Unwritten Literature of Hawaii Part 45

[Footnote 354: _Lani_. Originally the heavens, came to mean king, chief, _alii_.]

[Footnote 355: There is a difference of opinion as to the meaning of _Kape'a ma_. After hearing diverse opinions the author concludes that it refers to the rays of the sun that precede its rising--a Greek idea.]

[Footnote 356: _Unulau_. A name for the trade-wind which, owing to the conformation of the land, often sweeps down with great force through the deep valleys that seam the mountains of west Maui between Lahaina and Maalaea bay; such a wind squall was called a _mumuku_.]

[Footnote 357: _Uk.u.mehame_. The name of a deep valley on west Maui in the region above described.]

[Footnote 358: _Papawai_. The princ.i.p.al cape on west Maui between Lahaina and Maalaea bay.]

[Footnote 359: _k.u.mu-kahi_. A cape in Puna, the easternmost part of Hawaii; by some said to be the sun's wife, and the object of his eager pursuit after coming out of his eastern gate Ha'eha'e. The name was also applied to a pillar of stone that was planted on the northern border of this cape.

Standing opposite to it, on the southern side, was the monolith Makanoni. In summer the sun in its northern excursion inclined, as the Hawaiians noted, to the side of k.u.mukahi, while in the season of cool weather, called Makalii, it swung in the opposite direction and pa.s.sed over to Makanoni. The people of Puna accordingly said, "The sun has pa.s.sed over to Makanoni," or "The sun has pa.s.sed over to k.u.mukahi," as the case might be. These two pillars are said to be of such a form as to suggest the thought that they are phallic emblems, and this conjecture is strengthened by consideration of the tabus connected with them and of the religious ceremonies peformed before them. The Hawaiians speak of them as _pohaku eho_, which, the author believes, is the name given to a phallus, and describe them as plain uncarved pillars.

These stones were set up in very ancient times and are said to have been tabu to women at the times of their infirmity.

If a woman climbed upon them at such a period or even set foot upon the platform on which one of them stood she was put to death. Another stringent tabu forbade anyone to perform an office of nature while his face was turned toward one of these pillars.

The language of the mele, _Ke hahai ae la e like me k.u.mukahi_ (verse 16), implies that the sun chased after k.u.mukahi.

Apropos of this is the following quotation from an article on the phallus in Chambers's Encyclopedia: "The common myth concerning it [the phallus] was the story of some G.o.d deprived of his power of generation--an allusion to the sun, which in autumn loses its fructifying influence."

In modern times there seems to have grown up a curious mixture of traditions about these two stones, in which the old have become overlaid with new superst.i.tions; and these last in turn seem to be dying out. They are now vaguely remembered as relics of old demiG.o.ds, petrified forms of ancient _kupua_.[360] Fishermen, it is said, not long ago offered sacrifices to them, hoping thus to purchase good luck. Any offense against them, such as that by women, above mentioned, or by men, was atoned for by offering before these ancient monuments the first fish that came to the fisherman's hook or net.

Mention of the name k.u.mu-kahi to a Hawaiian versed in ancient lore called up to his memory the name of Pala-moa as his a.s.sociate. The account this old man gave of them was that they were demiG.o.ds much wors.h.i.+ped and feared for their power and malignity. They were reputed to be cannibals on the sly, and, though generally appearing in human form, were capable of various metamorphoses, thus eluding detection. They were believed to have the power of taking possession of men through spiritual obsession, as a result of which the obsessed ones were enabled to heal sickness as well as to cause it, to reveal secrets, and to Inflict death, thus terrifying people beyond measure. The names of these, two demiG.o.ds, especially that of Palamoa, are to this day appealed to by pract.i.tioners of the black arts.]

[Footnote 360: The Hawaiian alphabet had no letter _s_. The Hawaiians indicated the plural by prefixing the particle _na_.]

[Page 198]

[Translation]

_Song_

Awake now, Kahiki-ku; Awake now, Kahiki-moe; Awake, ye G.o.ds of lower grade; Awake, ye G.o.ds of heavenly rank.

5 A serenade to thee, O king.

Awake thee!

Awake, it is day, it is light; The Day-G.o.d his arrows is shooting, Unulau his eye far-flas.h.i.+ng, 10 Canoe-men from Uku-me-hame Are astir to weather the windy cape, The boat-baffling cape, Papa-wai, And the boisterous A-nahe-nahe.

Awake thee!

15 Awake, day is come and the light; The sun-rays stab the skin of the deep; It pursues, as did G.o.d k.u.mu-kahi To companion with G.o.d Maka-noni; The plain of Apua quivers with heat.

20 Awake thee!

Awake, 'tis day, 'tis light; The sun stands over Waihoa, Afloat on the breast of ocean; The iwa of Leinoai is preening 25 On the cliff Maka-iki-olea.

On the breast of naked Lehua.

Awake thee! awake!

The following is a prayer said to have been used at the time of awa-drinking. When given in the hula, the author is informed, its recitation was accompanied by the sound of the drum.

_He Pule no Pele_

PALE I

O Pele la ko'u akua: Miha ka lani, miha ka honua.

Awa iku, awa lani; Kai awaawa, ka awa nui a Hiiaka, 5 I kua i Mauli-ola;[361]

He awa kapu no na wahine.

E kapu!

Ka'i kapu kou awa, e Pele a Honua-mea; E kala, e Haumea wahine, 10 O ka wahine i Kilauea, Nana i eli a hohonu ka lua O Mau-wahine, o Kupu-ena, O na wahine i ka inu-hana awa.

E ola na 'kua malihini![362]

PALE II

15 I kama'a-ma'a la i ka pua-lei; E loa ka wai apua, Ka pii'na i Ku-ka-la-ula;[363]

Hoopuka aku i Puu-lena, Aina a ke Akua i noho ai.

[Page 199] 20 Kanaenae a ke Akua malihini;[362]

O ka'u wale iho la no ia, o ka leo, He leo wale no, e-e!

E ho-i!

Eia ka ai!

[Footnote 361: _Maull-ola_. A G.o.d of health; perhaps also the name of a place. The same word also was applied to the breath of life, or to the physician's power of healing. In the Maori tongue the word _mauri_, corresponding to _mauli_, means life, the seat of life. In Samoan the word _mauli_ means heart. "Sneeze, living heart" (_Tihe mauri ora_), says the Maori mother to her infant when it sneezes. For this bit of Maori lore acknowledgment is due to Mr. S. Percy Smith, of New Zealand.]

[Footnote 362: According to one authority, at the close of the first canto the stranger G.o.ds--_akua malihini_--who consisted of that mult.i.tude of G.o.dlings called the _Kini Akua_, took their departure from the ceremony, since they did not belong to the Pele family. Internal evidence, however, the study of the prayer itself in its two parts, leads the writer to disagree with this authority. Other Hawaiians of equally deliberate judgment support him in this opinion. The etiquette connected with ceremonious awa-drinking, which the Samoans of to-day still maintain in full form, long ago died out in Hawaii. This etiquette may never have been cultivated here to the same degree as in its home, Samoa; but this poem is evidence that the ancient Hawaiians paid greater attention to it than they of modern times. The reason for this decline of ceremony must be sought for in the mental and esthetic make-up of the Hawaiian people; it was not due to any lack of fondness in the Hawaiian for awa as a beverage or as an intoxicant. It is no help to beg the question by ascribing the decline of this etiquette to the influence of social custom. To do so would but add one more link to the chain that binds cause to effect. The Hawaiian mind was not favorable to the observance of this sort of etiquette; it did not afford a soil fitted to nourish such an artificial growth.]

[Footnote 363: The meaning of the word _Ku-ka-la-ula_ presented great difficulty and defied all attempts at translation until the suggestion was made by a bright Hawaiian, which was adopted with satisfaction, that it probably referred to that state of dreamy mental exaltation which comes with awa-intoxication. This condition, like that of frenzy, of madness, and of idiocy, the Hawaiian regarded as a divine possession.]

[Translation]

_A Prayer to Pele_

CANTO I

Lo, Pele's the G.o.d of my choice: Let heaven and earth in silence wait Here is awa, potent, sacred, Bitter sea, great Hiiaka's root; 5 'Twas cut at Mauli-ola-- Awa to the women forbidden, Let it tabu be!

Exact be the rite of your awa, O Pele of the sacred land.

[Page 200] 10 Proclaim it, mother. Haumea, Of the G.o.ddess of Kilauea; She who dug the pit world-deep, And Mau-wahine and Kupu-ena, Who prepare the awa for drink.

15 A health to the stranger G.o.ds!

CANTO II

Bedeck now the board for the feast; Fill up the last bowl to the brim; Then pour a draught in the sun-cave Shall flow to the mellow haze, 20 That tints the land of the G.o.ds.

All hail to the stranger G.o.ds!

This my offering, simply a voice, Only a welcoming voice.

Turn in!

25 Lo, the feast!