The document discusses the definition and nature of myths. It defines myth as a traditional story that serves to explain aspects of a culture's worldview, practices, or beliefs. It then focuses on defining Hawaiian myths, called kaao, as traditional stories that unfolded the Hawaiian worldview and explained cultural practices and beliefs, including their interactions with akua (deities/spirits). The document outlines that kaao stories, like myths around the world, documented humanity's experiences over generations and were a way to understand how to successfully live in a given environment. It describes how kaao stories typically follow a ritual structure of a catalyst (hua), separation (haalale), journey (huakai), and

1. What is Myth?
HWST 104 Hawaii Myth Culture
© 2011 Kuulei Higashi Kanahele

2. What is Myth?
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ defines
myth as …

3. What is Myth?
Definition of MYTH
1a : a usually traditional story of ostensibly
historical events that serves to unfold part of the
world view of a people or explain a practice,
belief, or natural phenomenon

4. What is Hawaiian Myth?
Definition of MYTH
1a : a Hawaiian traditional story of ostensibly
historical events that serves to unfold part of the
Hawaiian world view of a people or to explain a
practice, belief, or natural phenomenon

5. What is a Natural Phenomenon?

6. What is a Natural Phenomenon?

7. What is a Natural Phenomenon?

8. What is a Natural Phenomenon?

9. What is Hawaiian Myth?
Definition of MYTH
1a : a Hawaiian traditional story of historical
events that serves to unfold part of the Hawaiian
world view to explain a practice, belief, or the
akua.

10. Myth Defined

11. Kaao

12. Kaao has, like all myths of the world, its genesis
in the very dark memories of the mind.

13. For generations upon
generations, from the
time of our remotest
ancestor, kaao has
documented the
experiences of humanity
and our interaction with
akua.

14. Kaao has given us clues on living successfully in
a given geography.

15. In today's society of
analytics, fact, and
absolutism, kaao is more
often than not seen as a
fairy tale – something cute
to be told to our children.

16. But kaao continues because everyone still
consciously and unconsciously follows the
paradigm of kaao, for kaao deals with the
thinking (analytical) mind and the feeling
(ancestral) mind.

17. The analytical mind belongs to YOU –
stemming from your biography, the
experiences of your physical life.
To understand kaao is to first
understand that we are a composite of
ancestors, a physical archive to all
their perspectives.

18. Once you are in touch with
your analytical mind, then the
images of myth will speak to
your ancestral mind with
patterns, sounds, textures, and
taste that will feed a unique
message to you. Everyone’s
message is unique.

19. PIPI HOLO KAAO

20. RITUAL
The first pattern giving form to myth is that of
ritual. Ritual is recovering sacred identity. Ritual
is connecting to the cosmos and eternity.

21. Zones toward Ritual
Ritual is not hard to understand, although it is
often communicated in esoteric images, patterns,
and cycles. Ritual in kaao is easily identified in
four phases:

22. 1. Hua / Catalyst
2. Haalale / Separation
3. Huakai / Journey
4. Hoi / Return

23. Hua /Catalyst
The Hua launches the
entire myth.

24. Haalele / Separation
Haalele requires that the individual separates to
embark on the next threshold …

25. Huakai / Journey
The Huakai is often
violent and graphic.

26. It is during the Huakai that you are introduced to your internal demons and monsters
are transposed on the landscape of your journey.
And it is here where strengths are honed to balance off the deepest and cruelest fears
that whisper against every reason to continue the journey.

27. Fears
Stop, think about what you’re doing …
You are not ready yet …
You are too young and inexperienced …
You will die …

28. Death

29. In myth, death is sometimes communicated in
the symbol of resurrection:

30. The most violent image is dismemberment … an
image that communicates the uselessness of the
physical body in the rise to spiritual awareness.
This is the huakai.

31. … which leads to the final
leg of the ritual …
the crossroad.

32. Do I return to society?
Do I leave society?

33. Hoi / Return
The hoi is the struggle of reintegrating back into society
and all of its limitations after experiencing the huakai.
At this point, the decision to hoi and integrate or turn
away into the setting sun and escape social internment is
waged – the final battle, one might say.

34. The person heading into the
sunset awaits deification, as
the sun will sink into the
sea of death and rise up on
the sea of life.
This is the apotheosis.

35. The person returning to society is a
hero. S/he ventured into the depths of
the haunted forest, beyond the
horizons of society, and has returned
home profoundly changed.
Being near this hero brings hope to
lethargic individuals and societies.

36. This hero becomes the
living image of every
person’s secret call to rise
and reclaim his dormant
potential for living in a
greater world.
This is the hoi.