For many Kauaians, every day can be as eerie as Halloween, because here, unlike on the Mainland, the Huaka‘i Po march on — regardless of whether it’s a candy-eating holiday. The Huaka‘i Po, or Night Marchers, are a procession of
For many Kauaians, every day can be as eerie as Halloween, because here, unlike on the Mainland, the Huaka‘i Po march on — regardless of whether it’s a candy-eating holiday.
The Huaka‘i Po, or Night Marchers, are a procession of spirits that travel down sacred paths, a march route which, depending on whom you ask, varies.
The ghosts have been spotted or sensed along the ridgeline of the Wailua River, the halfway bridge over Huleia Stream and the rim of Hanalei Valley. The cliffs of Polihale on the Westside are said to be one of the spots where the marchers leap into the spirit world.
They are said to march on nights of the 27th phase of the moon in months with 30 days or fewer. Though today is the 31st phase of the moon in the month of October, children who grow up in Hawai‘i are raised with tales of the legendary spooks.
“I’m a Hawaiian boy … I’ve known of (the Night Marchers) since I was a boy,” said Waimea Firefighter Kaipo Perry. “My parents told me about them.”
If they spot you, it is said the Huaka‘i Po have the power to steal your life and soul. But let them be, and you might be spared.
Perry grew up in Waimea, near Polihale and was told of the ancient Hawaiian warriors that survive as the spirits in the night, angry at those who took Hawai‘i from them.
“You learn to stay out of their way,” said Perry, claiming he does not believe in them.
While Wailua and Waimea are considered by many residents to be steeped in the most history on the island and an abundance of supernatural stories, many residents have their own tales that stem from other parts of the island, in which shadows unwilling to leave earth behind have lurked in or outside their homes.
Few are willing to go on record about those experiences, because, as legend has it, speaking about the Huaka‘i Po will evoke them.
Walt Barnes, a Kaua‘i resident who refers to himself as “not superstitious,” is one who is willing to speak of the Night Marchers.
Barnes has lived on-island for more than a decade.
His Huaka‘i Po experience occurred when he and a friend were looking for a lost dog. That friend has since passed away, he said.
“We were climbing up the backside of Sleeping Giant at night — very late at night,” Barnes said. “All we could hear was this dog howling, but we couldn’t find it. Finally, my neighbor got nervous and decided to wait for me at the bottom of the mountain because he was very superstitious about it. He was nervous and decided to smoke a cigarette while waiting at the bridge over the stream. When he found himself enveloped in fog, he was convinced it was the night marchers. …We never did find the dog.”
The legends surrounding how to stave off the ghosts vary, ranging from lying face down, naked, until they march on, to urinating on one’s self — though that may be more a direct result of an encounter.
The more conservative tips include placing leathery ti leaves around the house to prevent hearing them chanting in the distance.
Legend also has it that the homes that have encroached on the ancient byways are the ones that remain as paths for the spirits.
“The Night Marchers are angry warriors, mad for what was taken from them,” Perry said. “The idea is to stay out of their way.”
• Amanda C. Gregg, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
