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Menehune
A race of small people who live in Hawaii's deep forests and hidden valleys. Master builders, they work only at night, completing massive projects in a single evening. Their stonework still stands today.
Ancient - Present
Hawaii
2000+ witnesses
The Menehune are a mythological race of small people in Hawaiian tradition.
The Legend
According to documented folklore:
The Menehune:
- Are small people (2-3 feet tall)
- Live in forests and valleys
- Are master builders
- Work only at night
- Existed before Hawaiians arrived
Appearance
Described as:
- Very short stature
- Muscular and stocky
- Hairy bodies
- Large eyes (for night work)
- Shy and secretive
Building Projects
Famous works attributed:
- Alekoko Fishpond (Kauai)
- Menehune Ditch (Waimea)
- Stone temples and roads
- All built in single nights
- Still standing today
Work Ethic
Their building methods:
- Work only at night
- Must finish before dawn
- Pass stones hand to hand
- Thousands working together
- Abandon projects if seen
Historical Theory
Some scholars believe:
- They were real people
- An earlier wave of settlers
- Before the Polynesians
- Became legendary over time
- “Menehune” was a social class
Modern Belief
Today:
- Still believed in by many Hawaiians
- Sightings occasionally reported
- Offerings left for them
- Construction credited to them
- Part of living culture