The Journey of Hiʻiaka: A Play for Nā Pōkiʻi!

Every summer, I get to help out with the summer camps at the Hula halau here in Eugene. This time we're going to attempt a PLAY-- a dramatic enactment of Hi'iaka's epic journey across the islands to bring Lohi'au back for Pele. It's one of the most astonishing, beautiful, complex epics EVER. Here's the much reduced script I put together for 7 year olds. Enjoy!

Hana Keʻaka: Pele and Hiʻiaka

A Play By Rebecca Stevenson

Based on the epic adventure of Ka Huakaʻi o Hiʻiakaikapoliopele

Pele and Hiiaka: A Myth from Hawaii

The Epic Tale of Hiiakaikapoliopele – UH Press

For Halau Hula o Nā Pua o Hawaiʻi Nei, Summer Camp 2024

Dramatis Personae:

NARRATOR: knows all; sees all.

PELE, fiery goddess of the lua o Kilauea

LOHIAU, the man of Pele’s dreams, from Kauai, dies a lot.

MOB: Friends of Pele

HIʻIAKA, her sister

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO , the Green Woman: Pele and Hiʻiaka’s friend

PAPULEHU, a rich princess, also a slob

HOPOE, Hiʻiakaʻs sweetie

PANAʻEWA, an evil moʻo shapeshifter

MOB: Moʻo shapeshifter cannibals

MAKAUKIU: a giant shark who eats sticks for some reason

ʻOLEPAUu: unwelcoming chief in Maui

MOB: Women of Molokai

MOʻO OF MOLOKAʻI: bridge-tongue man-eater

MOB OF ROCKS: left by Maui and very helpful

LOHIAU’S FRIEND: likes playing cards

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi:

E Aloha! ………………hello!

ʻAue! …………...………Oh no!

E Kōkua mai! …………Help me!

ʻAʻole! …………..………No!

ʻAe ……………..………Yes

Hiki nō! ………..………I can do it!

E hele kākou! …………Let’s go!

Hūhū ……………………ANGRY

ʻOno……………………..delicious

E hanu hā ………………breathe deep

E kala mai ………………sorry

Pipi holo ka ʻao! ………The end!

E kali ʻiki…………………Wait a bit
ʻAʻole pilikia!…………… No problem!

Hana Keʻaka: Pele and Hiʻiaka

Scene 1: Kilauea

NARRATOR: Long ago, the fire goddess Pele lived in her fiery pit Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.

PELE: E aloha! I just had the best dream! I went to Kauaʻi and fell in love with Lohiʻau!!!

(From far away, Lohiʻau waves at her)

HIʻIAKA and FRIENDS, unhappily: Aue!!!!

PELE: Who wants to go ALL the way across the islands of Hawaii and get him for me? Help me, guys! E Kōkua mai!

FRIENDS, shaking their heads: ʻAʻole, ʻaʻole, ʻaʻole!! 

PELE: Okay, Hiʻiaka you go! 

HIʻIAKA: ʻAe, hiki nō! Okay, I'll go! BUT!!!! You have to take care of my sweetie Hōpoe and her red lehua trees!

HŌPOE, waves at Hiʻiaka.

PELE: ʻAe, hiki nō! Take Green Woman Wahineʻōmaʻo and Princess Papulehu. You all have my protection! 

(gives them her protection)

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO and PAPULEHU and HIʻIAKA: ʻAe! E hele kākou!

PELE: PS You have to come back in 40 days or Iʻll be VERY VERY hūhū!!!!

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Wait, what did she say?

Scene 2: Papulehu’s House

NARRATOR: The three friends started the long journey from the Big Island to Kauai. They stopped at Princess Papulehuʻs house for a feast.

PAPULEHU: Yum, yum, yum! ʻOno, ʻono, ʻono!! (Eats like a slob and throws pieces of fish everywhere.)

PELE, from the side: Um, ew??? You Pilau! (takes back her protection)

PAPULEHU: Meh, I probably won’t need that.

Scene 3: Battle with Panaʻewa

NARRATOR: The friends went to Puna, to the land of a cannibal shapeshifter named Panaʻewa. She was a moʻo.

PANAʻEWA: I eat eyeballs!!!  ʻOno, ʻono, ʻono!!

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Your voice is big but that’s all you’ve got!! 

PAPULEHU: Youʻve made us hūhū!!!! We’re gonna whack you with our sticks!! 

NARRATOR: They battled Panaʻewa and her moʻo army. 

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Good thing we had Pele’s protection!

PAPULEHU: ‘Aue.

NARRATOR: Unfortunately, Papulehu got eaten like a slob.

MOʻO ARMY: ʻOno, ʻono, ʻono!!

PELE, off to the side: You could have avoided that.

Scene 4: Don’t swim to Maui 

NARRATOR: It was time to cross the ocean to Maui.

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Let’s swim!

HIʻIAKA: No, thereʻs sharks.

SHARK: E, aloha.

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: No thereʻs not!

HIʻIAKA: Yes there is, see? It’s eating my stick

SHARK: E nānā mai. Iʻm literally right here. (nom nom nom)

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Aue!!!!

(They fight the shark)

Scene 5: ‘Olepau on Maui

NARRATOR: The friends went to Maui.

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Wow, Iʻm tired and hungry. I sure hope my old friend ʻOlepau welcomes us. E kōkua mai!

ʻOLEPAU: Go away. Iʻm taking a nap.

HIʻIAKA: What? Rude! Thatʻs it, Iʻm hūhū! Iʻm going to squish your spirit while you dream.

ʻOLEPAU: Aue!!!!

Scene 6: Man-Eating Molokaʻi Moʻo

NARRATOR: The friends went to windy Molokaʻi.

(The friends walk normally)

NARRATOR: Eh hem. WINDY Molokaʻi.

(The friends walk against the wind)

WOMEN OF MOLOKAI: Aue, Aue! The moʻo ate our husbands! E kōkua mai!

MOʻO OF MOLOKAʻI: HaHA!! E nānā mai. I turn my tongue into a bridge and eat all the men!

HIʻIAKA and WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Thatʻs gross!! Weʻre hūhū! Letʻs fight!!

(They fight the moʻo)

Scene 7: The Stones

NARRATOR: At last they were ready to go to Kauaʻi, but they had no boat, so they prayed to the stones. Take a deep breath. E hanu hā. 

ALL, inhale and exhale.

HIʻIAKA:  E Aloha stones! E Kōkua mai!

STONES: Here you go! 

(A canoe appears)

HIʻIAKA and WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: E hele kākou!

Scene 8: Kauaʻi

NARRATOR: Sadly, when they got to Kauaʻi, Lohiau was DEAD! 

EVERYONE: ʻAue!!!

PELE, from far away: WAIT WHAT?? E kali ʻiki??

HIʻIAKA: ʻAʻole pilikia! No problem! I’ll just bring him back to life!

LOHIAU: E Aloha!

HIʻIAKA: We’re here to take you back to my sister Pele!

LOHIʻAU: Uhhhh, okay, sheʻs the fire goddess, right? Iʻm not going to die again, am I? Is that safe or…..

HIʻIAKA and WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: ….

Scene 9: Traveling back

NARRATOR: …..Anyway! They traveled back to Kilauea. But it took a long time.

PELE, from far away: EH HEM, I said be back within 40 days or else I’d get very very hūhū!

LOHIAU: Hey can we stop for a minute? I'm pretty tired, and also I'd like to play cards with my friend here.

LOHIAU’S FRIEND: E Aloha.

Scene 10: Kilauea

PELE: Okaaay that's it, now I’m hūhū LŌLOA.

(She burns up Hopoe’s forest)

HIʻIAKA, coming back to Kilauea with FRIENDS and LOHIʻAU: Alright, it took a little longer than we thought, but we're back now. I can’t wait to see Hōpoe and her grove of red lehua trees again! 

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Aue!! The trees are all burned down and Hōpoe is gone!!

HIʻIAKA: Pele!!!!!!!! What did you do???????

PELE: You took too long!!!!!!!

NARRATOR: And Pele blasted them all with lava!! And Hiʻiaka was so mad, she flooded the volcano!

POLIʻAHU: Aue, Iʻm dead again.

WAHINEʻŌMAʻO: Woah woah woah. Donʻt be so hūhū. Everyone take a deep breath.  E hanu hā.

(EVERYONE: inhale, exhale.)

PELE: E kala mai, I‘m sorry.

HIʻIAKA: E kala mai, I’m sorry too.

(They hug.)

HIʻIAKA: Oh, yeah. E kala mai Lohiʻau!

LOHIʻAU: Phew. E aloha!

NARRATOR: Through this epic adventure, Hiʻiaka learned who she truly is. 

PELE: I bring fire and lava, and I create new land. 

HIʻIAKA: And I follow her to heal the land.

ALL: Pipi holo ka ʻao! (toot toot!)