. However, Kahala would never be safe while Kauhi still lived, so Mahana devised a plan to intice Kauhi into combat. Mahana began to frequent the areas that Kauhi played sports and gambled. He taunted Kauhi until finally, Kauhi admitted that he had killed the rainbow maiden. Mahana declared that Kahala was alive and in his home. To this, Kauhi insisted that the woman in Mahana's home was an imposter. He was so sure that Kahala was dead, that he challenged Mahana to present her to the cheifs of the district including Kahala's grandfather, Akaaka, the mountain god. If he was proven wrong, he would be baked alive in an imu (oven). If he was proven right, Mahana would be the one to be baked alive.

Mahana decided that the proposition was much more favorable than combat, in which he had a chance of losing his own life, so he quickly agreed. He was so agreeable, that Kauhi became suspicious and consulted with kahunas of his family. To prevent deception, it was decided that there would be a test to detect ghosts. The kahunas would be prepared to invoke spirits from the Underworld to come and fetch any wayward ghosts and deliver them to Milu, the god of the Underworld, for punishment.

Kauhi followed the instructions of his family kahunas and spread the delicate leaves of the ape plant over the ground where Kahala was to walk and sit before the cheifs for judgement. It was said that a human walking over the leaves would bruise and tear them, while a spirit would leave them undisturbed.

The day of judgement arrived and the imu was prepared for the sacrifice. The king and chiefs were all assembled including Akaaka, and Kauhi sat nearby where he could watch the maiden's arrival closely. As Kahala made her way towards that path strewn with ape leaves, the spirit sisters, who walked beside her, recognized the test. They could not leave Kahala for fear that it would arouse suspicion, so they whispered to her instructions to bruise as many leaves on either side of her so that the sisters would not be discovered as spirits.

Slowly and regally, Kahala approached the chiefs leaving a wide trail of broken and bruised leaves. Kauhi's chief sorcerer declared that he could detect ghosts nonetheless and demanded that a second test be implemented. As it was believed that a reflection of a face in water was the face of a spirit, the sorcerer demanded that a calabash of water be brought forth. In his eagerness to catch a spirit face in the water, he leaned over the calabash, presenting his own spirit face. Before he could lean back and restore his spirit to his body, Akaaka sprang forward and grasped the reflected face in his hands, destroying the spirit.

The sorcerer fell dead beside the calabash and Kauhi was seized. As agreed, he was baked alive in the imu as punishment for his crimes, and his lands and retainers were given over to Mahana and Kahala who lived long, and with a rainbow over their roof.

The Rainbow Maiden
By Genesis