Hawaiian Historical Legends

by William Drake Westervelt

This is the last of Westervelt's six books of Hawaiian lore. Starting in mythological times, and retelling some of the migration legends, the book primarily focuses on the period of European contact, Hawaiian Historical Legends is of interest for anyone studying encounters between cultures, particularly where one of the cultures has a technological advantage. The core of the book is set against the background of consolidation of political authority in the islands (which was already underway before contact), the fall of the old tapu-bound absolute rule of the chiefs and the priests, and finally the emergence of modern Hawaiian civil culture. Of particular interest are Westervelt's speculations on early contacts, not only between the Hawaiians and the Europeans, but other Pacific rim cultures such as the Chinese, Japanese and Native Americans.

About Author:

William Drake Westervelt (1849 - 1939)
William Drake Westervelt (b.Dec 26 1849 - d. Mar 9 1939) is the author of several books and magazines on Hawaiian history and legends. He drew upon the collections of David Malo, Samuel M. Kamakau, and Abraham Fornander to popularize Hawaiian folklore in his Legends of Maui (1910), Legends of Old Honolulu (1915), Legends of Gods and Ghost-Gods (1915), Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes (1916) and Hawaiian Historical Legends (1923).

Genres: History, Mythology, Short Stories, Folklore, Nonfiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

William Drake Westervelt was the author of several books and magazines on Hawaiian history and legends. He drew upon the collections of David Malo, Samuel Kamakau, and Abraham Fornander to popularize Hawaiian folklore

Reviews

[Graham Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written nearly 35 years after King Kalākaua's The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, Westervelt writes more short articles on the legends but shifts to more historical topics in the last third of the book. A good companion to Legends and Myths with an updated writing style. However, neither are written in a modern, dramatic flair. But they are good introductions for anyone traveling to the islands.

[Laura]

Very much a product of late 1800s western society, but it contains interesting stories as long as you keep the lense in mind. I didn't enjoy some of the author's interpretations of historical events or the condescending tone but I hadn't encountered some of the stories before.

[Barry H. Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything by Westerveldt is worth examining closely. This collection of Hawai'ian legends, some well known, is worth the time.

[Lei · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, most of these legends are well know but it was nice to know about the untold tales of Hawaii.
Mahalo!