Lepeamoa

Have you heard the story of Lepeamoa? It’s a story that I’ve been studying lately from an old Hawaiian newspaper published 157 years ago and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Here’s a link to the first part of it if you want to read it for yourself.

The story is actually written for Lepeamoa’s brother, Kauilani, but it starts out all about her and how she comes into the world. Lepeamoa is born to Keahua and Kauhao on Kauai as an egg. Keahua’s mother, Kapalama hears of her granddaughter’s birth and travels with her husband, Honouliuli to Kauai to get the egg. She brings her granddaughter (the egg) back with her to the ahupuaa of Kapalama where she and her kane build a home for the egg. They make a great imu and fill it with uala for their grandchild. Some time passes and the egg hatches, revealing a beautiful, colorful chicken. This chicken upon hatching splits into a multitude of chickens of all different kinds and eats all the uala that was left for her.

The story continues on and I wish I didn’t have to summarize it because it is so interesting to read with all the details, but I wanted to share this part with you this week and an illustration of this part of the story that I’ve been working on.

Reading the story has really changed my view of chickens. Now when I see one I admire it! And my kids call all the chickens they see now “Lepeamoa!” Which is of course not possible, but I’m happy her name lives now on their lips.