From: Subject: THE MARCHERS OF THE NIGHT Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 10:34:33 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: file://F:\Lanset_Website_18Jan10\Articles\marchers_of_the_night.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 THE MARCHERS OF THE NIGHT

THE MARCHERS OF THE = NIGHT

Every Hawaiian has heard of the = "Marchers of=20 the Night", 'Ka huaka'i o ka Po'.  A few have seen the procession. = It is=20 said that such a sight is fatal unless one has a relative among the dead = to=20 intercede for him. If a man is found stricken by the roadside a white = doctor=20 will pronounce the cause as heart failure, but a Hawaiian will think at = once of=20 the night march.

The time for the march is between = half after=20 seven when the sun has actually set and about two in the morning before = the dawn=20 breaks. It may occur on one of the four nights of the gods, on Ku, Akua, = Lono,=20 Kane, or on the nights of Kaloa.

Those who took part in the march = were the=20 chiefs and warriors who had died, the aumakua, and the gods, each of = whom had=20 their own march.

If i chief enjoyed silence in = this life, his=20 march would be  silent save for the creaking of the the food = calabashes=20 suspended from the carrying sticks, or of the litter, called manele, if = he had=20 not been fond of walking. If a chief had been fond of music,  the = sound of=20 the drum, nose flute, and other instruments were heard as they marched.=20 Sometimes there were no lights borne, at other times there were torches, = butg=20 not so bright as for the gods and the demi-gods. A chief whose faced had = been=20 sacred, called an alo-kapu, so that no man, beast, or bird could pass = before him=20 without being killed, must lead the march; even his own warriors might = not=20 precede him. If on the contrary his back had been sacred, akua-kapu, he = must=20 follow in the rear of te procession. A chief who had been well protected = in life=20 who had no rigid kapu upon his faced or back would march between his=20 warriors.

On the marches of the chief, a = few 'aumakua'=20 would march with them in order to protect their living progeny who might = chance=20 to meet them on the path. Sometimes the parade came when a chief lay = dying or=20 just dead. It paused before the door for a brief time and then passed = on. The=20 family might not notice it, but a neighbor might seed it pass and know = that the=20 chief had gone with his ancestors who had come for him.

In the march of the 'aumakua' of = each=20 district there was music and chanting. The marchers carried candlenut = (Kukui=20 nut) torches which burned brightly even on a rainy night. They might be = seen in=20 broad daylight and were followed by whirlwinds such as come one after = another in=20 columns.

They cried "Kapu-o-moe!" as a = warning to=20 stragglers to keep out of the way or to prostrate themselves with closed = eyes=20 until the marchers passed. Like the chiefs, they too sometimes came to a = dying=20 descendent and took him away with them.

The march of the gods was much = longer, more=20 brilliantly lighted, and more sacred than that of the chiefs or the = demi-gods.=20 The torches were brighter and shone red. At the head, at three points = within the=20 line, and at the rear were carried larger torches, five being the = complete=20 number among Hawaiians, the "Ku a lima". The gods with the torches = walked six=20 abreast, three males and three females. One of the three at the end of = the line=20 was 'Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele' youngest sister of the volcano goddess. = The first=20 torch could be seen burning up at Kahuku when the last of the five = torches was=20 at Honu'apo. Te only music to be heard on the marches of the gods was = the=20 chanting of their names and mighty deeds. The sign that accompanied them = was a=20 heavy downpour of rain, with mist, thunder, and lightning, or heavy = seas. Their=20 route the next day would be strewn with broken boughs, or leaves, for = their=20 heads were sacred and nothing should be suspended above them.

If a living person met these = marchers it=20 behooved him to get out of the way as quickly as possible, otherwise he = might be=20 killed unless he had an ancestor or an 'aumakua' in the procession to = plead for=20 his life.

If he met a procession of chiefs = and had no=20 time to get out of the way, he might take off his clothes and lie face = upward,=20 eyes closed, breathing as little as possible. He would hear them cry = "Shame!" as=20 they passed. One would say "He is dead!". Another would cry "No, he is = alive,=20 but what a shame for him to lie uncovered!". If he had no time to strip = he must=20 sit perfectly still, close his eyes, and take his chance.

He was likely to be killed by the = guard at=20 the front or at the rear of the line, unless saved by one of his = ancestors or by=20 an 'aumakua'. If he met a procession of gods, he must take off all his = clothes=20 but his loincloth and sit still with his eyes tightly closed, because no = man=20 might look upon a god, although he might listen to their talk. He would = hear the=20 command to strike; then, if he were beloved by one of the gods as a = favorite=20 child or namesake, he would hear someone say "No, he is mine!" and he = would be=20 spared by the guards.

Many Hawaiians living today have = seen or=20 heard the ghostly marchers. Ms. Wiggins, Mrs. Pukui's mother, never got = in their=20 way, butg she has watched them pass from the door of her own mother's = house and=20 has heard the Ka'u people tell of the precautions that must be taken to = escape=20 death if one chances to be in their path.

A young man of Kona tells the = following=20 experience:

"One night, just after = nightfall, about=20 seven or eight in the evening, he was on his way when of a sudden he saw = a long=20 line of marchers coming towards him. He climbed over a stone wall and = satg very=20 still. As they drew near he saw that they walked four abreast and were = about 7=20 feet tall, walking slightly above the ground. One of the mrachers = stepped out of=20 line and ran back and forth on the other side of the wall behind where = he was=20 crouched as if to protect him from the others. As each file passed, he = heard the=20 voices call out "Strike!" and his protector answered "No! No! He is = mine!" =20 No other sounds were heard except the call to strike and the creak of a = 'manele'=20 He was not afraid and watched the marchers closely. There were both men = and=20 women in the procession. After a long line of marchers four abreast had = passed=20 there came the 'manele' bearers, two before and two behind. On the = litter sat a=20 very big man whom he guessed at once to be a chief. Following the litter = were=20 other marchers walking four abreast. After all had passed, his protector = joined=20 his fellows..."

In  the old days these = marchers were=20 common in Ka'u district, but folk today know little about them. They = used to=20 march and play games practically on the same ground as in life. Hence = each=20 district and each island had its own parade and playground along which = the dead=20 would march and at which they would assemble.

Mrs. Emma Akana Olmstead tells me = that when=20 she was told about the marchers of the night as a child, she was afraid, = but now=20 that she is older and can actually hear them, she is no longer afraid. = She hears=20 beautiful loud chanting of voices, the high notes of the flute, and = drumming so=20 loud that it seems to be beaten upon the side of the house beside her = bed. Their=20 voices (the marchers) are so distinct that if she could write music, she = would,=20 be able to set down the notes they sang.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(Reprinted from translations = of oral=20 history stories by Mrs. Mary  Pukui, 1895-1986, who in the course = of a 50=20 year association with  the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in  = Honolulu,=20 translated thousands of Hawaiian legends, stories, and oral history = accounts, as=20 published in KEPELINO'S TRADITIONS OF HAWAII, edited by Martha  = Beckworth,=20 1932. )