Statewide County HI Archives News.....Wiki Mo'olelo Part 13 . November 6, 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/hi/hifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Darlene E. Kelley donkeyskid@msn.com November 16, 2008, 8:52 am Keepers Of The Culture, A Study In Time Of The Hawaiian Islands November 6, 2008 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E.Keley donkeyskid@msn.com November 6, 2008 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Hawai'i Keepers of the Culture A Study in Time, of the Hawai'ian Islands Wiki Mo'olelo - Part 13. by Darlene E. Kelley +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wiki Mo'olelo Part 13. Hawai'ian Legends Legends grow out of humankind's propensity to explain the world around them, and make a distinction between themselves and nature. The Hawai'ian culture brought forth a myriad of legends, many which bear strong simularities to those of other island groups in the Pacific. These legends laid a basis for religion, government and science. Families traced geneological lineages back to the gods and goddesses of legend. And two very strong concepts of Hawai'ian religin were upheld by these legends. One is Mana, a spiritual power that infuses people and objects, in differing amounts. Royalty, of course, possessed more mana than the common man. It was thought that contact between people or objects of differing amounts of man would have detrimental effects on the weaker of the two. The second was the Kapu system, which was basically a set of laws for every aspect of Hawai'ian life. Penalties for violating these laws were harsh, and often resulted in death. Chief and priests used this system in government, which led to an abuse of power. This system was abolished soon fter te death of Kamehameha the Great in 1819. Many legends are about heroes or heroines that are the secret offspring of a royal chief. They often overcome their enemies by having great skill in fighting, games, or riddling. Other protagonists have been portrayed as demigods, able to change shape. The Hawai'ian legends are full of dog men, shark men, rat men, bird men, and hog men. Sometimes, they are born as an inanimate object such as a rope. Many times, they are cared for by relatives other than their parents. Legends, of course, explain how life came to be. The Hawai'ian acknowledged many gods or supreme beings on varius levels, representing every object, facet of life, and aspect of nature. However, four gods are particularly distinguished and these include - Kane, the father of living creatures; Ku, the God of War; Kanaloa, the god of the land of departed spirits; and Lono, the God of growing things. Kane, Ku and Lono are considered to heve created the heavens, earth, the sun, moon, stars, spirits, mankind, and basically everything in existence. Kanaloa was the chief of the spirits, who did not want to act as servants and messengers to mankind as the Gods intended, and revolted. As a result, these spirits were cast down, and Kanaloa became the ruler of the Underworld, called Po. Other prominent gods and goddesses include the patrons of the activities that permented Hawai'ian life. Hina, who presided over women and labors; Laka, goddess of hula; and Kuula, the god of fisherman. There is also Pele, who presided over volcanoes and had a tumultuous relationship with Kamapuaa, the hog god, and diety, who enjoyed special protection from the gods. There are gods, lesser gods, sorcery gods, guardian gods, children of the gods who possessed supernatural powers, personal gods, and of course, ancestors that looked after their living families. Every part of ancient Hawai'ian life was touched by their religion, duties, and traditions. Legends provid us a window into the past, into an ancient culture and way of life. Many of the stories were lost as the ancient Hawai'ian were a culture that passed on their history, beliefs. and genealogy orally. However, what has bee preserved has been a rich resource for us today in learning ad understanding a lifestyle that has long since evoved in te modern world. ++++++++++ Polynesian Mythology The Polynesians of Hawai'i lived in a world created by their gods and heroes and felt a close involvement with them. the highest traditional lore were the province of the divine chief, the inspirational priest and the cereminial priest. Every Polynesian chief traced his geneology back to the gods and was therefore the living link with the mythological past.The inspirational preist was the mouthpiece of the gods, the oracle and diviner, who ws consulted before any events of importance. The ceremonial priest presided over the public ceremonies associated with the birth, installation and death of a chief, as well as those which regualted man's association with nature. The role of social commentator was also enjoyed by the Hula troupers of Hawai'i who used ki'i or marionettes, manipulated by ventriloquists, to tell simple dramatic tales, full of gossip and satirical comments. As well as bing entertainers, they served in a religious capacity at the great publio ceremonies , like the festival of the first groups for the god Lono , Laka, the goddess of the wildwood and sister of Lono was their patroness. Her presence was manifested in a small block of wood which was covered by a piece of yellow tapa and placed on the alter in special hula house. The Hula troupe comprised novices and experienced perforers who cae together under a kuma who was both leader, teacher, and business manager. As his troupe were not food producers, he founded a chief to act as patron. Training was strict and surrounded by usual tapus. Young aspirants were chosen for their beauty, grace, wit, and livelisness of imagination. The contrast between these vivaciou entertainers and the solem and dignified priests and bards were tremendous, but together they were guardian of the treditional lore and through them the Polynesians of Hawai'i consciously preserve and transmitted the esoteric truths enshrined in their mythoogy. +++++++++++++ Creation of the Cosmos Amongst the Plynesian genesis was conceived of either a process of growth or evolution from a intangible to a tangible state, or as the work of a pre-exisent, omniscient creator who brought matter into existence, gave form to the formless and set all in an stablished order. Other creation myths of the evolutionary type were completely personalosed. Thetwo elements became an earth mother and a sky father, who were the progeniters of the gods, the elements, the land and all living things. In myths of this type, the first born sons of the primal pair played an active part in creation; separating their parents, raising the sky and creating lands, plants and man The names and attributes of the greatest of these,the gods Tane, Tangaroa, Tu and Rongo were known throughout almost all of Polynesia except the west where Tangaroa or Tangaloa alone was known as the sole creater. +++++++++++ Gods Work For Man Ku's name means " to stand " and " to strike" and he was the god of war to whom human sacrifices were made. In Hawai'i, where he was known as Ku-of-the-deep-forest, Ku-of the- undergrowth, Ku-adzing-out-the -canoe. he was also the patron of wood workers; but he was also known as Ku-the-snatcher-of land and Ku-with-the-maggot-dropping- mouth, who received human sacrifuces. The famly of gods classed as Ku were formidable gods of war in Hawai'i. Rongo was known as Lono in Hawai'i. As Lono in the Hawai'ian Islands, he was the god of agriculture and was said to have introduced the Makahiki rite, a harvest festival that was a time on singing and celebration. The high priest was blindfolded for five days of merrymaking and the people indulged in wrestling matches and other sports.The Long god, an upright pole with a cross piece from which hung feather wreaths and long streamers of tapa was carried in a circuit of the island, Wherever it rested, tributes were exacted and when it reurns to the ruling chief's district, he ailed out to meet it. When he landed,a spear was thrown at him which was parried by a special attendant. A mock battle follows. The following day, there is feasting and the Net of Maoleha, a large meshed net full of food, was shaken out. If no food clung to the net, a season of plenty was certain. Tane, known as Kane in Hawai'i, signifies " man." He fulfilled many great tasks; separating earth and sky, beautifying theheavens and creating women. Kanes's lifegiving qualities were symbolised in myths and prayers as The-water-of-life-of-Kane. He was lord of the forest and all creatures who lived in it. All who used wood particularly the canoes builders invoked him. Hawai'ian traditins also stated that Kane and Kanaloa (Tangaroa) as they were known there came from Kahiki ( Tahiti ) and such old gods were not considered very important. Hawai'i, almost more than anywhere else in Polynesia, possessed a prolifereration of gods. ++++++++++++ Hina - The Universal Woman. Each story or cycle of stories in Polynesian mythology had its supporting cast and inmany of them, with the frequency of a refain, there appeared a character called Hina, who was someimes a woman and sometimes as goddess. The different facets of Hina's personality were most often revealed by her composite names. She was most closely associated with the moon, and although she rarely received the worship accorded male gods, she was highly regarded in Polynesian mythology. Her companion resembles Pele, the Hawai'ian goddess of volcanic fires, in tht both were said to command the lightening.. As such, she seems to be another aspect of Hina, herself, for the Hawai'ians say that Pele's human incarnation was Hina-ai-malama or Hina-who-eats- the-moon. There are many explanations of how Hina came to be in the moon. Hina's place for beating cloth was localised on many islands. The Hawai'ians believed that a certain long black rock, visible above the surf-line, and a spot on the island of Mau'i, was where she worked. Stories from that district described her both as the mother of Mau'i and the ancestress of Kaha'i ( Tawhaki ) and Laka ( Rata ) , who returned to the moon after a difference with her husband. The Hawai'ians attribute these procrative powers of Hina in yet another person called Haumea, mother of Pele. Sometimes they indentified with the first woman who they called not Hina, but La-ila-i or again Haumea was incarnated in himan form as Papa, the wife of Wakea ( Atea ), but in Hawai'i, Papa and Wakea were not the primal pair, they were the firt ancestors of the island chiefs. Hina-the -Bailer was Wakea's second wife, after Haumea. This tangle of relationships strengthens the impression that all these various female characters really represents aspects of one being who acted as both a cretive and destructive force. +++++++++++ Haumea, The Creator The Hawai'ians regared Haumea as the patroness of childbirth because he was said to have introduced natuaral childbirth. Before her, women were cut oen to deliver the child. As a reward she was granted the name " tree of changing leaves " or " tree of never ending vegetable food supply." In some versions, it was from this that Makalei came, the stick which has the power to attract fish. The Hawai'ian used a charred oiled stick for such a purpose. Haumea possessed powerful magic. She is said to have saved her husband Wakea from being sacrificed by passing through a trunk of a breadfruit tree with hm and escaping. As they fled, the fragments torn from her skirt changed into morning glory flowers. But Haumea, the great producer sometimes used her poweres destrutively. Some sy she withdrew the wild plants of the forest which people relied on when cultivated foods wre scarce. A trickster, Kaulu, broke her power by stealing cultivated plants from the gods and killed her by tossing her into the net of Maoleha Thsi was the net of divination in which food is tossed each year at the Makahiki ceremony. +++++++++++ Pele, The Destroyer Pele, the Hawai;ian goddess of volcanic fire, symbolised women at her most destructive. Like many other beings of Polynesian myth, she was a grea voyager. She was said to have come from Kahiki ( Tahiti ). Some say she was driven out by her elder sister whose husband she stole, or that she was driven towards Hawai'i by a flood. Others say that she simply longed to travel and, tucking her little sister Hi'iaka ( who was born in the shape of an egg ) under her arm, she set off on her journey to Hawai'i. ++++++++++++ Wonder-Workers and Tricksters Some of the most popular stories of Polynesia centered on characters who posessed extrordinary powers which derived from a supernatuarl source. The Hawai'ians called them Kupua and delighted in their adventures. They were born in non-human form, either as an egg which developed into a monsterous creature, or as a plant or inanimate object. They were usually brought up by their maternal grandparents who later supported them in their adventures with their magic. When they took human shape, their supernormal nature was apparent in their ability to transform themselves, stretch or shrink themselves, fly to the air, take giant strides over the land and perform great feat of strngth. Tales about them are concern with how they slew monsters, rescued maidens, defeated rivals and even disuting with the gods in all sorts of games of skill, riddling competitions and trials of strength. The most famous stretching Kupua of Hawai'i was Kana, who wasborn in the form of a rope and brought up by his grandmothr, Uli. He was asked to rescue a woman who had been abducted and placed on a island-hill. Each time Kana tried to reach her by growing taller, the hill grew taller too, lifting the girl further away. oon he became as thin as a cobweb and very hungy, so he went over to Hawai'i and put his head through his grandmother's door where she fed him. She also told him that an island was really a turtle whose stretching power lay in his slippers. Kana broke these off and rescued the girl. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Next - part 14. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/hi/statewide/newspapers/wikimool95nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/hifiles/ File size: 14.6 Kb