‘Iwa – The Hawaiian Legend

When the fisherman Keaau, renowned for catching octopus, finds two beautiful and rare red cowry shells he thinks they must be a gift from the goddess Hina. After he fashions them into a lure, the octopus swarm to the magical shells and he gathers more than enough to feed his whole village. The bounty is short lived when chief Umi learns of the magical shell lure and demands to have it for himself. Thus begins the tale of how the boy-thief, Iwa, who exhibits the same thieving traits as his namesake, the Great Frigatebird, is invited to the island of Hawaii to retrieve the precious lure. There he encounters the high chief Umi, famous historical ruler of Hawaii Island, who puts Iwa’s talents to the test.

The rich imagery of Hawaii’s diverse environment, its sea life, plants and animals is depicted alongside Varez’s interpretation of the human aspect of this classic tale.