Menehune
So, I really wanted to showcase something from Hawaii since I wasn’t seeing a lot show up in searches. This is mythology and folklore more than cryptozoology though. It should still count as far as I’m concerned.
The Menehune are dwarves who live in the wilderness of the Hawaiian islands. They do their best to stay away from human settlements. At the very least, they don’t want to be seen even though they leave evidence of their existence. In terms of size, stories have them as either two feet or 6 inches tall. Some believe they are actually an adopted version of the European brownies due to them not existing until after contact. The only problem here is that they supposedly had only oral traditions before Europeans showed up to do what they always do.
A big thing that the Menehune did was crafted impressive structures overnight such as ponds, temples, and houses. For example, it is said that they created the Kikiaola, which is an irrigation ditch connected to the Waimea River on Kauai. It is said that they have to finish before sunrise or they will have to abandon their creation unfinished. Another variation had it that they will continue working every night unless they are discovered by a person.
One story with these beings and their work involves the Alekoko Fishpond, which is about 1,000 years old. They only worked at night and were promised by the royal family that nobody would watch them work. This structure was for a princess and her brother, who decided to sneak out to watch them one night. The pair fell asleep and were discovered, so the Menehune turned them into two stone pillars that you can find there today. The fishpond was left unfinished as well, but the two gaps were filled in later by Chinese settlers. You can still see the difference in construction.
There are many other additions to the Menehune legend, which comes from different regions:
- Their favorite foods are bananas and fish.
- They love dancing and archery. One story says they will shoot a magic arrow into the heart of an angry person to make them feel love.
- One origin story has them come from a floating city called. Kuaihelani. Their home came close to one of the Hawaiian islands, so a bunch jumped off to explore or make a settlement.
- Another has the sorcerer named Kahano-a-Newa brought them over by stretching out his hand to the outskirts of the world. They walked over to inhabit several islands.
- A third origin tale has them coming over from a flooded continent along with the Mu and Wa, which they wiped out. They would then intermingle with the native Hawaiians until they were driven away.
A theory about who they really are says the Menehune were the original inhabitants of the Hawaiian islands from long ago. They left these structures and the oral traditions eventually phased them into a more legendary status. It’s entirely possible given how much history has been lost over time. What do you think?
Legends of Windemere 
I’ve heard of them. I can’t remember if they were listed in a book someone gave me on world mythology or not. The creatures Maui and Moana fought in the first Moana movie were based on them.
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I wondered if the kakamura or whatever they were had these guys as inspiration. Weird how Disney didn’t use the menehune.
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According to an article I saw, they were concerned about misrepresenting the culture from which this myth is based.
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Huh. Never thought Disney would care given their past.
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Since the skeletons of tiny people have been found somewhere in the Far East, these dwarves may have some basis in truth. Charming tales, regardless.
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Kind of like leprechauns?
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Sort of but more industrious?
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I enjoyed this discussion of the menehune. The Hawaiian Islands have many mysteries and these memehune could well have been the original beings there.
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Thanks. There are a lot of secrets there.
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I hadn’t heard of these, but they’re pretty cool. Thanks for teaching me about them.
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You’re welcome.
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It’s not surprising I’ve not heard of these creatures, being from the UK and that’s a long way away.
Fascinating mythology. It may well be they are based on tales of the Little People as there are some tales that have these fairy creatures doing jobs in the house as long as food is left for them. As the Menehune, they are not to be watched or they will get up to mischief instead of being helpful.
But again, who knows!
Thanks for another interesting post.
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Wonder if it’s another story that just pops up in human culture without outside influence.
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Could be. There are lots of convergent myths and tales in the world.
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They do seem Brownie-like, with their industrious nature. But as Noelle says, very small hominid remains have been found on the island of Flores, Indonesia. So anything is possible.
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True.
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