Ask a kama'aina those questions and the answers will likely be the same: "Because it just is, that's why."

Hawai'i's cultural melting pot means locals grow up with a number of superstitions — many of which go unquestioned. Perhaps it's time to clarify some of them.

The big question is, "where is Morgan's Corner?" There's confusion as to the actual location, but Hawai'ian folklore experts say there are two Morgan's Corners, and two different stories.

Morgan's Corner (Nu'uanu)

The prime location is a wellknown slow-down curve on Old Pali Road in pre-Pali Highway days. In the 1920s, Dr. James Morgan built a villa there. The story goes that in 1948, two prison escapees, John Palakiko and James Majors, broke into the home of Morgan's neighbor, Therese Wilder. They tortured and killed the 68-year-old woman, and were found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang. While walking to the gallows, then Gov. Oren Long stayed the executions. As it turned out, the two men would have been the last people executed in Hawai'i. They were paroled in 1963 and had minor brushes with the law. Palakiko died mysteriously and Majors' whereabouts are unknown.

Morgan's Corner (Windward)

Another hairpin turn on the Windward side of Old Pali Road, is the setting of a more wellknown tale. A young couple who had been parked at the corner, realized their car wouldn't start. The young man went to get help, telling his girlfriend to stay in the car with the doors locked and windows up. The woman obeyed, waiting for him to return. Throughout the night, she heard scraping sounds and a steady drip on the top of the car. The young woman awoke the next morning when a police officer appeared at the car window. They had found her boyfriend dead, hanging from his feet from a tree branch above the car. The scraping sound was the result of his fingers brushing across the top of the car and the dripping sound was that of his blood.

Pork over the Pali

Every kama'aina knows not to carry pork over the Pali — but, does this mean you can't take a Zippy's teri pork sandwich home to Kailua for dinner? Or break open a bag of pork rinds on the long drive home to Kahaluu? No one seems to be sure about the specific rules. But the classic legend suggests if one carries pork of any kind over the Nuuanu Pali by automobile, the vehicle will stop and not re-start until the pork is removed. Some say the pork needs to be raw and it only happens after dark. Others say a white dog appears when the car stalls, and you must feed it the pork in order to continue on your journey. This story has its roots in ancient Hawaiian mythology. According to legend, the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele and the demigod Kamapua'a (a halfman-half-pig) had a turbulent relationship, and the two agreed not to visit each other. If one takes pork over the Pali, the legend goes, one is symbolically taking a piece of Kamapua'a from one side to the other, and this does not make Pele happy.

Bananas on Boats

Contrary to popular belief, this superstition is not just a Hawaiian belief, but a worldwide maritime one. Back in the early 1700's, when the Spanish traveled throughout the South Atlantic and Caribbean trading goods, it is believed that a good number of those boats that failed to return home had bananas in their cargo. Today, many Hawai'i fishermen will just tell you it is bad luck and they're not taking any chances — so even though bananas are known to settle a seasick tummy — it's best to leave them at home.

Lucky Number 8