Kaupe

Kaupe is a monstrous figure from Hawaiian myth. He was described as a cannibalistic dogman, vaguely connecting him later on to werewolf myths. He was said to live at Lihue on Oahu where he attacked people but avoided high chiefs. One story tells of when he went to the island of Hawaii and stole a chief’s son to sacrifice. This chief follows him and gets help from another chief. This chief teaches him a prayer to get help from Kanaloa which allows the father and son to escape and run away. When Kaupe went back to Hawaii to find them, he then used a prayer to kill Kaupe. Kaupe’s spirit is often confused with a dog-like creature called Poki. Now Kaupe exists as a ghostly, god-like figure living in the clouds over mountains. Some also connect him to a chief from 1829 named Boki. Many have reported seeing Kaupe and taking long detours to avoid him. It’s believed he may appear in clouds or as a shapeless white form like a mist, followed by eery stillness and dog howling sounds.

Citations:

Beckwith, Martha Warren. Hawaiian Mythology. United States, University of Hawaii Press, 2021.