Ka'u is the largest district on the largest island in Hawai'i. It lies on the sprawling slope of the shield volcano Mauna Loa, which in winter often wears coat of snow upon its perfectly curved summit. Along its slope and standing guard over the heartland of Ka'u are the beloved "power mountains:" Ka`iholena, Makanau, Pu`u Iki, Maka`alia, Pu`u One, Pakua, Wailau, Ka`umaikeohu,among others. They are remnants of the ancient volcano Ninole. In terms of size they are not imposing - over-grown hills really -, but they have a enignmatic presence about them. Their sheer slopes, strange shapes make them, quite clearly, wao akua, realm of the gods. They also harbor some of the best preserved native forests in the district. Even the pig-hunters respect the mountains, and try not to wander on their slopes after dark. Having heard many a story of the spirits - nightmarchers, shape-changers, and obake - in childhood, a mountain is not just a mountain.
Each of the power mountains has its legends. My daughter learnt them from her grandmother while still in pre-school. Makanau, the flat-topped mountain, was where the cruel chief was crushed to death by a great log that he had forced his people to drag up the mountain. Wailau is the mountain where the sweet potato demi-god lived and died. Ka`iholena is where Kumauna, the ancient traveler from Kahiki, planted bananas and was courted by Pele, who turned him into a great stone in her wrath.
