The Saturday Star Bulletin. Honolulu, T.H., February 2, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor
The ruins of Iliili-opae heiau at Mapulehu on Molokai are today neglected.
They are covered with a rank growth of guava, hau and keawe. A path near them is used by the Molokai people who travel across the mountain to Wailua on the northern beach.
By Christians, the ruins are called " the remains of ignorance and superstition."
By Hawaiians they are feared for the possible mana (spiritual power) which lingers in the stones.
It is a pity that no one takes an interest in them. The ruins should be cleaned up and made a tourist attraction.
A marker or pamphlet should tell the story of how services were conducted there and the history of the edifice.
Not all tourist would be interested, but many tourist would like to know the Polynesian tried to learn divine law through prayer and sacrifice.
FAMOUS PRIESTS
The priests who lived in Molokai colleges and the Molokai priests who worked alone where famous during the monarchy for their special mana.
Molokai priests prayed diligently. They were able to interpret the will of the gods and so derived this special mana (divine force) from their gods.
Since the gods of old Polynesia were just like human beings with the same characteristics, the priests who interpreted their laws were good students of human nature.
MANA IN STONES
The Molokai priests put their mana into the stones which were used to build the Molokai Heiau. The mana lingers today.
On other Islands, the stones from the great heiau were used to build roads and many Christian churches.
Such things did not happen to most Molokai heiau. Those who attempted to desecrate the temple stones were punished.
If used for a pig pen, the pigs died. If used for an irrigation ditch, the water refused to run through and sank into the ground.
If used to build the foundations of a house, death struck a member of the family.
It was dangerous to move the ............. unfortunately the end of this tract was not included. I hope to locate the remainder soon.
What do you think?
Knowing what you know now about the impact tourism and foreign concepts of land ownership and development has had on Hawaii-an resources, sacred sites and burial sites, what do you think about the author's commentary in this tract?
The ruins of Iliili-opae heiau at Mapulehu on Molokai are today neglected.
They are covered with a rank growth of guava, hau and keawe. A path near them is used by the Molokai people who travel across the mountain to Wailua on the northern beach.
By Christians, the ruins are called " the remains of ignorance and superstition."
By Hawaiians they are feared for the possible mana (spiritual power) which lingers in the stones.
It is a pity that no one takes an interest in them. The ruins should be cleaned up and made a tourist attraction.
A marker or pamphlet should tell the story of how services were conducted there and the history of the edifice.
Not all tourist would be interested, but many tourist would like to know the Polynesian tried to learn divine law through prayer and sacrifice.
FAMOUS PRIESTS
The priests who lived in Molokai colleges and the Molokai priests who worked alone where famous during the monarchy for their special mana.
Molokai priests prayed diligently. They were able to interpret the will of the gods and so derived this special mana (divine force) from their gods.
Since the gods of old Polynesia were just like human beings with the same characteristics, the priests who interpreted their laws were good students of human nature.
MANA IN STONES
The Molokai priests put their mana into the stones which were used to build the Molokai Heiau. The mana lingers today.
On other Islands, the stones from the great heiau were used to build roads and many Christian churches.
Such things did not happen to most Molokai heiau. Those who attempted to desecrate the temple stones were punished.
If used for a pig pen, the pigs died. If used for an irrigation ditch, the water refused to run through and sank into the ground.
If used to build the foundations of a house, death struck a member of the family.
It was dangerous to move the ............. unfortunately the end of this tract was not included. I hope to locate the remainder soon.
Knowing what you know now about the impact tourism and foreign concepts of land ownership and development has had on Hawaii-an resources, sacred sites and burial sites, what do you think about the author's commentary in this tract?
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