Hawaii's Most Haunted - Night Marchers, the Ghost Army of Hawaii

To spend even an hour in this man's presence, listening to the old stories would be such a blessing. Some day, I will make it to Hawai'i.

I was staying in an old “hostel like” hotel up in the Volcano rainforest while my new home in Keauhou was getting a tile floor. I was coming back from dinner and it was pitch black, I was lost in the winding dirt roads of Volcano Village. I was stopped in the dark in the middle of the road beneath the the towering moss covered trees. As I was looking at my phone, I heard them coming from a distance. No drums, just the sound of bare feet marching. I bowed my head very respectfully and never looked up. I was terrified! They did not pass close by but I heard the sound of marching coming nearer and then receding in the forest. When I could hear them no more, I raised my head and through the darkness saw the fairy lights of my hotel in the next block. I still have dreams about this moment and now I doubt whether it really happened or was just a dream.

We were told Night Marcher stories as a little kid growing up in Hawaii.

Can't say when, but I was working late one night on Alakea street when I heard a conch shell. This was strange - a demonstration so late? I looked out the window but saw nothing - no traffic or pedestrians... Very odd

When my son was in boy scouts, our troop had hike in kahana valley for a camp over . After the night was over , one of our asst. scout master called me on the side , and told me , during the night he could hear drums . We never said anything to our scouts but that was the last time we camped in there.!!!

As a kid, one night I awoke to a neighbor's car horn honking inexplicably. (This was in the early 1970s before car alarms.) Later there were whisperings that this could have been a sign of the Night Watchers because they could march through cars and set off the horn. As a kid this made a huge impression on me. I always felt the spirits in Hawaii and it wasn't a good feeling.

I was staying at Maui eco retreat and it was late at night pitch black everyone was asleep except for me. I was 19 and up late on my phone and I heard humming, marching and drumming. It was a scary feeling. I remember being so confused. Like who tf is out drumming late at night in the jungle? I knew it was something spiritual. But not human like. There was no one around in the middle of the jungle. Not enough people to make that noise. I remember trying to take a video of the sound…I need to find that video. I looked out the window, I didn’t see anything but I heard it clear as day. It passed and I tried to think nothing of it, I thought it was so cool but creepy. I went to bed and woke up the next day and asked Raphael the owner if anyone was drumming last night he said no. I asked a couple staying in the house with us if they heard it and they didn’t. Very interesting…I’ll never know what I heard.

I work at Chief Sielu's Luau at the Wet n' Wild Park. I do wish he could do more during the Halloween season like telling ghost stories about the islands in his act.

As a kid I attended Camp Erdman in the early 2000s. We were sleeping in our cabins and the next day some kids swore they saw night marchers the previous night. I never believed them, but does anybody know if they can be seen in that area? Also Robert, maybe you could cover the supposed hauntings of Camp Erdman itself. Especially the haunted cabins.

As of being out of high school, me and a couple of my friends went 10 cars deep to cruise the lookout point at makapuu around 2 in the morning and across street is the mountain, but I remember it’s pitch dark and my friend flashing his flashlight at the mountain and him tapping me on my shoulder asking if I see that, I look towards the mountain I said that’s probably your light. Then I looked closer and I see the whole top of the mountain in flames but it was moving in line then, I yelled that’s night marchers. I took a closer look and I was able to witness one warrior in his malo walking around the mountain. Another incident happened at the same place same time but with no moon this time, I remember asking my good friend where’s the moon? And he’s like weird yeah, then he look towards the left side of the mountain and said look night marchers, I looked and this time they weren’t in a line, it was like a big gathering of flames, and flames coming down from the mountain to join the bigger flame. Very cool but chicken skin lol

Im hawaiian born n raised nanakuli waianae makaha. My papa said if there are ghosts marching why would they need a torch?!!! 🔥 They are souls, they can see just fine in the dark. 🤣

Believe it or not I remembered as a kid my dad and his brother who's new to the Hawaii had just came from south east asia had a farm in Pahoa, we went to the forest to look for avacados and at a point my dad said to be quite because he heard something then my uncle came along and said lets go, I was young and did not know why and so we went home. Later that day or next my cousin said why we went home early with no avacados, my dad said the forest people was near by so we got to go, my cousin ask what forest people and my dad said the small people that only goes out at night. So for a person who's knows nothing about Hawaii, this was spooky.

There was a horror movie about the nightmarchers that came out a few years back and it showed not only ancient hawaiian warriors but also soldiers from different time periods marching along with them, i dont know if that's true with the real life nightmarchers but it was kinda interesting to see.

Great video! Very informative about the hawaiin lore. - dabi was here.

Chicken skin. I was in Waikapuna big I zone doing archeological mapping and surveying for months. Both camping on the makai portion of the ranch. And job house on the course at disco harbor. A few of us camped in the naupaka next to the lagoon. I had parked the suburban on pahoehoe two meters from the edge of the lagoon. Absolutely mind blowing archeological site complex. The few who know where I'm talking about know. Matt played banjo camped by the pali., Jonny & Ashton & myself kicked by the water paleonnit up and doing Pau Hana safety meetings. Long heavy days mapping. All bust up. Go ta bed to Vermont style bluegrass in the back round of pumping surf. The boys are in tents I'm in the sub. Board shorts and feather bed. Livn the dream. Wake at 12.25 to right out my half down window. Chanting that faded off two meters away on a peninsula jutting 4 meters by 1 wide like a pier into the lagoon. Heard others moving but only one voice of a man Chanting or singing. I knew nothing of night marchers at that point. The boys would tell story while mapping Lava tubes about the moa o or smnn li dat and freak themselves at times. They would ask if I was afraid of working around ewe and such. I said know I feel Kool knowing I'm only doin this kinda work for good. Protecting ewe and kapunas on the mainland and in the islands. So no fear no shame. I was gonna sit up a look. At what I know was right there out my window. But like listening to Matt that night. I just lit a cigarette and got down with the wtf Eva! heavy shit Goin down. It went on for at least 30 40 minutes. I woke at o dark 30. Kinda trippn on what went down. Tiptoen making coffee an hour early. Ashton came out his tent spooked looknn. I said sorry for the noise. Had a heavy night. I toldmm what up. He went whiter than I am. Told me he thought the mongoose were goin nuts and he woke up to balls of lightning and hands clawing at his tent. As we were having our coffee w our safety meeting. Ashton starts tellnn me that the moon was new moon last night and the night marchers story. Jonny 6 4 225 F.B. peels the dome tent off himself. And say " ho brah, last nite, one huge hand smash down my tent. Pin my head down On da ground for like ten seconds. Bra that no mon goose. They had cut out little igloo like areas for their tents 15 meters apart in 15' high naupakas. Ashton said he shit his pants till he finnally heard me get up. Still waited to come out. He said his tent has screen only for the top. He watched what he said looked like plasma balls goin lolo thru the naupakas. Way to thick . A mongoose hardly gets thru the root maze. Way more story than I'd eva tell on this here utube. But I'm an atheist full blown science guy skeptic. And on every fish I Eva caught. No cap! As they say. My two young Hawaiian archaeologist friends ask me what I think it was. I said if it's MANA that powerful. Those buggahs been following my white ass thru the miles of Lava tube all the hei---s I mapped and recorded. They know every move this fucka made. I said, if they wanted beef w me?. They coulda got me good when i was having closterphobia worming miles under ground in the lava tubes by tapnn me on the not so funny bone. Or Ifnn they burned out my flashlights. That alone coulda easily kilt me. Lmfatheistao. I don't fuckn know! What the frirkbra it was. But it happened and it was Kool a F. Hearing the part about goin prone and getting naked gave me chicken skin. Cause I didn't lay face down. I lit a smoke listened to the mystery. Must not of ruffled their feathers when I layed face up w a smoke and a smile. Respect the locals. Get local privileges. Aloha.

Thanks!

We used to hear the drums and stomps in the Kohala Mountains and Waipio Valley.

I’ve seen them I have family in the line they have never hurt me ❤️

Nightmarchers, daytime....? Now, you got me in "condition yellow", 24/7!😯

Robert, I'm a new subscriber and just ordered your book for my husband for Christmas. I ordered the t-shirt a week or two ago and am excited to be able to present these things to him. His family was ali 'i from both Hawaii and Maui and I'm learning so much about your history and culture and am trying to educate him and our kids (we're in Georgia!). Can you recommend another of your books that might be a good intro to a regular American who recently discovered his storied ancestry? I've never lived or been to Hawaii, but he lived there in the Marine Corps in the 1980s and upon learning of his family history, he was stunned that now some of the stories/events from his time there really made sense. (too much to write here, but super interesting). I should say, I'm a believer in your and others' stories of spiritual things, but he's much more of a skeptic, so for him to stand up and take note, well, it's pretty interesting! Thanks and can't wait to read your book! Also, you might answer this in your books, but if your ancestors were pio chiefs or kings, what would happen if the night marchers came? Same as for me if I was there (haha, I'm Norwegian, English, Scottish and French, alas, pale as can be!) I've planned to start researching more, but your intro to your book makes so much sense (about the info available). Thanks for answering, if you can!