Tales of the Mermaids of Waiahuakua

Those of the Sea by Kohana Au

This 1st edition of “Tales of the Mermaids of Waiahuakua—Those of the Sea" is a collection of Hawaiian creation and romantic legends with the interjection of the mermaid.

Since the time of the great voyages from Tahiti to Hawaii, the mermaid has been a part of the legend and lore.There are many tales of Hawaiian Mermaids dating back as far as when the first voyagers from Kahiki ventured forth upon the waters of the Pacific to populate “Hawaii…the land of green-backed and mottled seas.”

The language of the Polynesian peoples is basically one language, the missionary translators who first assigned a written spelling for the different island groups, heard the words differently and represented these sounds that they heard with different letters. For instance the Hawaiian word for 'woman' is wahine (vah-hee-nee), the Tongan word for 'woman' is fahine (fah-hee-nee). Much like the differences between American English and British English, there is understanding but differences in accents and idioms. So, the oral traditions of the Polynesian peoples, with minor differences, give a remarkably similar account of their history and beliefs.

These legends include stories from Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, the Marquesas’ as well as the Maori of New Zealand.

Aloha – Me ke aloha pau ole (with best wishes without end.) – Kohana Au

http://hawaiianmermaids.webs.com/

Kohana Au

Kohana Au has long been a writer associated with a number of projects throughout the Hawaiian Islands. As a student and lover of all that is Polynesia, from New Zealand to Hawaii, he shares his knowledge and understanding of these wonderful cultures.