Hanamā`ulu: Tired-bay (as from walking)

Alt: Hana-mā`ula -If pronounced Ha-na-ma-oo-la, it means "work at plant culture." If pronounced Hana-maula, it means make legs tired."

#This ahupua`a was ruled by Kawelo-lei-makua’s parents in the late 1600s. When they were killed by Ai-kanaka, it began a civil war which Ai-kanaka lost.

 O Hanamāulu ipu puehu. 

Hanamāulu’s calabashes are hidden.  

Hanamāulu was considered a very stingy place.  Once a party from the Kona side came to Puna.  As they descended the hill into Hanamāulu, they could see the people below peeling their taro but when they got there everything was hidden away and they got nothing to eat.  (Kelsey)

No Hanamā`ulu ka ipu puehu. 

The quickly emptied container belongs to Hanamā`ulu.  

Said of the stingy people of Hanamā`ulu, no hospitality there.  At one time, food containers would be hidden away and the people would apologize for having so little to offer their guests. (Pukui 2320)

Hanama`ulu stretched seaward from Ka-wai-kini, the tallest peak on the island. On the shore, the boundary point with Kalapaki was at Opoi, while Ka-wai-loa stream divided Hanamā`ulu from Wailua.

The name means Bay-(that)-makes-legs-tired. It was off the main road in ancient times, and in order to reach it, one had to walk a long distance. The traveler arrived at the village near the sea with tired legs.

Not only would the traveler have sore feet, but he could expect to go hungry once he reached the village. "No Hanama`ulu ka ipu pueho," everyone said. "An empty calabash at Hanama`ulu."

One time, some travelers from the Kona district reached the valley rim where they saw people peeling taro and heard the sound of poi pounders coming from the village. The travelers were pleased to know there would be pololei, fresh poi, at the end of their journey, so they hurried down the path.,

When these travelers arrived at the village, they found no poi at all, only villagers with sad faces apologizing for the lack of food. The visitors went hungry that night. Of course, the story was told and from that time the Hanama`ulu people were known as stingy and miserly.

At the foot of Kalepa hill, where the sugar mill once stood, was a large walled heiau. Its named was Ka-lau-i-ka-manu, The thatched house of the bird. It was greatly feared because of the many human sacrifices that were made there. The stench of the heiau was so bad that travelers would hurry past holding their noses.

Across the bay from Ahukini are cliffs which were once called Pali-`o`oma-o-Hanama`ulu, The concave cliffs of Hanama`ulu. Later these were called Ke-`alohi-wai, The sparkling water.

There was once a young man named Pueo, Owl, who lived at Pali-’o’oma. It was time for him to choose a wife, but he had not found anyone who compared to the woman he saw in his dreams on Kaua’i. He went to O’ahu, and there he heard of a young woman named Ka-’alohi-wai. She had refused to marry any of the men her parents had chosen for her, saying that the man of her dreams would come for her.

When Pueo and Ke-’alohi-wai met, they recognized each other immediately from their dreams. They married and lived many years at Pali-'o'oma. After their deaths, the cliffs were renamed Ke-’alohi-wai in honor of the woman from O’ahu.