In Hawaiian mythology, Kaupe is a

malevolent spirit In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the ghost, spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial o ...

that calls out to people at night to lure them to their deaths. According to legend, he used to rule Nu'uanu Valley.

Mythology

During his reign, Kaupe ate people on

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

, then

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

. When he went to the island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, he kidnapped the son of a

High chief A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afr ...

and took him back to Oahu so he could be sacrificed. Following them to Oahu, the High chief went to a

Kahuna Kahuna (; ) is a Hawaiian word that refers to an expert in any field. Historically, it has been used to refer to doctors, surgeons and dentists, as well as priests, ministers, and sorcerers. Background A may be versed in agriculture,Archiv ...

who taught him incantations and a prayer which he could use against Kaupe. At the

heiau A ''heiau'' () is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick (''heia ...

Lihue Līhue () is an unincorporated community, census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. Līhue is the second-largest town on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, following Kapaa. As of the 2010 census, the ...

, the father rescued his son. When Kaupe chased them, the father said the prayer, causing him and his son to run faster. As Kaupe caught up, the father said the prayer again and he and his son found a big rock to hide behind. On Hawaii, the father and son killed Kaupe. The spirit of Kaupe lingers on Oahu. According to mythology, Kaupe appears as an enormous man with a canine head and sharp claws. Kaupe has frequented two spots on the island of Oahu. Though he is said to originally been from Nuuanu Valley, he is more often encountered under Kipapa Bridge. Kaupe is often considered a "calling ghost" because he calls to his victims rather than searching them out or coming across them by coincidence. His technique is to mimic the sound of numerous wounded or dying people. When his victim runs to the scene to help, Kaupe reveals himself to the victim, silently slipping from the shadows.

Popular culture

In ''

Legends of Tomorrow ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American Time travel in fiction, time travel superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, ...

'', the Kaupe is a hairy beast. One named Konane (portrayed by Darien Martin) is one of the magical fugitives that escaped from Mallus' realm where anyone who gets slashed by a Kaupe will become a Kaupe. He develops a relationship with a Time Bureau delivery girl named Mona Wu (portrayed by

Ramona Young Ramona Abish Young (born May 23, 1998) is an American actress. She is known for her recurring roles on the television series ''Man Seeking Woman'', ''The Real O'Neals'', and ''Santa Clarita Diet''. Young is also known for her regular roles as Kay ...

). During a struggle with the Time Bureau operatives, Mona is slashed in the stomach. When Konane is killed by a Time Bureau operative, Mona transforms into her Kaupe form (portrayed by Sisa Grey) for the first time and avenges Konane's death. The Legends of Tomorrow took her onto their team.

References

''Hawaiian Mythology'', Martha Warren Beckwith, Katharine Luomala, pg 345
* ''Myths and Legends of Hawaii'' by William D. Westervelt. Copyright 1987 by Mutual Publishing. * ''Hawaiian Legends: Kaupe The Cannibal Dog Man'
Hawaiian Dog Man
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