The Mysteries of the Menehune Ditch
– Kauai, Hawaii
“There is an ancient Hawaiian tradition and narrative that until a great flood destroyed it, there was a vast Pacific continent that included all of what is now Polynesia and Fiji. The flood covered the lowlands of the continent and left exposed the highlands, which became islands; then the ocean filled the lowlands permanently.”
~Katherine Luomala in “The Menehune of Polynesia and Other Mythical Little People of Oceania” (2013).
The Menehune myths are best known in Hawaii and throughout Polynesia, where they are similarly called the Manahune or Manaune.
The Menehune are considered to be the original inhabitants of the Hawaiian islands, who work only at night and are invisible during the day. They lived primarily in Kailua, Pauoa, Puowaina, Kaimuki, and Waolani. Also, if their work is not completed by dawn, it will be abandoned that same night.
The Menehune live in highland forests, remote valleys, and on mountainsides and only come down at night. They are described as two or three feet tall, thick, and hairy; in addition, they are unpleasant to look at, though they are not angry or mean. Their laughter carries far, but their language is described as growls.
The Menehune are master builders of sacred sites, mirroring the Lemurian cities beneath Mount Shasta.
Further Reading
Katharine Luomala, The Menehune of Polynesia and Other Mythical Little People of Oceania, Amazon