Hawaiian Legends of Tricksters and Riddlers

by Vivian L. Thompson, Sylvie Selig (Illustrator)

From coverTricksters and riddlers are found among the oldest and least-known legends of Hawaii -- from earliest times when man became a trickster to survive; from later times when he became a riddler to win a place for himself.The first voyagers to Hawaii saw land and sea filled with evil spirits that had to be overcome by tricker, such a s the accomplished wily fishermen in "The Flying Spirits of Niihau," by clever young Ka-ulu in "The Weary Spirits of Lanai," and by the other lively trickster heroes whose exploits are included here.As Hawaiia civilization advanced, stress was placed on mental as well as physical skills, and riddling became a highly developed art. Contests were conducted by definite rules, and a man might risk all his possessions, even his life -- as related in the suspenseful tales of "A Chiefess and a Riddle" and "Riddler on the Hill."Vivian Thompson has selected these 12 legends from Hawaii's colorful body of folklore and has skillfully retold these for today's readers.

104 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5/5. Some stories were fun, but compared to many other collections of myths and legends that I have read, this collection wasn't that fun or exciting. These tricksters are very, very mild compared to Norse or even Greek myths. I'm pretty new to Hawaiian folklore, and I'm still glad I read this quick volume. However, I'm left wondering if there are some other stories that were cut as inappropriate for an audience of children.

[Michael Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Jaide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always fun to come across folktales far outside the usual fare. I’m really intrigued by Hog Child (Kamapua’a) now, and I’ll have to look up more legends concerning him.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real treat. I knew a lot of other mythologies from personal interest and college classes, but we never touched on Hawaiian tales.