AI-LAAU, The forest eater
From Hawaiian Legends of
Volcanoes by William D. Westervelt
When Pele came to the island Hawaii, seeking a permanent home, she
found another god of fire already in possession of the territory.
Ai-Laau was known and feared by all the people. Ai means "the one who
eats or devourers." Lauu means "tree" or a "forest." Ai-laau was
therefore, the fire-god devouring forests. Time and again he laid the
districts of south Hawaii desolate by the lava he poured out from his
fire-pits.
He was the god of the insatiable appetite, the continual eater
of trees, whose path through forests was covered with black smoke
fragrant with burning wood, and sometimes burned with the
smell of human flesh charred into cinders in the lava flow.
Ai-laau seemed to be destructive and was so named by the people,
but his fires were a part of the forces of creation. He built up the
islands for future life. The process of creation demanded volcanic
activity. The flowing Lava made land. The lava disintegrating
made earth deposits and soil. Upon this land storms fell and through it
multitudes of streams found their way to the sea. Flowing rivers came
from the cloud-capped mountains. Fruitful fields and homes made
this miniature world-building complete.
Ai-laau still poured out his fire. it spread over the fertile
fields, and the people feared him as the destroyer giving no though to
the final good.
He lived, the legends say for a long time in a very ancient part
of Kilauea, on the large island of Hawaii, now separated by a
narrow ledge from the great crater and called Kilauea-iki (little
Kilauea). This seems to be the first and greatest of the number of
craters extending in a line from the great lake of fire in Kilauea to
the seacoast many miles away. They are called "The Pit Craters" because
they are not hills of lava, but a series of sunken pits going deep down
into the earth. Some of them still having blow-holes of sputtering
steam and smoke.
In the following story is a literal translation of the account
of Pele taking Kilauea:
"When Pele came to the island Hawaii, she first stopped at a place
called Ke-ahi-a-laka in the district of Puna. From this place she began
her inland journey tword the mountains. As she passed on her way there
grew within her an intense desire to go at once and see Ai-laau, the
god to whom kilauea belonged, and find a resting-place with him as the
end of the journey. She came up, but Ai-laau was not in his house. Of a
truth he made himself throughly lost. He had vanished because he knew
that this one coming toward him was Pele. He had seen her toiling down
by the sea at Ke-ahi-a-laka. Trembling dread and heavy fear overpowered
him. He ran away and was entirely lost. When Pele came to that pit she
laid out the plan for her abiding home, beginning at once to dig up the
foundations. She dug day and night and found that this place fulfilled
all her desires. Therefore, she fastened herself tight to Hawaii for
all time."
