Koiauka and Koiala'au were two kupua, or supernatural stones that could talk. One night these two kupua turned themselves into human beings during one of their conversations. They were discussing where they wished to be for the rest of their lives.

Koiauka said that he did not wish to be close to the ocean, so he was going to place himself up on dry land. Koiala'au said he would rather remain close to the ocean- and so the teasing began.

Koiala'au: "if you go way up on dry lanfd, the sun will shine on you and make you hot. The birds will mess all over you. The mo'o will crawl all over you and make you dirty.

Koiauka: "If you place yourself in the ocean, the limu will grow all over you, the ina will live in the cracks. The puhi will crawl inside you and the ocean will put dirt all over you.

This conversation went on and on for quite a while. According to legend, because they were kupua, they could not let the rays of the sun shine on them, or they would be turned to stone. But they became so engrossed in their conversation that the first rays of the sun touched Koiauka and he was immediately turned to stone. Since he was upland, he remains there todayin a grove of kiawe tree. Koialaa'u, upon seeing this happen, ran out of the water to help Koiauka, but he too was turned into stone. He was left on a cliff ledge where he stayed until the 1956 tsunami. at that time, he was swept off the ledge into the ocean where he wanted to be. The two of them may still be seen today.

[Legends of Ni'ihau Tava , Keale 1989 p.73-74.]

BACK TO TOP