There are dozens of Hawaiian legends about Kauai’s North Shore. Here, we share stories of menehune and mo’o at Ha’ena.

When the lieutenant’s family moved into their beachfront house at Barking Sands, they knew right away that something was wrong. In a 1985 article, the wife of a Navy lieutenant commander said that she would get a strange, cold feeling sometimes when walking down the hall. It was like an air conditioner, even though she didn’t have one.

In 1916, the front page of the Honolulu Star Bulletin featured a startling headline: “FIND OF BONES EXCITES PEOPLE ON WATERFRONT!” The discovery was made on a Wednesday afternoon near Pier 12, where workers unearthed what seemed to be a human thigh bone. But this was no ordinary bone—it measured a staggering 24 inches in length and 8 inches in diameter at its widest point.

In late March of 1905, crowds gathered at the edge of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, eager to witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of a volcanic eruption. The scene was set for nature’s fiery display, but what transpired that night was anything but ordinary.

The oral traditions of the much-feared night marchers have survived countless years by being passed down from mouth to ear and then by the learned art of writing and documentation. Their stories have spread through hushed whispers during late-night storytelling around the dinner table. Their procession has been witnessed by Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians from different walks of life.

Headed towards the Southern shore, we take the scenic route through the famous Tree Tunnel on Maluhia Road. Aptly named, the Tree Tunnel is made up of hundreds of fragrant, century-old eucalyptus trees planted along nearly a mile of roadway whose branches seem to reach across the road creating a beautiful tunnel of shade and foliage. Many late-night travelers claim that the Tree Tunnel is haunted.

So many people have been injured and too many have died for the thrill of playing in that secluded spot just off the beaten path. Whether you believe it was mo’o after young men, exhaustion or cramps from swimming, or an undertow from the falls... It's best to stay away from this deadly pond.

There have been numerous deaths at this precipice that marks the peak of this pathway from Nu’uanu to Windward Oahu -- from the last stand of Kalanikupule, to falling rocks, strong winds, horses losing their footing, and cars careening out of control, not to mention suicides... and murder. This area has a long and violent history. It’s not just one thing that haunts this place, it’s many.

In the uplands of Kalihi, there were once sacred heiau, a spring brought forth by the god Kane, and a pair of Kupua who would watch over the valley. Some say that the destruction of those stones set the stage for the unfortunate events surrounding the building of the Wilson Tunnel.

Thought to have originally been built for the purpose of telepathic communication, the mana here is ever-present and powerful. However, before you try to charge your crystals here (yes, unfortunately, it’s been attempted), one must understand that there is so much more here. The residual negative energy of the untold numbers of men that were sacrificed in the space is also constant.

A woman staying in Waikiki in the 1930s says that on the first night she saw glowing lights just on the edge of the water. On the second night, she saw the same thing, except now, the glowing lights seemed to have shadowy forms as if they were people holding up torches, walking along the beach, heading toward Diamond Head to the old heiau. Now, that heiau is a private school.

Seminarians have long talked of attacks by levitating pencils, of doors that would stick on one side but not the other, of pats that rattled without cause. Even laypeople who work at the religious institution talk of feeling a presence, hearing a voice, having something press against them. “It was real,” Ferraro said, “Told and corroborated by prominent men in the Roman Catholic Church.”

Ghosts are said to congregate in these places every evening from seven o’clock until midnight for a form of entertainment, including the legendary night marchers. Several people who happen to work in these locations today say that their buildings are indeed haunted. While most of Downtown Honolulu closes by 6 or 7pm, nights they have to work late are especially creepy.

Moʻo are often referred to as lizard beings or “dragons” but, according to our oral traditions, moʻo are more like shapeshifters. In some tales, one may find the abode of the moʻo near a body of water. In our moʻolelo, our stories, most moʻo are female deities. They take on the form of a beautiful woman who takes a male a companion as a lover or as a meal. In both cases, the man ends up dead.

In Niumalu, there is dam built across a large bend in the Hule’ia River. It is a nine hundred yard long dirt levee faced with stone. It is said that the rocks used for the facing came from Wahiawa, near Hanapepe, and were passed hand over hand by the Menehune. As two young men found out, it's best not to do things you know you're not supposed to (like shooting paintballs) in places like this.