To many, Hawaii is known as a paradise. The island state has a long history and rich culture that make it a beautiful and fascinating locale. But did you know that these islands are also known for some pretty intense tales of ghosts?
No tale is more intense than the infamous Kaimuki house in Honolulu. The house once sat on the corner of 8th and Harding. Below it was a foundation made up of lava rock. And while first appearances made the house seem typical in its neighborhood, that couldn't be farther from the truth. While it hosted a number of families and guests, it also happened to be the alleged home of a Kasha, a ghost originating from Japanese folklore.
Beliefs about Kasha tend to vary, but there are some common threads. While the literal translation of the name is "fire cart," it seems as though "fire cat" might be more apt. These creatures tend to disguise themselves as house cats or strays. Their true form is that of a bipedal creature looming larger than most humans, and, you guessed it, they're ringed in the flames of Hell. There are some who believe they steal corpses from funerals, cemeteries, and crematoriums to consume them. Others describe them as demons that swoop down from the sky to nab the bodies of evildoers and drag them to hell as punishment. Other times, they are thought to use corpses as puppets.
How does this folklore tie in to the Kaimuki house? The terror began in 1942. After a couple moved into the home, the neighbors grew concerned that there was a domestic violence issue hidden behind closed doors. There were loud slamming noises and crashes heard from next door. But when the police were called to investigate the disturbance, the woman in the house was frantically repeating, "She's trying to kill my children."
The officers entered the home where they allegedly encountered indisputable evidence of the supernatural. The three children in the house were levitating, being attacked by an unseen force as they were hurled across the room. This vicious attack supposedly began when a young boy smelled something he identified as the "odor of ghost," which sent the kasha into a fury. The scuffle was later detailed in the local paper.
Three decades later, three young women shared this haunted home. Their ordeal began with strange noises, escalated to uncomfortable physical sensations, and quickly turned deadly. The girls fled the home for their own safety, but the invisible presence was not one to be left behind.
As they drove away, the woman in the middle seat felt the unseen force strangling her. Officers responded to the commotion, but as one reached into the car to help, he was reportedly stopped by what felt like a large, calloused hand. The invisible hand twisted his arm, prompting him to radio for backup. As the officer herded the rattled woman into his quad car, the vehicle wouldn't start.
After he got the woman back in her own car, the attack started all over again. The only thing that brought the terror to an end was the officer dispelling the spirit with water and Hawaiian salt. While this was detailed in the newspaper for a story regarding local hauntings, this tale has yet to be corroborated.
But what was the cause of this oppressive spiritual energy? There are several going theories about the origins of this angry ghost, the first of which center on a father who murdered his wife and children in the home. It's said that while the bodies of the wife and son were buried in the backyard, the daughter's remains were never found.
Another story follows a queer couple—two married women—whose marital troubles had devastating results. When one of these women became involved with a man, her lover found out about her wife and killed them both before taking his life as well.
The Kaimuki house was demolished back in 2016. A new home now stands on this storied plot of land. But does that mean its horrors are finally at rest, or will the kasha come back once it's been disturbed once more? Maybe, at the end of the day, these stories were nothing more than superstition and paranoia.
What do you believe?
Featured image: Crina Parasca/Unsplash
