Mo‘o, Hawaiian Shapeshifter Beings

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.

Moʻo deities are benevolent to those families who revere them as ʻaumakua. In return, the moʻo deity sees to the succession of their moʻokūʻauhau, or genealogy. If they guard a fish pond, they see to its harvest and that its waters are clear and nurturing.

To dishonor a moʻo deity and break its kapu means to invite disaster. This is symbolic of the reciprocal laws between man and nature, as we take care of our surroundings and all that are in it, so too will it take care of us.

When the foliage surrounding a pond or waterfall is lush and green, the moʻo is absent. It is then that it is safe to fish or swim. However, when the grasses at the water’s shore take on a greenish-yellow hue, the moʻo is home. Beware, and do not swim.

There is another indicator of the moʻo presence. Be watchful for a leaf that floats on the waters. That signifies the moʻo is absent. If the leaf sinks, the moʻo is home and you should make yourself scarce.

The Mo‘o of Kipu Falls

Years ago, before the landowner put up fences and boulders to block access to this dangerous place, a local teenager and his friends decided to cool off on a hot day and made their way to a local waterfall and swimming hole just outside Lihue. It was a favorite after-school spot.

While friends were sitting at the top of the falls and others were playing on a rope that swung over the pond, this young man was sitting at the shore of the pond and decided to swim back to the rocks to climb out. He said swimming across was easier than trying to make his way around the pond through the trees and over large boulders. The young man was a strong swimmer who grew up around the water and was familiar with the falls, but... he said he got into trouble about halfway across.

The young man suddenly went underwater and was unable to come back up. Thrashing and struggling to swim to the surface for air, he couldn’t hold his breath much longer.

He can’t explain it but he swore that someone or something was holding his ankles; the more he struggled, the tighter the grip became. The young man was getting weaker and his lungs felt like they were going to burst!

Then... just as he was about to give up, he thought, “I’m sorry.”

The moment the thought entered his mind, whatever was holding him let go. When he was asked what he apologized for, he said he didn’t really know. He was partly saying sorry to his mom for all the things he’d done. He was sorry for not being a better student and a better person. And he was sorry for being in that place when he knew he shouldn’t have been.

“I should have listened to my mom,” he said.

Whether you believe it was mo‘o after young men, exhaustion or cramps from swimming, or an undertow from the falls, 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. It’s best to stay away from this deadly place.

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