Battle of the Owls

The following is a fair specimen of the animal myths current in ancient Hawaii, and illustrates the place held by the owl in Hawaiian mythology.

次の話は、古のハワイに伝わっていた動物の神話のよい見本であり、ハワイ神話において梟の占めていた地位を示している。

There lived a man named Kapoi, at Kahehuna, in Honolulu, who went one day to Kewalo to get some thatching for his house. On his way back he found some owl's eggs, which he gathered together and brought home with him. In the evening he wrapped them in ti leaves and was about to roast them in hot ashes, when an owl perched on the fence which surrounded his house and called out to him, "O Kapoi, give me my eggs!"

ホノルルのカヘフナに、カポイという男が住んでいた。ある日、カポイは家の屋根を葺く草を取りにケワロへ出かけた。帰る途中、梟の卵を見つけたので、それを拾い集めて家に持ち帰った。夕方、卵をティの葉で包んで熱い灰で焼こうとしていると、家を囲む垣根に一羽の梟がとまって呼びかけた。「おおカポイ、わたしの卵を返しておくれ!」

Kapoi asked the owl, "How many eggs had you?"

カポイは梟に尋ねた。「おまえの卵はいくつあったのだ?」

"Seven eggs," replied the owl.

「七つです」と梟は答えた。

Kapoi then said, "Well, I wish to roast these eggs for my supper."

するとカポイは言った。「さて、わしはこの卵を夕飯に焼きたいのだがな」

The owl asked the second time for its eggs, and was answered by Kapoi in the same manner. Then said the owl, "O heartless Kapoi! why don't you take pity on me? Give me my eggs."

梟は二度目に卵を返してくれと頼んだが、カポイは同じように答えた。すると梟は言った。「おお、無情なカポイよ!なぜわたしを憐れんでくれないのですか。わたしの卵を返しておくれ」

Kapoi then told the owl to come and take them.

そこでカポイは梟に、来て持っていくがいいと言った。

The owl, having got the eggs, told Kapoi to build up a heiau, or temple, and instructed him to make an altar and call the temple by the name of Manua. Kapoi built the temple as directed; set kapu days for its dedication, and placed the customary sacrifice on the altar.

卵を取り戻すと、梟はカポイに、ヘイアウ、つまり神殿を建てるように言い、祭壇を作ってその神殿をマヌアと名づけるよう教えた。カポイは言われたとおりに神殿を建て、奉献のためのカプの日を定めて、しきたりどおりの供え物を祭壇に置いた。

News spread to the hearing of Kakuihewa, who was then King of Oahu, living at the time at Waikiki, that a certain man had kapued certain days for his heiau, and had already dedicated it. This King had made a law that whoever among his people should erect a heiau and kapu the same before the King had his temple kapued, that man should pay the penalty of death. Kapoi was thereupon seized, by the King's orders, and led to the heiau of Kupalaha, at Waikiki.

ある男が自分のヘイアウのためにカプの日を定め、すでに奉献してしまったという知らせが広まり、そのころワイキキに住んでいたオアフの王カクイヘワの耳に入った。この王は、民のうち誰であれヘイアウを建て、王が自分の神殿をカプにする前にそれをカプにした者は死をもって償うべしという掟を定めていた。そこでカポイは王の命令で捕らえられ、ワイキキのクパラハのヘイアウへ引き立てられた。

That same day, the owl that had told Kapoi to erect a temple gathered all the owls from Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Hawaii to one place at Kalapueo. [9] All those from the Koolau districts were assembled at Kanoniakapueo, [10] and those from Kauai and Niihau at Pueohulunui, near Moanalua.

その同じ日、カポイに神殿を建てるように言った梟は、ラナイ、マウイ、モロカイ、ハワイの梟たちを一か所、カラプエオに集めた。[9] コオラウの地方の梟たちはみなカノニアカプエオに集まり、[10] カウアイとニイハウの梟たちはモアナルアに近いプエオフルヌイに集まった。

It was decided by the King that Kapoi should be put to death on the day of Kane. [11] When that day came, at daybreak the owls left their places of rendezvous and covered the whole sky over Honolulu; and as the King's servants seized Kapoi to put him to death, the owls flew at them, pecking them with their beaks and scratching them with their claws. Then and there was fought the battle between Kakuihewa's people and the owls. At last the owls conquered, and Kapoi was released, the King acknowledging that his Akua (god) was a powerful one. From that time the owl has been recognized as one of the many deities venerated by the Hawaiian people.

王は、カポイをカネの日[11]に死刑にすると決めた。その日が来ると、夜明けに梟たちは集まっていた場所を飛び立ち、ホノルルの空をすっかり覆った。王の家来たちがカポイを殺そうと捕らえたとき、梟たちはくちばしでつつき、爪でひっかいて家来たちに襲いかかった。こうしてその場で、カクイヘワの民と梟たちとの戦いが繰り広げられた。ついに梟たちが勝ち、カポイは放免された。王は、カポイのアクア(神)が力ある神であることを認めた。そのとき以来、梟はハワイの人々が崇める数多くの神々の一つとして認められている。