Pu`upehe

Sweetheart Rock

Tragic Love Story

Description

This distinctive rock is one of the most recognizable geographic features on the coast of Lana'i. There is an old Hawaiian legend associated with the rock that is full of passion and tragedy--apparently in the ancient days when different islands still feuded with one another, a warrior from Lanai captured a beautiful princess from Maui named Pu`upehe and brought her back home with him as his wife. She was so beautiful that he did not want anyone to see her out of fear they might take her away from him. He hid her in a sea cave on this rock, where she lived kept and confined by her jealous husband. One day when he was gone, the surf rose and the weather turned nasty, and the princess was drowned in her cave. When the warrior returned he was so distraught that he climbed the rock and buried his bride, and then jumped from the rock to his death. The rock is named after the princess, and is alternatively known as Sweetheart Rock.