Dragons.
Lizards. Deities. Whatever word used to invoke them, mo‘o rank among
Hawai‘i’s most mysterious mythic creatures. They figure into the oldest
Hawaiian stories and are a key to a deep, nearly forgotten magic.
Most
mo‘o of legend are female, shapeshifters capable of appearing as
beautiful maidens or water dragons. They dwell in caves, pools, and
fishponds and are fierce guardians of freshwater sources. According to
nineteenth-century Hawaiian historian Samuel Kamakau, when fires were
lit on altars near their homes, the mo‘o would appear: twelve- to
thirty-foot-long reptiles, black as night, glistening in the water. “If
given a drink of awa,” he writes, “they would turn from side to side
like the keel of a canoe.”
Mo‘o are said to possess profound
powers: They are omniscient. They can manipulate weather. Even their
disembodied tongues and tails have potency. The more vicious among their
tribe have been known to summon giant waves to sweep trespassers from
trails, or drown victims in pits of poisonous phlegm. But not all mo‘o
are malevolent; many are beloved protectors who lend aid to their
devotees.
At one time, fishponds and pools throughout Hawai‘i had
stone markers signifying their resident mo‘o. Ancient Hawaiians
believed that if a mo‘o guardian received proper nurture, she would
respond in like manner, ensuring fat harvests and healthy stream flow.
But if she were neglected, she would wreak havoc. The underlying
philosophy was respect for the land — a basic tenet of Hawaiian culture.
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