Ghosts and Ginger Tea (The Haunted Brew #2)

The Legend of the Huaka’i Pō

THE LEGEND OF THE HUAKA’I Pō

The Huaka’i Pō, the night marchers, are more than superstition; they are a part of Hawaiian culture. For centuries, kupuna have passed down tales of them to their children.

Think ghost encounters.

Specter armies marching by torchlight.

Moonlit paths.

Drum beats in the dead of night.

These are the tales that would give you chicken skin.

Some people say the night marchers started roaming after the infamous battle of Nu‘uanu. Others say they have been around since Hawaii’s most ancient days.

All can agree on the look and social status of these ghosts, though.

They are ancient Hawaiian warriors, chiefs, and other high-ranking figures.

They dress in traditional Hawaiian attire–red and yellow capes, loincloths, their chests bare, with helmets made of gourd or feathers–and carry spears, clubs, and torches.

The beating of a drum, the echo of a chant, the sound of breathing, and the blowing of the pū signal the approach of the ghost army.

But why do they roam the islands at night, spooking the very air to hold its own breath?

Some say they have a duty to protect sacred sites and escort the souls of the high-ranking deceased to the afterlife.

Therefore, they appear only on such deathly dates.

Others say that the apparitions appear on nights dedicated to specific gods, including Kāne, Kanaloa, Lono, and Kū, or on the night of a new moon.

The night marchers follow certain pathways, called ala hele, that lead to sacred sites like heiau and royal burial grounds.

No one truly knows if they are cursed or if anyone can break the power that binds them.

But while superstitions abound, one thing is certain: if an individual hears the spectral procession approaching, they are to prostrate themselves and never look, for if a mortal is to see them, it is deeply disrespectful, resulting in danger or worse... Death.

Those with ancestral ties to the ghosts may have some immunity and protection from them.

Otherwise, all others who encounter the deadly spirits of the night, beware.