The Shark-Man Nanue
Folklore and Myths
Chapter 1
It is a common belief that the shark gods of the coast can assume any shape they choose, even the human form when occasion demands. Kamohoalii, the King of Sharks was no exception. On these same coasts lived a woman by the name of Kalei, who was an expert swimmer, a good diver, and noted for the neatness and grace with which she would lelekawa (jump from the rocks into deep water) without splashing, which only the most skillful divers could master. She was also very fond of shell fish — so fond that she would venture for them on her own when the seas were too rough for her friends.
Kamohoalii often visited the area from which Kalei sought her treats, and the moment he saw her ease in the water, his heart (or whatever answers in the place of it with fishes) had been captured. One day, when Kalei was swimming for shell fish alone, the waters were unusually treacherous. Just as she was preparing to grasp her prey, she found herself captured in a large wave that almost drowned her, and if not for the prompt, effective assistance rendered by a handsome stranger, she would have been swept out to sea. Kalei and the stranger visited each other often after her rescue, and soon they were wed.
Chapter 2
Some little time before Kalei expected to become a mother, her husband, who would only come home at night, confessed his true nature. As the King of Sharks, he told her that he would have to return to the sea because of his duties to his people, but that he would always be near and gave directions on how to raise their future child. He particularly cautioned the mother to never let their child eat the flesh of an animal of any kind, as he would be born with a dual nature, and with a body that he could change at will.
Kalei told her family what her husband was, the instructions he’d given, and they agreed to keep secret. In time Kalei delivered a healthy boy named Nanaue, who was the same as any other child but for the shark’s mouth on his back. Under the family’s guidance, the boy thrived, growing strong, big, and handsome, if not a little odd to others in his tribe. For instance, he never went bathing in public or played with the other children and became known for the kihei, or mantle, he always wore on his shoulders despite the warm weather. All of these were encouraged by his family, who dutifully obeyed the Shark King’s wishes. But unbeknownst to them, Kalei’s father, desiring his grandson to become a famous warrior, had begun to secretly feed him dog meat and pork against Kamohoalii’s wishes.
Chapter 3
As he grew older the man in the kihei also began to be known for his loyal diligence, as he was always working on his mother’s taro or potato patch enroute to the sea beach when not fishing or bathing alone. It was Nanaue’s habit to accost those headed to the beach of where they were going. If they answered, “To bathe in the sea,” or “Fishing,” he would answer, “Take care or you may disappear head and tail.” And Nanaue was never wrong because those who went alone would never be seen again. The shark-man would secretly follow them into the water, approaching closely in his human form before changing into a shark and dragging his prey down into the deep waters where he would devour them at his leisure. This was the danger that his father Kamohoalii had foreseen. The appetite for flesh, indulged in childhood, had grown so strong that his mother’s kind was the closest that could come to satisfying it. But even that would not end the hunger.
Chapter 4
Of course, Nanaue’s true intentions were not known at the time. Instead, his reputable agility and diligence began to spread, all the way to the ears of King Umi, who admired the bold, free bearing of the handsome man. Nanaue began toiling the king’s fields, proving himself a good worker as predicted, but one who still kept on a kihei. The oddity was of little importance to the king, who began to envision a successful warrior in his new worker, one possibly able to handle whatever was causing so many of his citizens to disappear. A fellow worker had less vision though. Curious about the clothing, he sought to remove it, revealing Nanaue’s hidden shark mouth to everyone near. Enraged, Nanaue fought, injured, and bit several in the crowd before being subdued. The people quickly concluded that he was the one behind the disappearances, and king, understanding Nanaue’s nature, ordered a large fire to be lighted to burn Nanaue alive. But before they were able to, Nanaue broke free, escaping into the pool that emptied into the sea.
Chapter 5
Kalei and her relatives were not so fortunate. They were seized, bound, and dragged before King Umi as the people clamored for their execution as punishment for giving life to such a monster. But Umi was a wise king and would not allow it. Instead, he questioned Kalei, who confessed her son’s lineage. Umi knew that if his family was killed, there would be no way to check the ravages of the Shark God’s son, who could linger on the coast in wait for more prey and that his actions were contrary to Kamohoalii’s design. Umi therefore ordered the family to be freed, while the priests and shark kahunas were requested in hopes that Kamohoalii’s spirit might commune with them to offer guidance.
The Shark God did so and expressed his grief at the action of his wayward son. They were not his child’s choosing but a direct result of his dead grandfather’s negligence. If not for that, he said he would order his son to be killed by his own shark officers, but as it was, he would require him to be banished from the shores of Hawaii. Then, retaining affection for his wife, Kamohoalii exacted a promise that Kalei and her relatives were to be free from the persecutions of their son. From now on, Nanaue would be responsible for his own actions.
Chapter 6
Accordingly, Nanaue left the coasts of Hawaii for other islands in search of new life. He would tell passersby that he was a traveller, and because he was so good looking, pleasant, and beguiling in his conversation, people generally liked him. Eventually he married a chief’s sister, and her charms were enough to prevent him from trying to eat human beings. After a while though, the all encompassing desire for another kind of flesh resurfaced and he returned to his old practices. Only this time, instead of passively waiting for his prey to come to him, he went so far as to push people into the waters in order to eat them. The escalation continued until his nature was discovered by the people, upon which he would flee to a new island to find another life, inevitably beginning the cycle again.
Chapter 7
This endless cycle would eventually come to an end though. On Molokai at Poniuohua, all fishing and livelihood had ceased. The frightened and harassed people in desperation went to consult a shark kahuna for guidance from Kamohaolii about the ravenous man-eating shark that plagued their waters. Kamohaolii knew who was responsible and what must finally be done. He told the people to lie in wait for Nanaue, and the next time his son prophesied that a person would be eaten “head and tail” to have the strong men seize him and pull off his kapa mantle where they would see a shark mouth on his back.
The people did as told, and obeying the saddened father’s orders, collected brush and firewood to burn their cannibal captive shortly after the next attack. As they left to find fagots and brush, the tide came in, allowing Nanaue the chance to reach water and change into a shark. The people who remained guard were determined to not let him get away this time, throwing netting makai into the shallow waters to hold him in place while they struck him with clubs, spears, stone adzes, and anything that would hurt or wound to prevent his escape. They even called on the demigod Unauna, who lived in the mountains to assist. With their combined efforts Nanaue was eventually conquered and hauled up the hill slopes of Kainalu to be burnt. The monster had been killed, and Nanaue’s hunger had finally been ceased, but the heavy ghost of his presence remains in the hills of the islands and the unique bamboo of the groves to this day.