Menehune
Menehune are a mythological race of dwarf people in Hawaiian custom who are said to live in the remote forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian Islands, unseen and not present near human communities. The Menehune are described as excellent craftspeople. They built temples, fishponds, roads, canoes, and houses. Some of these structures that Hawaiian folklore attributed to the Menehune still exist. Legends are that they have lived in Hawaii before settlers arrived from Polynesia many centuries ago. Their chosen food is the banana, and they also prefer fish. Folklore has it that the Menehune appear only during the evening hours to construct masterpieces. But if they do not complete their work in the during the night, they will leave it unoccupied. No one but their children and humans are able to see the Menehune.
These “guardians of the forest” are said to live in the interior, in caves or primitive tent-shaped huts of sticks covered over with banana, fern, or other leaves, rather than the traditional plaited thatched Polynesian home. Many sites in the Hawaiian Islands are accredited to the Menehune. Most of these sites involve stonework and include walls, ancient Hawaiian temples, and fishponds. There are many legends concerning the Menehune, but who or what they were still remains a mystery. Several stories of their origin are found within the Hawaiian oral tradition. Also, according to legend, menehune were powerful builders with supernatural strength. They worked tirelessly through the night to build astounding monuments. The menehune are celebrated in Hawaii through small wooden or stone carvings of the little people. Often statues and carvings of menehune are visible in cultural centers, shops and even hotels.
As stories told in folklore, the menehune were small people ranging from 6 inches to 3 feet in height. But they had muscular, sturdy bodies able to endure hard physical labor, working with great agility and skill. The description of large eyes, low humming voices and would only come out at night, similar to the leprechauns of Ireland, the menehune were mischievous, often playing tricks on people. Sometimes, they could even turn arrogant spies into stone. According to one such tale, menehune were so numerous on Kauai their shouting could be heard on Oahu. One mythological encounter occurred when the devious menehune happened upon a sleeping colossus. They threw stones at the giant, attempting to awaken him. The stones filled his mouth, which caused him indigestion and made him continue his slumber. The giant has been eternally sleeping ever since, and still lays in the form of a mountainside on Kauai, which you can still see today. As a result, people on Kauai now call it the Sleeping Giant.v
These “guardians of the forest” are said to live in the interior, in caves or primitive tent-shaped huts of sticks covered over with banana, fern, or other leaves, rather than the traditional plaited thatched Polynesian home. Many sites in the Hawaiian Islands are accredited to the Menehune. Most of these sites involve stonework and include walls, ancient Hawaiian temples, and fishponds. There are many legends concerning the Menehune, but who or what they were still remains a mystery. Several stories of their origin are found within the Hawaiian oral tradition. Also, according to legend, menehune were powerful builders with supernatural strength. They worked tirelessly through the night to build astounding monuments. The menehune are celebrated in Hawaii through small wooden or stone carvings of the little people. Often statues and carvings of menehune are visible in cultural centers, shops and even hotels.
As stories told in folklore, the menehune were small people ranging from 6 inches to 3 feet in height. But they had muscular, sturdy bodies able to endure hard physical labor, working with great agility and skill. The description of large eyes, low humming voices and would only come out at night, similar to the leprechauns of Ireland, the menehune were mischievous, often playing tricks on people. Sometimes, they could even turn arrogant spies into stone. According to one such tale, menehune were so numerous on Kauai their shouting could be heard on Oahu. One mythological encounter occurred when the devious menehune happened upon a sleeping colossus. They threw stones at the giant, attempting to awaken him. The stones filled his mouth, which caused him indigestion and made him continue his slumber. The giant has been eternally sleeping ever since, and still lays in the form of a mountainside on Kauai, which you can still see today. As a result, people on Kauai now call it the Sleeping Giant.v
