The Night Marchers
In Hawaii, people say that on certain nights you can hear drums, chanting and conch shells coming closer: a procession of ancient warriors.
What was reported
The huakaʻi pō, or night marchers, are spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors and chiefs who are said to walk at night along the old paths between sacred places and the sea. People describe hearing drums, chanting and the blowing of conch shells, seeing torches, and smelling something like burning.
Hawaiian tradition says that if they pass you, you must lie face down and not look at them. Some families say an ancestor among the marchers will recognise them and keep them safe.
Explanations offered
The night marchers are part of Native Hawaiian belief and are treated with respect. Sceptics suggest wind, distant sounds or the power of a well-known story at night.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Oʻahu, Hawaii, USA
- Witnesses
- Hawaiian tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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