Isokelekel
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Isokelekel (Pohnpeian: "shining noble," "wonderful king"),[1] was a semi-mythical hero warrior and the demigod son of the Pohnpeian god Nansapwe and Nansapwe's clanswoman, Lipahnmei,[2] who returned to Pohnpei from Katau[3] ("Katau" is a Pohnpeian term referring to the east, although it is unclear where specifically. Some say “katau” is a reference to the “sky world.” Based on the absence of Kosrae’s location from contact-era Caroline’s navigation lore, the Kosraens' lack of open ocean sailing skills, and the lack of noticeable Kosraen influence on the Pohnpei language, Isokelekel is unlikely to have come from Kosrae. However, he may have come from the Marshall Islands or Kiribati.[4]) and, with the help of the indigenous people of Pohnpei, conquered the Saudeleur Dynasty of Pohnpei, an island in the modern Federated States of Micronesia, sometime between the early 16th or 17th century.[5][note 1] Some Kosraean variants name this hero Nanparadak (In some Pohnpeian oral histories, Nanparadak is Isokelekel’s lieutenant.[9]), with features closer to Ulithian tales of the same archetype.[10] He is considered the father of modern Pohnpei.[8]
There is great variation among sources for the exact events before and during the invasion of Pohnpei; there are at least 13 differing accounts of the war published. In most versions of the Isokelekel legend, the Saudeleur rule had become oppressive under its abusive centralized social system, and its lords had offended the Thunder God Nan Sapwe, sealing the fate of the dynasty. Pohnpeian culture is heavily autonomous and decentralized, and quibbling directly and publicly over variations is considered bad form. The differences among the many accounts are further attributed to a wide range of cultural phenomena, from kava social groups to clan affiliation. Accordingly, any preferred version is generally the product of a measure of self-interest and autonomy.[5][10][11][12][13][14]
Modern chiefs of Pohnpei trace their lineage to Isokelekel, and according to this legend, modern Pohnpeians are descendants of Isokelekel's invasion party.[8][15][16]