Menehune is the term applied to short-statured, forest-dwelling creatures of Hawaiian mythology and is part of a common mythology throughout Polynesia that describes secretive, supernatural beings with human-like attributes. Mysterious supernatural beings appear in the myths and legends of other Oceania cultures, such as the rock crevice-dwelling Mimis of Arnhem Land, Australia, who are thought to have taught indigenous Australians how to hunt, or the Kakamora of Melanesia, elf-like creatures that live in caves and love to dance but fear the colour white.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/Menehune/.