The Hawaiian Islands have hosted bloody battles, witnessed ritual human sacrifices, and absorbed the bodies of countless dead into their soil. It’s really no wonder Hawaiians believe spirits are everywhere. Mysterious legends are a part of daily life and strange occurrences have been reported all throughout the Hawaiian Islands. If you do decide to visit any of these locations, as they say in Hawaii, “you may not believe, but you better respect.”
Beware The Night Marchers
The Night Marchers are the spirits of ancient warriors that roam the Hawaiian Islands at night, passing through whatever modern structure has been placed on their original path. Dressed and armed for battle. With their torches blazing, drums pounding, and chanting rising through the air, these souls are not to be interrupted. Locals will tell you to play dead, or lay flat at their feet in respect.
You must avoid eye contact with them. According to local lore, eye contact with one of these warriors will result in death! Only if you’re lucky enough to have an ancestor that recognizes you amongst them, will your life be spared.
One thing the Hawaiian people agree on (whether they’ve witnessed this phenomenon or not) is that the Night Marchers are real and it’s a bad omen to see them.
Banyan Trees Hold Lost Souls
Banyan trees litter the islands. Twisting both upward and downward at the same time, these trees are considered eternal like the human spirit. They are called “trees of the dead” by many Hawaiians. They are thought to contain lost spirits, once wandering ghosts who became tangled and are now harbored inside these trees.
A banyan said to echo otherworldly sounds, is located near the State Supreme Court. The sounds of children can be heard day and night. Whether or not any children were actually buried in the area is unconfirmed but in the 1800’s the land was home to an orphanage.
Another famous banyan tree is located at the beginning of the Monoa Falls Trail and it is said to be one of the locations the “Night Marchers” pass by. The sound of drumming and marching is often heard around this tree.
Swimming At Waimea Valley Falls Could Be Deadly
The Waimea Valley Falls is famous for its cliff diving show. Tourists are no longer allowed to swim in the lagoon today, only trained divers are allowed in the waters. Locals believe the waterfall and its’ surrounding lagoon are haunted by a drowning spirit. Every so often this entity will take a human sacrifice, drowning someone in the pond and keeping the body for the duration of the ritual.
In 1952, a sailor named Bill Lawrence drowned in that lagoon after diving from the falls. The friends swimming with him claimed to see his body come to the surface only to be pulled back down into the water. Authorities weren’t able to recover Lawrence’s body until the following day. That night the friends camped in the valley, they claimed to hear the sounds of someone or something running from the lagoon, into the woods and back again several times throughout the night.
Don’t Bring Pork Through The Nu’uanu Pali Tunnels
Any local will tell you to finish your pork before going through the tunnels of the Nu’uanu Pali Highway. It all started with the volcano demi-goddess Pele and her former lover, turned rival Kamapua’a, the half-man and half-pig demi-god. The couple agreed to split the island of Oahu in half and that tunnel marks the perimeter of each spirit’s assigned stomping ground. Today it is a common belief on the island, that if someone tries to bring pork (which is symbolic of Kamapua’a) into Pele’s side of the island she will stop you. Many have reported car trouble; their vehicles just stop working for no apparent reason and then start up again instantly only after the pork has been thrown out.
Spirits Roam The Halls In Iolani Palace
One of the most famous historical landmarks open to tourists on Oahu is the Iolani Palace. Visitors should prepare themselves for the possibility of a ghostly encounter while on the property. Reports of footsteps, strange odors and voices are common, as are glimpses of dark shadowy figures.
Long ago, a Hawaiian prince was punished by the method of “water dunking” and later died of pneumonia as a result. Now, wet footprints appear in the palace halls and they are believed to belong to the spirit of the prince.
Outside of the palace is a fountain with stairs beneath it. This is where a mysterious woman in white is said to lurk. She hides beneath the fountain until nightfall, then roams the grounds crying out and startling anyone who crosses her path.
The Menehune Are Mischievous Tricksters
The Menehune are said to be the displaced, original settlers of Hawaii. They are described as tiny, mischievous beings with similar characteristic to Leprechauns. Legend has it, that these tiny creatures – some no bigger than six inches – are responsible for building great temples, roads, houses, and even the famous Alekoko Fishpond. According to legend, they constructed these masterpieces overnight so as not to be seen by humans eyes.
It is still believed today that they scamper through the forests and play tricks on humans. Although their antics seem harmless enough, it is said those who catch them in the act of building will be turned to stone.
The Legend of The Choking Ghost
The people in the central region of Oahu seem to share a common phenomenon they attribute to an entity they call The Choking Ghost. Oddly enough, the old Kakaako Station of the Honolulu Fire Department is most frequently visited by this aggressive presence.
Many firemen have felt the sensation of someone sitting on their chests and choking them in the middle of the night. Since the encounters are brief and no one in the firehouse has died, they classify the ghosts as kolohe spirits. This spirit-type is a mischievous ghost or prankster that is just trying to get a rise out of the living. Today this location is popular for supernatural enthusiasts, as many spirit orbs have been captured in photographs here.
Don’t Take Lava Rock Off the Island
It is believed the Volcano Goddess Pele curses those who take her lava from its rightful home. Bad luck will follow those who don’t head the warning until they return the elements. Hundreds of packages containing rocks and other natural elements are sent back to the islands every year from tourists who flew back to the mainland with these items, only to have misfortune come their way.
The Shark Man Dwells in the Kaneana Cave
Many cultures have legends of shapeshifters. In Hawaii, they believe in the shark-man that dwells in the Kaneana Cave near Makua beach. The Shark-Man is named Nanaue is said to be the offspring of the shark king and a beautiful woman named Kalei that lived in Waipio Valley.
His human mother tried to prevent his animalistic nature by keeping him away from meat in childhood. Once he came of age and was taken to dine with the men, his insatiable hunger for flesh was born and mere pig’s meat was not enough to satisfy him. Eventually, his ability to shape-shift was witnessed by locals and he was caught in his shark-form and beaten to death. The people then brought him up on shore while chanting over his body. They cut him to pieces and then burned his body for fear of its’ healing powers.
Legend has it, his presence is still at work in the Kaneana Cave. The cave has a passage within its depths, that leads straight to the sea and that is how he captures human victims, dragging them through the cave to devour them.
There is a Portal Between Worlds at Ka’ena Point
Ka’ena Point is known as the “jumping off” place (but only if you’re already dead). It’s certainly not the ideal swimming location, its shore is rocky and its currents are dangerous. Hawaiians believe when someone dies their uhane or soul, must find a jumping off point between worlds in order to move on and Ka’ena Point is apparently one of those portals. It’s when the uhane gets lost and doesn’t make that leap into the next realm that it haunts the island.
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