Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes - Softcover

William D. Westervelt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0912180757 ISBN 13: 9780912180755

Publisher: Petroglyph Pr Ltd, 2016

Synopsis

The latest contribution of beloved artist Dietrich Varez to interpreting and illustrating stories from Hawaiian folklore is presented in Iwa, The Hawaiian Legend. When the fisherman Keaau, renowned for catching octopus, finds two beautiful and rare red cowry shells he thinks they must be a gift from the goddess Hina. After he fashions them into a lure, the octopus swarm to the magical shells and he gathers more than enough to feed his whole village. The bounty is short lived when chief Umi learns of the magical shell lure and demands to have it for himself. Thus begins the tale of how the boy-thief, Iwa, who exhibits the same thieving traits as his namesake, the Great Frigatebird, is invited to the island of Hawai'i to retrieve the precious lure. There he encounters the high chief Umi, famous historical ruler of Hawai i island, who puts Iwa s talents to the test. The rich imagery of Hawai'i s diverse environment, its sea life, plants and animals is depicted alongside Varez s interpretation of the human aspect of this classic tale.

About this title

About the Author:

One hundred years ago, William Drake Westervelt set into lyrical prose Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes. Reverend William Drake Westervelt was born in Oberlin, Ohio in 1849. He graduated from Oberlin College and then Oberlin Theological Seminary in 1874. After settling in Hawai i, he married Caroline Dickinson Castle, a missionary descendant. Starting in 1908, he served in various positions with the Hawaiian Historical Society. An amateur folklorist, Westervelt translated the myths from original Hawaiian language sources. He was writing in part to introduce a Western audience to these myths and legends. As a result, Westervelt s stories were often sanitized from the originals, in order to avoid shocking the sensibilities of his early 20th century readers. Despite that, he preserved much of the character of the original stories and his retellings reflect his genuine respect for the oral literature of the ancient Hawaiians. By recording them at a time when these tales were commonly shared, he preserved them for future generations. His lyrical and colorful writing style makes them a joy to read.

About this edition

• Publisher: Petroglyph Pr Ltd
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0912180757
• ISBN 13: 9780912180755
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 120
• Illustrator: Dietrich Varez