Mysteries of Hawai'i Honolulu Ghost Tours

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‘Īao Valley Ghosts and Night Marchers

Ali‘i Burials

The burial practices for ali’i were different from that of commoners. When it was certain that the ali’i had expired and the spirit had left the body and would not return, an imu was dug. This imu was large enough to hold a corpse and the body would be kept burning in this imu for hours and then left to cool. After this process, the flesh was then easily removed from the bones. These bones were then carried to a secret cave to be interred.

Often, two men carried the remains of their ali’i to the chosen spot. One of these men was to act a kahu for the cave, while the other was destined to be the moe puu; a sacrifice whose blood would act as a barrier against evil which might touch the ali’i’s body. The kahu would stand outside the cave, and after the remains of the ali’i were deposited, the other would be dispatched with a blow as he crawled out. Sometimes both the bearers were sacrificed and other times, a number of retainers volunteered to die with their ali’i. It is said that generally, a lottery was held among the retainers and none but the family of the ali’i knew who was destined to be sacrificed. The secret cave might be approachable only by a rope over a cliff and, when the cearer was ascneding, the rope might be cut at the top and his body would fall to the rocks below; so then, the secret of the cave would die with him.

Off limits to commoners, except during Makahiki, ‘Iao Valley was a sacred, kapu place. For centuries, Hawaii’s ali’i were buried in secret, hard-to-reach caves along the steep walls of ‘Iao Valley. It was in these hidden caves that laid several hundred ruling chiefs and all those attached to them who were famous for their marvelous achievements.

It is said that this practice began in the eighth century with Kapawa, the famous ali’i from Waialua, Oahu and continued until 1736 with the burial of Maui’s Ali’i, Kekaulike.

Battle of Kepaniwai

In the late 1780s, Kamehameha the First conquered the island of Hawai’i and sought to conquer the rest of the islands. In 1790, he made his way to Maui. Kahekili, who was king of Maui and had dominated all the other islands at the time was on Oahu when he received word that Kamehameha was on his way to Maui. Upon hearing the news Kahekili sent his son, Kalanikupule, and a number of chiefs to intercept him while the king remained on Oahu.

Kamehameha met Kalanikupule at Wailuku, and the battle that ensued drove the Maui defenders further and further up ‘Iao Valley.

Reverend Stephen Desha Sr wrote of the battle:

“The warfare on this day was terrible. The barbed spears darted quickly, palau (or war clubs) were extended, and la’au newa (or clubs with stone heads) struck the heads of the fleeing Maui people. Also seen was the tearing of men’s bodies by the leiomano (the shark toothed weapon) fixed on the hands of some high chiefs of Hawaii. Those of Hawaii who were skilled in bone-breaking, lifted men up in their hands, and they were broken as though they were only little things. Those who remembered the battle said that they witnessed the tearing of men’s bodies by the strong hands of Kamehameha and Kekuhaupi’o and saw that men were like pieces of wood in the hands of persons extremely strong in bone breaking. One witness compared the breaking of the man to the cracking of a section of sugar cane in the hands of someone intending to bite it.”

At the same time the large cannons under the command of Isaac Davis and John Young, were turned to the place where those Maui people were attempting to save their lives by climbing the ‘Iao pali. The cannons slaughtered the fleeing Maui people so that they fell from the cliffs. Some people have called this terrible battle at ‘Iao, Ka ‘uwau Pali, (ka’uwa’upali?) the clawed cliffs.

Because they were no match for Kamehameha’s warriors who also employed the use of Western weaponry, great numbers were slain, most of whom were thrown into the ‘Iao Stream. The stream was choked and it was said that the water of the stream flowed back inland because of the great pile of corpses of the Maui people. Thus, the more commonly known name of the battle: Kaua i Kepaniwai o ‘Iao, Battle at the Dammed Water of ‘Iao.

The Night Marchers

Today, the area is a State monument with a large parking lot, a visitor center, and walking paths. A few years ago, a young man shared his personal story with me.

Due to some close personal connections, this man was allowed to remain in the ʻĪao Valley State Monument parking area after hours. There, he and his female companion explored several areas of the park, engaging in a forbidden couple’s secret desires. As they were finally returning to their car, they were suddenly blocked off by a long procession of phantom torches.

The pair saw that the procession appeared to be coming from the recesses of the valley. It then came up the hill toward them in a long line as it moved through the parking lot. A second procession continued along the path of the river itself.

The man noted that there was an eerie, unnerving silence that accompanied the whole incident. However, the silence was just for a moment. He said that when the sound came, it was like the blast of hundreds of cannons being fired all at once and it came at full volume; the deafening sound of drums, of foot marches, chants, and wailing, pitiful mournful wailing that raised the hackles on his neck. And the stench, the stench of something long dead and rotted away coupled with the reek of sulfur, made him throw up his drive-thru dinner.

The man said his female companion stripped completely naked and lay flat on the parking lot blacktop. In a second, she pulled him down next to her and then covered him with her body. It felt like hours had passed, but when the whole incident was over, the woman got off him and jumped to her feet. The first rays of the early morning were coming up, and that’s when he noticed his friend hurrying frantically to put her clothes on. He was horrified to see hand and footprint bruise marks all over her front and most of her back.

“Take me back to my car,” she was breathing heavily now. “Get me out of here and take me back to my car right now.”

As they drove away, the man said that he tried to talk to his female companion, but she would not let him get in one word.

“Lucky thing I know how to chant my genealogy! These bruises are what I had to suffer because I was trying to protect you, but you know what? This ain’t worth it. We’re done, this is over! You stay in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine!”

“I never saw her again after that,” the man said quietly.

I noticed his full head of white hair and said, “You got a young-looking face for someone with white hair.”

“I’m thirty-one,” he said, “The white hair came after we saw the night marchers at ʻĪao.”


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