Hawaiian Urban Legends

1352 Words3 Pages

Legends are based on history, told and retold. Myths are based on religion, and include supernatural beings, gods and demigods, explains natural phenomenon. Fairy Tales are based on magic, teaches a lesson, uses animals and has consequences. A Tall Tales is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some stories such as these are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories. Folklore in Hawaii in modern times is a mixture of various aspects of Hawaiian mythology and various urban legends that have been passed on regarding various places in the Hawaiian islands. The Hawaiian people value is to show love and kindness, To be brave and dare a challenge, to show leadership and give guidance, and to work …show more content…

It helped them get a tradition going that could last up to two hundred years and keep it going. They shaped folklore by telling the stories of what happens in Hawaii. Folklore is the traditional art, literature, knowledge, and practice that is disseminated largely through oral communication and behavioral example. Every group with a sense of its own identity shares, as a central part of that identity, folk traditions the things that people traditionally believe (planting practices, family traditions, and other elements of worldview), do (dance, make music, sew clothing), know (how to build an irrigation dam, how to nurse an ailment, how to prepare barbecue), make (architecture, art, craft), and say (personal experience stories, riddles, song lyrics). It’s important for a tradition to keep going, if they …show more content…

Kamehameha ruled until his death in 1819. During his reign, he governed following kapu, an ancient system of rules and laws. He also established new principles, including mamalahoe kanawai, or ‘law of the splintered paddle’. This law which protected the defenseless as well as travelers, was inspired by an encounter with some fishermen. Kamehameha was in a fight with the men when his foot got caught, and one fishermen stuck him with the paddle, splintering it in the process. Before he could get hit again his friend showed mercy towards Kamehameha. Cultural effects that took place decades ago are bearing fruit and a new generation of kanaka are taking the lead in the movement to celebrate there hawaiian tradition. Schools are committed to do this. So they can sense pride through these annual cultural events. To witness that they are carrying on the tradition. The values that are evident is that they still do the events and carry that culture on not just from generation to generation everyone around.Oral tradition altered by the story changing and being told over and over and over again until you can’t believe histories stories

More about Hawaiian Urban Legends

Open Document