author
King of Hawaii David Kalakaua
1836–1891
A globe-trotting monarch known as the Merrie Monarch, he led the Hawaiian Kingdom in its final decades while championing Hawaiian music, hula, and royal ceremony. His life brings together politics, cultural revival, and the pressure Hawaiʻi faced from growing foreign influence.
1 Audiobook
The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people
by King of Hawaii David Kalakaua
About the author
Born in Honolulu on November 16, 1836, David Kalākaua became king of Hawaiʻi in 1874 and ruled until his death in 1891. He is remembered as the last king and the penultimate monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, as well as a lively public figure whose charm and love of celebration earned him the nickname "Merrie Monarch."
Kalākaua is especially known for encouraging a revival of Hawaiian culture. During his reign, hula, chant, and other Native Hawaiian traditions were given new public visibility at a time when outside influence was growing stronger in the islands. He also looked outward, becoming the first reigning monarch to travel around the world, using diplomacy to build international ties for Hawaiʻi.
His reign was also marked by political conflict and increasing pressure from powerful foreign business interests. Those tensions shaped the final years of the kingdom and make his story important not only as a royal biography, but as part of the larger history of Hawaiʻi’s sovereignty and cultural identity.