► The Kahuna and the Ostracized One

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Thursday,June 18, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

      The Hawaiian ostracized from the family by an elder who hurls the words Moku ka piko "the umbilical cord is cut" lived a sad existence in old Hawaii.

     With no aumakua (personal god) to guide him, the offender made serious mistakes in life and had no one to help him.

     His family shunned him. They gave him no food, no clothing and offered no shelter. He could not go with members of the family on fishing expeditions.

     Perhaps he lived a gay and colorful life -  but this did not last long. Eventually his sin overtook him and suffered.

MAY INTERVENE

     Often the offender became mentally sick and physically sick. His family might then intervene for him and call in the Kahuna to help bake the pig and make amends...amends could only be made by asking forgiveness.

     If the offended one was an upright person, he or she would go to the sick offenders house and forgive. If not, the elder might allow the sick one to die.

     True ostracism took place at the death of an offender. None of the relatives went near the corpse...no one contributed to the funeral foods - no one mourned.

     Since his aumakua had deserted him in life, the aumakua deserted him in death. With no aumakua to guide the soul, the soul became a wandering spirit...relentlessly seeking love and food.

     Because the royal families of all the Islands were inter-related, moku ka piko became a formality of war.

     Before embarking upon war, an elder in the family - often the woman - was sent to the enemy and tried to make piece. When her efforts failed, she pronounced the words Moku Ka Piko.

INCIDENT

     One of the last historical incidents took place in early 1819.

     Kamehameha II had broken the eating kapu and hold burned the Images. His cousin Kekuaokalani gathered the defenders of the old faith and prepared to make war.

     Kamehameha's mother the Kapu Keopuolani, was sent to mend the breach. She failed and pronounced the words Mo ka piko la, e na hoa hanau," Severed are the umbilical cords, o cousins."

NEXT: Ho'oponopono 

* Note: Unfortunately the next segment was not included in my Grandmother's collection. "Ho'oponopono" will be added to KE HANA NEI : Works in Progress. No laila, for a time, stories of "KAHUNAISM" has come to an end.