Twenty One Letters Long Under the Sea...

By Ursula Sylvan

Answer: The Humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

My favorite activity here on Maui is to snorkel, and one of the pretty fish we see is the State Fish, the Humu. His name means fish with a pig snout. According to some legends the ancient days Tahitians were in search of pigs to offer to their Gods. As the supply of pigs dwindled, they were looking for substitutes that would appease the Gods, when someone noticed the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a snout resembling a pig's snout. (Pua means Pig in Tahitian). The trigger fish was then offered to the Gods who were pleased and allowed the islands to thrive.

So out of respect to this simple marked fish, who always is visible when snorkeling, but who minds his own business, I felt I wanted to make a quilt. At Asilomar I took a class from Caryl Bryer Fallert and learned the techniques to make this fish quilt and he sure is the answer to that long riddle. Pronouncing the name is a riddle to most newcomers too.

Well, I've heard that pigs can fly, and now I know that they can swim. Yep! I had to make that quilt.