He 'e in Hawaiian Culture
Kinolau of Ocean God Kanaloa
Born in the Kimulipo: “Hanau ka he'e noho i kai.” (line 185)
Heavily Revered Animal
‘ōlelo no‘eau
Pua ke kō, kū mai ka heʻe.
When the sugar cane tassels grow, the octopus is in season.
He uli na ka he‘e pūloa.
It is ink from the long-headed octopus.
Ka i‘a mana nui.
The fish of many divided parts.
Nani ka ‘ike a ka he‘e i na wahi leho li‘ili‘i.
It is wonderful how the octopus notices the little cowries.
He he‘e ka i‘a, he i‘a kino palupalu.
It is an Octopus, a soft-bodied creature.
Pōloli 'oe?
Fishing for he‘e was often sought to be a very skillful craft in the Hawaiian culture. In the days of old and even now, he‘e is fished with a lure made of a cowry shell or leho, such as the leho ula and the leho kupa. These shells were carefully searched for as the right one could catch many. The leho would often be accompanied with a stone as its partner and together they would entice the he‘e. The attraction of this leho and stone duo to an octopus was often referred to as a beautiful woman enticing the men around her. Once the he‘e jumps onto the lure, the fishermen quickly pull it up to hook it. Although it can be fished all year round, in the olden days, Hawaiians would sometimes place a kapu, or taboo, on the animal to ensure time for reproduction. One could also catch he‘e by spear diving, although searching for them in the coral reefs is very difficult. Today, people who are skilled in finding them in their homes are known for having what locals call the “tako eye,” referring to the Octopus by its Japanese name, tako.