Moʻo

Lizard Guardians of the Pond

Hawaiian moʻo are reptilian water spirits, often female, who hold fishponds and springs. They can appear as women or as great lizards. Kamakau, Malo, and later ethnography record offerings and taboos; disrespect brings drowning or sickness.

This is living place-law, not a single named dragon to slay.

Kihawahine and the fishponds

One of the most famous moʻo is Kihawahine, a chiefly woman who became a moʻo guardian at Mokuhinia pond in Lāhainā on Maui, later honoured by Kamehameha I. The fishponds (loko iʻa) that Hawaiians built in the islands' coastal waters were often protected by moʻo, and in several accounts a yellowish tint on the water was taken as a sign that the guardian was present.