Showing posts with label Big Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Island. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

► Kamohoalii Keleana Divided

Honolulu Star Bulletin. June 23, 1953 - Tales About Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor 

KAM(A)HOALII POSITION 
DIVIDED BY KAMEHAMEHA
HIDDEN ALII, No. 7

     The position of the human god and enforcer of the kapus, Kamoho[l]aii, seems to have been filled by one man at a time until the reign fo Kamehameha I (1782-1819).

     Since the human god was so important, the position was generally held by a younger son or a grandson of the king. Kamohoalii therefore was of the highest alii blood but of a junior line. as a member of the ruling family, he helped bolster the authority of the king.

     When Kamehameha became ruler of Kona on the Big Island, Kamohoalii was a priest whose real name was Kalani-nui-Kaleleau (The great prince Kaleleau). When he took the part of thehuma god in releigious services, he was called Kaho-alii (an elided form of Kamohialii). When he acted as marshall for the kapus, he was called Moopu'u. In geneologies he is either Kaho'alii I (Peer of the King) or Moopu'u I.

KALIKOOLANI
     The wife of his youth was the high born chiefess Kalikookalani, great granddaughter of King Keawe who ruled the Island of Hawaii about 1700. Their child was a son named Kama-alo. He was commonly called Kaho'alii II, as he was his father's successor in that office.

     During the time of Kamehameha the position of human god and marshal of the kapus became too big a job for one man, so the position was divided between two men.

     Kaho'alii II retained his father's position as the priest human god and his cousin was made marshal of the kapus and was called Moopu'u II.The two traveled together.

     Kaho'alii II has a son named Kalawainui and he in turn had a son of the same name. This child, Kalawainui II, was raised by Moopu'u II as his foster son.

     Moopu'u II and Kalai nui II are the chief characters that figure in our story of the hidden alii.

QUEEN'S RELATIONSHIP
     Queen Emma and her mother Kekala considered the family of Kalawainui I to be their closest relatives for the reason that Kalawainui's grandmother Kalikookalani  was also Queen Emma's ancestor.

     When Kalawainui was growing up, his grandmother Kalikoolani (Bud of Heaven) has married Keliimaikai (Kalanimalo-kuloku-i-ke-pookalani), full brother of Kamehameha I. By Keliimaikai (The Good Chief) Kallikookalani had two children. They were a boy, Kekuaokalani and a girl Kaoanaeha.

    Kekuao(a)kalani, like his father grew up to be a priest and eventually died defending the old faith. The girl, Kaoanaeha, was given by Kamehameha to the Englishman John Young at the age of 8. She was the mother of Kekela and grandmother of Queen Emma. Kaoanaeha was aunt to the hidden alii.

Next: Hidden Alii, no. 8
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Source: https://familysearch.org/patron/v2/TH-300-43958-0-84/dist.pdf?ctx=ArtCtxPublic
     

► The Human God of Kamehameha

Honolulu Star Bulletin. June 22, 1953 - Tales About Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor 

THE HUMAN GOD OF KAMEHAMEHA

HIDDEN ALII, No. 6

     An important position in the preiesthood of old Hawaii on the Big Island was that of Kamohoalii, the priest who took the part of a human god in religious ceremonies.

     He became a human god in the minds of the Hawaians because his duty included the enforcement of kapus (taboos) which regulated worship of the great gods.

     It was much easier for Kamohoalii to decree the death penalty if the peoplethought of him as a god in human form. Death was a punishment for all those who broke the rules and regulations daown by the priesthood as the proper worship of the gods.

NAKED GOD
     To further the idea of his godhood, the Hawaiian priests had Kamohoa(m)alii take part in temple ceremonies naked. He only wore the garments of a priest only when traveling with the king. Nakedness was the symbold of modesty and by going naked, Kamahoalii showed is respect for the god he represented.

     Kamohoalii had many important fundctions to perform. He took part in the opening cermonies which opened the opelu fishing season and those which closed the opelu season and opened the aku fishing season.

     At the end of the month, when the moon disappeared for a night, he hid in a darkened house as the symbol of the dying moon renewing its life by spending the night with the great god Kane, giver of life. He spent the night praying life into the moon.

     During the harvest festival (Makahiki), he traveled with the banner of the god Lono and enforced the kapus for this god and incidentally helped gather the taxes.

PRIVILEDGES OF A GOD
     Wherever he went, Kamohoalii was preceeded by his own heralds whe carried his tabu stick which had the white feathers of the white haupu bird attached to one end.

     Being a god, Kamohoalii was allowed priviledges no other men possesed. He could eat with alii women without breaking his sanctity or harming them.

     But, the greatest of ll his privledges was the law which allowed him to break all kapus without offending.  For instance, when other male members of the alii were shut up for for four to 10 days at a time in a house within the temple to take part in a ceremony, he could that kapu without suffering the penalty of death.

     It was the priviledge that leads to our story of the hidden alii.


Next: Moopu I
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Source: https://familysearch.org/patron/v2/TH-300-43958-0-84/dist.pdf?ctx=ArtCtxPublic


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Lā Mana'o: Kilauea Volcano Lava Flow...

Where FIRE (ke ahi) meets SEA (ke kai)...
new EARTH ('aina) is born!



Hawaii Tales Retold Mo'olelo (stories) about Pele will begin tomorrow...