Some, like Katharine Luomala, folklorist and author of The Menehune of Polynesia and Other Mythical Little People of Oceania, found the small people similar to other mythological stories. But she also thought the Menehunes could be real, possibly descendants of Marquesas islanders who might have lived in Hawaii at one time.
Later, during the Tahitian invasion around 1100 CE, those found on the island were called manahune, or "lowly people." These individuals escaped to the mountains and were known as Menehune. The 1820 census lists 65 people under this name, a fact believers reference as proof of the Menehune's existence, according to Royal Hawaiian Movers.
In an interview with Hawaii Public Radio, historian and educator Bruce Wichman said, "They were real people. They had engineering skills far beyond what Hawaiians ended up with. One heiau (temple) in Wailua has rocks they estimate at about 30 tons, that have been moved there. Nobody has the faintest idea how they got them there."
Whether real or not, the work ethic of the Menehune is still appreciated. According to Where Traveler, the idea that all work must be done in an evening inspired the saying, "E Menehune mai Kakou" (basically, "let's get the work finished"), used "to rally people to a common cause that usually requires a lot of manual labor."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB%2Fj2tnb2xfqbWmecuenp6mlGK8p3nToZxmoJGsrqq1wKdkpp2emrW2usRmnLGonJa2r7HDaA%3D%3D