Glen Grant
Encyclopedia
Glen Grant was a Hawaii
an historian
, author
and folklorist. He was primarily known for his Obake Files, a collection of articles and stories regarding native and imported folktales
and mythology in Hawaii
. Grant was also the author of the Chicken Skin series of ghost story anthologies, as well as host of the long-running radio show
of the same name.
In 1979 he won the University of Hawaii
(UH) Board of Regents
Medal
for Teaching Excellence for his work in Asian-American and Hawaiian studies. In 1995 the Honolulu City Council
honored him as one of Hawaii's Living Treasures of Multiculturalism
.
, The Wizard of Oz
and Forbidden Planet
. The elder Grant helped create the extraterrestrial
robot
Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still and Robby the Robot
from Forbidden Planet
. "Robby eventually became a member of the Grant household, where the younger Grant said he would see the robot, stashed in the family garage, on a daily basis. Though the robot ultimately ended up in a museum, Grant was said to have "often affectionately remembered Robby the Robot as his brother." http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Jun/20/ln/ln06a.html
Glen graduated from Hamilton High School in 1964. Grant received a bachelor's degree
in history from the University of California, Los Angeles
, and on an invitation from friend and UH professor Dennis Ogawa, took a trip to Hawaii in 1970. He made the move permanent the following year, earning a master's degree
in education in 1974 and a doctorate
in American studies
in 1982. He taught history, American studies and political science
for more than 30 years in the UH school system and Hawaii Tokai International College
, where he was a vice chancellor until the time of his death.
Grant was a popular instructor, known for a theatrical, lively style of teaching, in which he would wear historical costumes, use stage settings and deliver several lectures in character. This was especially so when he covered such subjects as American studies or classes on Japanese-American experiences. http://starbulletin.com/2003/06/20/features/story2.html
As Grant's time in Hawaii grew, in addition to studying the cultures and geography of Hawaii and its inhabitants, he began to grow interested in the myths and legends both already present and brought in by other cultures. This, combined with a childhood love of ghost stories, led him to create what he would later call the Obake Files (the word obake being a Japanese
word for ghost absorbed into Hawaiian Pidgin
).
Grant's Obake Files work can be divided into two parts: the scholarly Obake Files, and the entertainment-based Chicken Skin series.
population declined, more spirits and legends (such as the Japan
ese kappa) from abroad would be seen in the islands than native ones (such as Nightmarchers
).
term for goose bumps
). These books often portrayed Grant as a professor somewhere between his normal self and Indiana Jones
, setting out to see the mysteries of Hawaii and other places (Japan was the setting of one story) where legends had been imported to the island.
Though the show was mostly scripted, there were moments of spontenaity. In a 1981 broadcast, Grant dismissed as rumor the May 19, 1959 Honolulu Advertiser
report of a mujina
seen in Hawaii. In that article, Advertiser reporter Bob Krauss wrote about a woman's encounter with the Japanese mythical creature at the Waialae Drive-In Theatre in Kahala. A caller immediately phoned him on the air, identifying herself as the witness
in the article. She then gave more details on the event, including the previously unreported detail that the mujina in question had red hair.http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/area51/hollow/6166/faceless.html&date=2009-10-25+12:34:17 As years passed, on the show Grant himself later reported on a number of other mujina sightings in Hawaii, from ‘Ewa Beach to Hilo.
In addition to his radio work on Chicken Skin radio, he occasionally reported for National Public Radio as a cultural expert on Hawaiian legends.
and its culture, such as his From Skies of Paradise series on Oahu
and the Big Island
; Waikiki
Yesteryear, a book on the history of the famed Honolulu district; Honolulu Mysteries, a series of detective novels based in 1930s and 40s-era Oahu; and Onipa'a: Five Days in the History of the Hawaiian Nation, a book on the history of the Kingdom of Hawaii
.
He also co-wrote a biography
on Hawaiian-born astronaut
Ellison Onizuka
.
room, designed in the idea of 19th century-era American rooms of the kind.
In addition to the Haunt, Grant and volunteers started the Honolulu Ghost Walks, tours of local places in Hawaii tied in to ancient mythology and current folklore. He also started "Obake Night" at the local Moiliili Festival, in order to continue the tradition of storytelling with groups.
On 19 June 2003, he died from cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Kaena Point
on the far western edge of Oahu. Some have said this to be the ideal resting place for Grant, as Hawaiian mythology places Kaena Point as the bridge between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Phil Grant, Glen's older brother; Brawley, CA
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and folklorist. He was primarily known for his Obake Files, a collection of articles and stories regarding native and imported folktales
Folklore in Hawaii
Folklore in Hawaii in modern times is a mixture of various aspects of Hawaiian mythology and various urban legends that have been passed on regarding various places in the Hawaiian islands. The following is a partial list of some of these legends....
and mythology in Hawaii
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
. Grant was also the author of the Chicken Skin series of ghost story anthologies, as well as host of the long-running radio show
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
of the same name.
In 1979 he won the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
(UH) Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
Medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
for Teaching Excellence for his work in Asian-American and Hawaiian studies. In 1995 the Honolulu City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
honored him as one of Hawaii's Living Treasures of Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
.
Life
Grant was born and raised in the west Los Angeles area near Palms and Culver City. He was the second son of Hollywood special effects wizard Cliff Grant, who worked on such films as Gone with the WindGone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
, The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
and Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
. The elder Grant helped create the extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still and Robby the Robot
Robby the Robot
Robby the Robot is a fictional character who has made a number of appearances in science fiction movies and television programs after his first appearance in the 1956 MGM science fiction film Forbidden Planet.-Overview:...
from Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
. "Robby eventually became a member of the Grant household, where the younger Grant said he would see the robot, stashed in the family garage, on a daily basis. Though the robot ultimately ended up in a museum, Grant was said to have "often affectionately remembered Robby the Robot as his brother." http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Jun/20/ln/ln06a.html
Glen graduated from Hamilton High School in 1964. Grant received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in history from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, and on an invitation from friend and UH professor Dennis Ogawa, took a trip to Hawaii in 1970. He made the move permanent the following year, earning a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in education in 1974 and a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in American studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
in 1982. He taught history, American studies and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
for more than 30 years in the UH school system and Hawaii Tokai International College
Hawaii Tokai International College
Hawaii Tokai International College was established in Honolulu on May 22, 1992 as an American two-year liberal arts college. It is the most recent school in the Moili‘ili community adjacent to Waikiki...
, where he was a vice chancellor until the time of his death.
Grant was a popular instructor, known for a theatrical, lively style of teaching, in which he would wear historical costumes, use stage settings and deliver several lectures in character. This was especially so when he covered such subjects as American studies or classes on Japanese-American experiences. http://starbulletin.com/2003/06/20/features/story2.html
As Grant's time in Hawaii grew, in addition to studying the cultures and geography of Hawaii and its inhabitants, he began to grow interested in the myths and legends both already present and brought in by other cultures. This, combined with a childhood love of ghost stories, led him to create what he would later call the Obake Files (the word obake being a Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
word for ghost absorbed into Hawaiian Pidgin
Hawaiian Pidgin
Hawaii Pidgin English, Hawaii Creole English, HCE, or simply Pidgin, is a creole language based in part on English used by many "local" residents of Hawaii. Although English and Hawaiian are the co-official languages of the state of Hawaii, Pidgin is used by many Hawaii residents in everyday...
).
Obake Files
Obake Files series
The Obake files (documented in his books Obake Files, Secret Obake Casebook, and Obake: Ghost Stories in Hawaii) drew extensively from his interviews with residents and newspaper clippings of events that had been reported in Hawaii. He noted the correlation between some of these legends to ones from other nations, and that as the native HawaiianNative Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
population declined, more spirits and legends (such as the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese kappa) from abroad would be seen in the islands than native ones (such as Nightmarchers
Nightmarchers
In Hawaiian legend, Nightmarchers are the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors. On the nights of Kane, Ku, Lono, Akua, or on the nights of Kaloa they are said to come forth from their burial sites to march out to past battles or to other sacred places. They march at sunset and just before the sun...
).
Chicken Skin series
Unlike the Obake Files, Grant's sense of the theatrical often led him to weave himself (and sometimes friends and colleagues) into the stories directly. For these stories he called them The Chickenskin Files (named after "chicken skin", the Hawaiian PidginHawaiian Pidgin
Hawaii Pidgin English, Hawaii Creole English, HCE, or simply Pidgin, is a creole language based in part on English used by many "local" residents of Hawaii. Although English and Hawaiian are the co-official languages of the state of Hawaii, Pidgin is used by many Hawaii residents in everyday...
term for goose bumps
Goose bumps
Goose bumps, also called goose flesh, goose pimples, chill bumps, chicken skin, funky spots, Dasler Bumps, chicken bumps or the medical term cutis anserina, are the bumps on a person's skin at the base of body hairs which may involuntarily develop when a person is cold or experiences strong...
). These books often portrayed Grant as a professor somewhere between his normal self and Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
, setting out to see the mysteries of Hawaii and other places (Japan was the setting of one story) where legends had been imported to the island.
Chicken Skin radio show
Due to the popularity of his works, he soon earned a two-hour spot on local radio for his storytelling. Though the show had been named after the latter series, it was tailored mostly after the Obake Files in general, with investigations and interviews with residents and other experts on Hawaiian legends, some discussion of legends abroad and in other parts of the U.S., with the last half-hour of the show dedicated to a Chicken Skin-style story, usually featuring local voice talent or show staff members in roles.Though the show was mostly scripted, there were moments of spontenaity. In a 1981 broadcast, Grant dismissed as rumor the May 19, 1959 Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu Advertiser
The Honolulu Advertiser was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions...
report of a mujina
Noppera-bo
The , or faceless ghost, is a Japanese legendary creature. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mujina, an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the mujina can assume the form of the other, noppera-bō are usually humans. Such creatures were thought to sometimes...
seen in Hawaii. In that article, Advertiser reporter Bob Krauss wrote about a woman's encounter with the Japanese mythical creature at the Waialae Drive-In Theatre in Kahala. A caller immediately phoned him on the air, identifying herself as the witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
in the article. She then gave more details on the event, including the previously unreported detail that the mujina in question had red hair.http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/area51/hollow/6166/faceless.html&date=2009-10-25+12:34:17 As years passed, on the show Grant himself later reported on a number of other mujina sightings in Hawaii, from ‘Ewa Beach to Hilo.
In addition to his radio work on Chicken Skin radio, he occasionally reported for National Public Radio as a cultural expert on Hawaiian legends.
Other works
In addition to his Obake Files, Grant wrote numerous other books on Hawaii, its geographyGeography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and its culture, such as his From Skies of Paradise series on Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
and the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
; Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
Yesteryear, a book on the history of the famed Honolulu district; Honolulu Mysteries, a series of detective novels based in 1930s and 40s-era Oahu; and Onipa'a: Five Days in the History of the Hawaiian Nation, a book on the history of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
.
He also co-wrote a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
on Hawaiian-born astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Ellison Onizuka
Ellison Onizuka
was a Japanese American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-51-C, before losing his life to the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as Mission Specialist for mission STS-51-L...
.
Later years
In his later years, Grant opened a cafe in the Moiliili district of Honolulu called The Haunt. The cafe, an odd collection of B-Film memorabilia, books on folklore and mythology, and various other items from the occult to comics, was created as a home for "the creative and offbeat." http://starbulletin.com/2003/06/20/features/story2.html The Haunt would later be expanded with the addition of an upstairs séanceSéance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
room, designed in the idea of 19th century-era American rooms of the kind.
In addition to the Haunt, Grant and volunteers started the Honolulu Ghost Walks, tours of local places in Hawaii tied in to ancient mythology and current folklore. He also started "Obake Night" at the local Moiliili Festival, in order to continue the tradition of storytelling with groups.
On 19 June 2003, he died from cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Kaena Point
Kaena Point
thumb|240px|Kaena Point as seen from Kāneana on the south shore near Mākua CaveKaena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oahu. The point can be reached by foot from both the West and the East coastlines; walking in from the north side is recommended...
on the far western edge of Oahu. Some have said this to be the ideal resting place for Grant, as Hawaiian mythology places Kaena Point as the bridge between the worlds of the living and the dead.
External references
- Glen Grant was teacher, storyteller, Honolulu AdvertiserHonolulu AdvertiserThe Honolulu Advertiser was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions...
, 2003-06-20 - Storyteller upheld spirit of Moiliili Honolulu Star-BulletinHonolulu Star-BulletinThe Honolulu Star-Bulletin was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii...
, 2003-06-20 - In Memoriam: Glen Grant - memorial page from Mutual Publishing Co, Grant's longtime publisher
- Glen Grant is Gone - remembrance board about the late folklorist
- KWAIDAN: the home page of restless spirits - a shrine page to the late Glen Grant
Phil Grant, Glen's older brother; Brawley, CA