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Folklore uncovers a tsunami that rocked Hawaii hundreds of years ago

A story passed down in folklore led scientists to evidence of an 8-metre tsunami that hit an island in Hawaii hundreds of years ago

By James Urquhart

18 October 2024

A Hawaiian story hints at a huge wave that once struck the island of Maui

Dawn Jermaill

A Hawaiian narrative story involving the wrath of two deities has helped scientists track down remnants of an 8-metre-high tsunami that battered the state’s second largest island, Maui, at least 350 years ago.

“Our work breathes new life into an ancient moʻolelo [a story passed down in folklore], putting flesh on the bones of a significant historical event,” says Scott Fisher at the University of Southampton, UK.

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