Nightmarchers

 All of the islands of Hawaii have the legend of night marchers. The Nightmarchers are the souls of dead warriors who may be escorted by past Kings of the Hawaiian Islands or of one the six Gods themselves. If you happen upon Nightmarchers, you should lie prone upon the ground with your face down in humility in their presence. Frankly, I would probably pass out in fear to be confronted by an army of apparitions.

If you were blood kin to one of the warriors, they would give the order to pass over their family member. Looking directly into the eyes of the marchers would result in a disastrous death to the onlooker soon after. 

The largest island of the Hawaii is the island of Hawaii. You usually take a tour from Hilo to the Volcanic National Park and of course the topic of  Nightmarchers was part of the tour.. The people who live on the island would hike at night across the volcanic lava fields. A red glow gives  warning that the lava flow is not so safe. 

One of the many lessons I learned from my eighth grade students was that scientist did get samples of lava from these lava flows. When asked, I said there was nothing that could hold that hot stuff. And I was corrected. 

The neatest thing I visited on the island of Hawaii were the lava tunnels. The molten lava continued to flow as the outer layer had long hardened. In the ensuing years ferns, fern trees and all sorts of plants had grown over and around the tunnel we walked through. It was a marvelous. There were also lava tunnels along the shoreline where periodically the salt water would spew.

 

Lava Field: Wikimedia Commons: Bob Linsdell