CHAPTER XI

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THE FAMILY OF UMI. HIS BENEFICENT REIGN.

Umi-a-Liloa was a devout king, and on account of the fame of his administration of the government the kings of the other islands desired to bring their royal daughters and their favorite daughters to be wives for Umi-a-Liloa. He had many wives, among whom were daughters of the common people, so that he became an ancestor both of the chiefs and the common people. There is not a commoner of Hawaii who would say that Umi-a-Liloa was not an ancestor of his, and a man who declines to acknowledge it does so for lack of information. Kapukini-a-Liloa was a royal consort of Umi-a-Liloa, and by whom Umi begat Keliiokaloa, a male, Kapulani, a female, and Keawenuiaumi, a male child. Piikea was a princess, being the daughter of Piilani, king of Maui, with Queen Laieloheloheikawai, and they (Piikea and Umi-a-Liloa) begat two male children, Kumalaenuiaumi and Aihakoko.

Moku-a-Hualeiakea was also a princess among the grandchildren of Ehunuikaimalino of Kona, and she had a daughter, Akahiilikapu, by Umi-a-Liloa. He also had Ohenahenalani as wife and begat Kamolanuiaumi, and with the first children by the common women made Umi-a-Liloa the father of many children.

Waipio in Hamakua was Umi’s regular place of residence, and on account of all the divisions of land of Hawaii being united under him he desired to live in Kona, a warm country, and so the chiefs resided in Kailua. During his reign Umi-a-Liloa set the laborers in order and separated those who held positions in the government. He separated the chiefs, the priesthood, the astrologers and the skillful in the land. He separated the cultivators, and the fishermen, and the canoe hewers. He set apart the warriors, the spear-warders, and every department with proficiency, and every laborer in their respective lines of work. So with the governors, district superintendents, division overseers and section wardens; they were all set in order.

Umi-a-Liloa had two principal occupations which he undertook to do with his own hands: they were farming and fishing. He built large taro patches in Waipio, and he tilled the soil in all places where he resided, and when in Kona that was his great occupation; he was noted as the husbandman king. Fishing was another favorite vocation of Umi-a-Liloa whereby he was widely known as a fisherman, from which he was called the “chubby” of the fishermen. [180] Aku fishing was his favorite, and he sojourned all along the barren coast from Kalahuipaa to Makaula. He also fished for ahi, and for kala, and his fishing companions famous in that line were Pae, Kahuna, and others. All the chiefs of his government were noted in cultivating the land and in fishing, and other important works which would make them independent.

Another thing that Umi-a-Liloa was famous for was his battle with the gods. The cause of this battle was in this way: His royal consort, Piikea, had supernatural grandmothers, [181] who were Hapuu and Kalaihauola, and who desired to have a grandchild that they might take it to Oahu to bring up, because the mother of Piikea, Laieloheloheikawai, belonged to Oahu. It was Laieloheloheikawai who sent the supernatural grandmothers to Hawaii to obtain one of Piikea’s children. When they arrived in Hawaii Umi-a-Liloa refused to permit a child to be taken to Oahu to her (Piikea’s) mother. He had already made a vow that none of his children with Piikea would be given to any one, and on that account the supernatural personages murdered people during the night, for in the morning the dead people were found. This continued every night, the people dying without cause. Umi-a-Liloa was therefore astonished at the way the men were killed without any knowledge of the murderers.

Piikea then said to Umi-a-Liloa: “There is no other cause of death. My grandmothers, Hapuu and Kalaihauola, did the killing. They were sent by my mother to bring one of our children, but you have withheld it, and that is why the people are murdered.” “How may the killing by the gods cease, then?” asked Umi. Piikea answered: “When a child is obtained.” But he was skeptical of the death by the gods, yet the killing was still continuing. Therefore Umi-a-Liloa offered to fight the deities at the sandy plains of Kamakahonu. Human beings battle with their hands, clubs and stones, but the gods without hands, and when the battle was fought the gods were victorious over the battle of men. The place is called Kauakeakua and Kaiakeakua [182] to this day.

As Hapuu and Kalaihauola were at the house with Piikea, the latter being pregnant with child, the old women slapped on Piikea’s knees and the child was delivered in front of one of the old women. The child being a girl, it was taken away by the said deities and lived in Oahu. Thus the child Kahaiaonui-a-Piikea, or Kahaiaonui-a-Umi, became the adopted of Laieloheloheikawai. When Umi-a-Liloa returned from the battle with the gods, behold the child was taken by Hapuu and Kalaihauola.

It is said that there was another cause of the war; the unfaithfulness of Umi-a-Liloa relative to his children. He was asked for his offspring from the very first child, which he consented to give, but when a child was born he withheld it and would not give it, but promised that the next child would be theirs (the gods), and so on and on. This angered Piikea’s grandmothers and caused the battle between the gods and human beings.

Umi-a-Liloa reigned over his kingdom until he became old, during which time he was at peace with the chiefs of Maui, and with his father-in-law Piilani, king of Maui. There were no wars during their reign, but at the death of Piilani, the king of Maui and the father of Piikea, the heir to the government of Maui acted unjustly, therefore Umi went to the defense of Kiha-a-Piilani, and, invading Hana, the forces of Hawaii captured the stronghold of Kauiki [183] and overthrew Lono-a-Piilani.

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