Encounter Atlas
In Hawaiian tradition the Menehune are a people who lived in the islands' forests and hidden valleys, away from human settlements. They are known above all as superb builders: fishponds, temples (heiau), roads, canoes and houses are credited to them, often said to have been finished in a single night. If a job was not done by dawn, they left it unfinished. They are said to love bananas and fish.
Several real structures are still linked to them, including the ʻAlekoko (Menehune) Fishpond near Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi and the Kīkīaola ditch at Waimea. In Martha Warren Beckwith's account of Hawaiian mythology, the Menehune are about two feet tall and live in caves.
Scholars disagree about the history behind the stories. Some link the name to the Tahitian word manahune, meaning commoners, and point to an 1820 census of Kauaʻi that counted 65 people as menehune. Folklorist Katharine Luomala argued the small-people image grew after contact with Europeans. For many Hawaiians the Menehune remain part of a living cultural heritage rather than a curiosity.
What witnesses report
- Stonework finished overnight
- Voices or work sounds in the forest at night
- Small figures seen only by those they choose
Famous cases
- 1820Census of Kauaʻi lists 65 people as menehune
Kauai, Hawaii - 1973ʻAlekoko (Menehune) Fishpond listed on the National Register
Lihue, Hawaii
Seen the Menehune?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
