Haunted Hawaii?

Posted by Cindy on September 17, 2009

Normally, when we think of Hawaii, we think of an ocean jeweled with brightly colored fish and undulating, curling strands of vermilion sea weed.  We think of the flotsam and jetsam on which surfers climb, scything into the water as the waves wrap around them.  We think of effervescent drinks, unusual animals, aloha shirts, delicious luaus.  We do not normally think of ghosts and haunted areas.  As far as tourism in the United States goes, those two things seem to be much more appropriate to New England and the West with its great mansions and ghost towns respectively.  However, taking advantage of a Hawaii vacation package should include taking advantage of its alleged sights for ghosts and hauntings.

For Hawaiians, there is a belief that your soul goes wandering around while you sleep to look for wisdom and explorations.  For that permanent sleep, Hawaiians belief that the soul goes to places where it can go to the Kaena Point or the Waipio Valley—their version of an underworld or after life.  These places are also known as leina.  In a bad situation the soul, or the uhane, looses its path and stays lost, rambling around the world.
Prevalent sights for ghosts include places where famous battles were fought or where there are the ruins of ancient temple grounds.  Of course, there is also the expected hotel and graveyard sightings too.

On the Big Island, there is a haunted hospital.  Part of the reason for its reputation stems from the fact that its nursery was burned to nothing but black ashes in a fire.  The babies within the nursery perished in the fire too.  Ever since then, nurses and doctors and patients have claimed to hear the eerie crying of babies.  The hospital is still there in Hilo along with those lingering wails of the babies.

Another place that tourists should visit in the Hotel of Ancient Warriors.  It is also on the Big Island where it was built upon the ancient place that King Kamehameha built his fine palace.  The staff and guests alike often claim to hear chants looping in and out of the halls and rooms, and sometimes battle cries.  Though King Kamehameha was one of Hawaii’s most famous and greatest kings, if not the greatest, his bones have never been found, but are suspected to reside underneath the foundations of the hotel.  His fierce warriors still roam the hotel.