Kakaʻalaneo

Kakaalaneo was chief of the island of Maui.

Biography

Kakaalaneo was a son of High Chief Kaulahea I of Maui and Chiefess Kapohanaupuni of Hilo. Kakaʻalaneo's brother was Kakae. Kakaalaneo appears to be the center of the legends of that reign. He and his brother appear to have jointly ruled Maui and Lānai with his elder brother holding the title of Aliʻi.

The brothers' courts were at Lāhainā.

Tradition has gratefully remembered Kakaʻalaneo as the one who planted the breadfruit trees in Lāhainā, for which the place in later times became so famous for.

Legend of Kaululaʻau

A marvelous legend is still told of one of Kakaalaneo's sons, named Kaululaau, who, for some of his wild pranks at his father's court in Lāhainā, was banished to Lānai, which island was said to have been terribly haunted by Akua-ino, ghosts and goblins. Kaululaau, however, by his prowess and skill, exorcised the spirits, brought about peace and order on the island, and was in consequence restored to the favour of his father.

Family

It was said that Kaululaau's mother was Kanikaniaula of the Kamauaua family, through Haili, a brother of Keʻoloʻewa. One legend mentions six children of Kaululaau by the names of Kuihiki, Kuiwawau, Kuiwawau-e, Kukahaulani, Kumakaakaa, and Ulamealani. No further record of them are kept, however.

With another wife, named Kaualua, Kakaalaneo had a son Kaihiwalua, who was the father of Luaia, who became the husband of the noted Chiefess Kūkaniloko. Kakaalaneo is also said to have had a daughter named Wao, who caused the watercourse in Lāhainā called Auwaiawao to be dug and named after her.

Kakaʻalaneo was succeeded by his nephew Kahekili I, son of his brother.

References