The Green Lady of Wahiawa
The Green Lady of Wahiawa
Oahu’s Unsettling Urban Legend
Wahiawā may seem like the quintessential small town, but beneath the surface of this community lies a chilling tale. While surrounded by natural beauty, nestled in central Oʻahu, and offering a quiet charm that feels far from the bustle of Honolulu, the legend of the Green Lady has haunted generations.
It all began in 1957, when a strange story spread quickly through town, igniting curiosity and fear in equal measure. According to local news reports at the time, a terrifying creature had been spotted by at least six children from Wahiawā Elementary School. Their descriptions were startling and consistent: seaweed-like hair, webbed duck-like feet, clawed hands, and scaly green skin.
The sightings took place in Wahiawā Gulch, just behind the school gym. When questioned separately, five of the children stood by their descriptions. The sixth student believed it might have been someone in a costume trying to scare the younger kids—but the others were certain of what they saw.
The incident caused such a stir that the Wahiawā Chamber of Commerce organized a community search party to scour the gulch. Volunteers combed the area, but found nothing resembling the creature the children had described.
Soon, stories of the so-called “Green Lady” began to take root. Over time, her legend evolved, with multiple versions of her origin. Some say she was a mother who lost her children—cursed to wander the gulch forever in search of them. Another version claims that she died during a devastating flood while trying to save her infant, who was torn from her arms. Since then, the story goes, she has roamed the area, still looking for her baby.
But according to local kūpuna, the legend didn’t begin in 1957. Many elders remember hearing similar stories when they were children.
Their parents warned them, “Don’t go down the gulch.”
Some of these older stories speak not just of one ghostly woman, but of two supernatural beings—mo‘o wahine named Kamoe and Leilehua. These shapeshifting guardian spirits are said to reside in sacred places like Lake Wilson and Kūkaniloko. Every few years, they’re believed to descend from Mt. Kaʻala to claim a young man as a mōhai—a sacrifice.
And, like clockwork, the legends seem to echo into real life.
Every few years, the body of a young male soldier is discovered at the bottom of Lake Wilson. Fully clothed, shoes on, with his wallet and keys still in his pockets. Strangest of all, he’s always found sitting cross-legged—serene, almost meditative. As though he’s been waiting.
For what? Or for whom?
In Wahiawā, some questions are better left unanswered. But the warnings remain. Don’t go down the gulch. And if you do… don’t go alone.
Secrets Hidden in Plain Sight in Haunted Honolulu
The Green Lady of Wahiawā is just one of many chilling tales that linger in the shadows of haunted Hawaii. From ancient Hawaiian legends to modern encounters with restless spirits, the islands are filled with mysteries waiting to be explored. Our Honolulu ghost tours take you deep into the stories behind the most haunted places in Honolulu—including eerie accounts of night marchers, the fire goddess Pele, and other spirits said to roam the cities and forests to this day.
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