W. D. Westervelt (1849–1939)

I have read numerous books on Hawaii mythology and history from the turn of the last century, and I've become jaded to the biased viewpoints of the time. I was delighted and surprised to find this book, available as a free download from the New York Public Library, was well-written, articulate, and academic in its approach to traditional Hawaiian stories and the science of geology. Indeed, the forward was written by T.A. Jaggar Jr, who the Volcanoes National Park museum is now named for. That raised my esteem right from the start.

The book keeps a tight focus on Pele, stories about Hawaiian volcanoes, and the actual scientific research then beginning on Kilauea. (At the time of the book's publication, MIT's volcano observatory had been in operation for five years.) This is a book written for a more discerning audience than the usual early 20th century mythology books with their trite references to 'poor primitives'; this book keeps a respectful tone throughout, and I get the sense that Westervelt was as fascinated by the land and its legends as I have been. The ad copy at the back even noted that Westerveldt's previous books had been reviewed in major newspapers like the New York Times.… (altro)

This story is of Hawaiian origin. In Maluae and the Underworld, by William D. Westervelt, Maluae is a great farmer, and he brings bananas as an offering to the gods daily. One day, his beloved, but lazy son takes the bananas from the altar and eats them. The gods kill the boy in their anger. When Maluae finds his son dead, he lies beside him and will neither eat nor drink, wishing only for death. The gods are frustrated, so they tell him that he may go to the Underworld and get the spirit of his boy and bring him back. They give him a magical sugar cane, which will offer him the power to fight off ghosts and also a place to put the soul of his boy. After a long battle, Maluae retrieves his son’s soul and brings it home. The two forever sacrifice to the gods very piously.
The motif of a magical gift here is two-fold. It offers sustenance, and is a container.
This is a story about forgiveness, and that is all well and good, but everyone but the Maluae seems self-centered. The son gorges himself on bananas like a little glutton, and the gods only save him because they want those bananas back. The only truly selfless character is Maluae, and he is willing to give up his life, then go on a journey for both selfish parties. I get the moral about selflessness and bravery, and even the symbolism of the sugar cane being the life’s blood of the Hawaiian Islands, but it still felt wrong. I would not recommend this tale to anyone.… (altro)