THE MARCHERS OF THE NIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A young man of Kona tells the following experience:

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

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

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

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