Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 5, 1 May 2023 — The Mo'olelo of 'A'apueo [ARTICLE]

The Mo'olelo of 'A'apueo

(A Synopsis) 'A'apueo was an owl from the Kula region who lived in the ahupua'a that now bears her name. She and her husband, Pueoleāia, had seven eggs whieh were at his home in Wailuku towards Pā'ia. One day, when they were away, a woman happened upon their nest. Thinking they were duck eggs, she gathered them up and returned home. Her husband, Kapoi, realized they were actually owl eggs, but when his wife moved to return them he stopped her saying he wanted to leeep the eggs. Meanwhile, 'A'apueo, who was frantically searching for her ehildren, finds her eggs with Kapoi and demands their return. An argument erupts whereupon Kapoi, in a fit of temper, smashes all of the eggs on the roclc wall of his house. Heartbroken, 'A'apueo gathered her brolcen eggs and returned home. Upon learning what has happened, Pueokāia is outraged and he and 'A'apueo devise a plan to avenge the death of their babies. Pueokāia traveled east and 'A'apueo traveled west and in one day they gathered all the pueo across leo Hawai'i pae 'āina. The huge eontingent of pueo amassed in West Maui, in the valley lenown today as Manawaipueo, and rested overnight. The next day, they flew as one to Wailuku. It is said that there were so many owls that their number filled the slcy creating a shadow that blocked the sun. A terrible battle raged between the owls and the leānalea of Wailuku and when it ended, only a few humans had survived.