► Molokai's Iliili-Opae - 4: Materials

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Thursday, January 17, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor 

     Before the Molokai king started the construction work on the great heiau (stone temple) to be erected at Mapulehu, the high priest drew the outlines of the propose temple in the sand.

     The high priest was his own architect. He did not require a professional; neither did have to follow the plans of other heiau.

      He could improvise and follow the outlines of the site to make the most of his beauties.

ENORMOUS TASK
     The king at once saw the enormities of his task. The stone walls would require great boulders and the great platforms would need tons of small water polished pebbles for paving.

     You would think that the priest would be satisfied to have the king's men go onto Mapulehu ridge and quarry the big stones for the walls.

     Anything so simple would not do.

     The priest had been visited by a god, in a dream and had been told to bring the rock and pebbles for the heiau from across the mountains at Wailau on the north coast of Molokai.

Wailau

  Photo Credit

 3,150 FEET HIGH
     This required the carrying of great stones from Wailau at sea level, up to Wailau stream through forests to the mountain ridge 3,150 feet high, down the Mapulehu stream to the ridge site.
     To accomplish the feat, the king set everybody in his realm to work - even the chiefs and their women. He himself worked to set an example.

     The people were lined up across the mountain ridge in a single file to Wailau.

HAND TO HAND
     The great rocks were passed from hand to hand and the women carried baskets of waterworn pebbles.

     The job was so tremendous that the people grumbled, particularly when the food began to give out and the workers were issued one little opae (shrimp) each day.

      Modern Hawaiians say the temple received its name, Iliili-opae (single shrimp) from the starvation days when the workers were fed a single shrimp.


PRACTICAL MAN
      The Molokai king was a practical man and did not attempt to build the great heiau all in one year.
     He probably put the priests off by telling that they too would starve unless the people were allowed to go back to their farming and fishing.


NEXT: Great size

► Molokai's Iliili-Opae - 3: Construction

Note: Although No. 2 indicates this section as "The Predication," it was entitled as "Construction." The title exchange does not take away from the flow of the story. Enjoy.

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Wednesday, January 16, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor 

     The construction of a great heiau (stone temple) in ancient Hawaii was a community undertaking.

     It required the co-operation of the Ke Alii (reigning king) who could commander every man, woman and child in his kingdom to work on the project.

     Construction work could not be started until the crops had been harvested and sufficient food stockpiled to feed the king and priests (in the manner to which they were accustomed) and the workers.

FORGOTTEN
     The Iliili-Opae heiau on Molokai is so many hundreds of years old that the people long ago forgot the name of the king who built it, so they began to believe that the menehunes had built it.

As a matter of fact, it is probably about 700 years old and was built in the 13th century about the time of Umi.

     This conjecture can be made because the heiau architecture follows the pattern believed to have been introduced by Umi of the Island of Hawaii.

     In all probability, the high priest who first obtained the beautiful site from the ruler said nothing about a heiau plan until after the king had accompanied a successful raid on Maui (as predicted by the priest).

     The priest waited until the following winter when the King again wanted a prophecy.

     At the oracle service, attended by the King, the priest prophesied success to the king, provided the king first built a temple at Mapulehu.

COMMON DEVICE
     This was a common device and justifiable, for the king was not allowed to go to war during the Makahiki (fall harvest festival).

Dedication of the first fruits to Lonoikamakahiki

 Photo Credit

     At the close of Makahiki, the dutiful king was supposed to go about the land rebuilding old temples and rededicating them or build a new temple according to the oracle.

     A king had to do what the priest said in the oracle or he was certain to be punished by the gods.
     Old Hawaii legends are full of stories of kings who were sassy to their high priests or who refused to obey the oracle.

     In every case, the king was severely punished. He generally ended life as a sacrifice on the temple altar to the gods.

     The Molokai king who built Iliile-Opae probably threatened his high priest with death, but he went ahead and ordered the constructed started.

NEXT: The Work

He mana'o

Kahuna (priests) held a lot of power to influence an Alii (king). Makes me question who was in charge of the land, people and procession of developments. What if a kahuna was corrupt? Who is in charge when an Alii is murdered by order of a Kahuna? Imagine the fear of the people - emotionally and spiritually? Another interesting part of the story is the indication of forgotten Alii and works were explained away as having Menehune involvement.

Did you catch the word, "sassy" in the text?  - "... kings who were sassy to their high priests..." I liked how the author used the word to describe uncooperative kings. I remember my grandparents using that context.

► Molokai's Iliili-Opae - 2: How Obtained

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Tuesday, January 15, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor 

     Neglected heaps of stones on Mapulehu ridge in southeastern Molokai mark the remains of the second largest heiau (stone temple) in all Hawaii.

     The name Mapulehu (dust-rising wind) indicates that the beautiful site was always fanned by a breeze.

     The heiau site is by a middle ridge between Mapulehu and Punaula ridge (Red Coral Ridge) a short distance inland from the southeast coast of Molokai.

     It overlooks Kalohi Channel to the Island of Maui.

BEAUTIFUL SITE 
     The site is beautifully situated. Fresh water streams ran by it in ancient days to feed the fertile lands below the ridge and the fishponds situated near the shore.

     Judging from the size of the heiau and the number of men required for its construction, the surround lands and the seacoast must have been well populated.

     From earliest times, Molokai was noted for its great priests, men of intelligence and mana (spiritual power) gained by constant prayer.

SPECULATION
     We can imagine how these intellectuals gained the Mapulehu site for the heiau. 
     It presumably happened after the ruling Ke Alii had asked the priests to observe religious ceremonies which would forecast whether or not he would be successful in his next raid on his neighbors across the channel.

     Ke Alii was present at the service conducted under rigid kapu.

     He heard the priests predict success for him and he feld secure in their prophecy since no sound had been heard during the service - all had been absolutely quiet.

A QUESTION
     At the end of the ceremony while eating the pig which the king had provided for the sacrifice, the high priest turned to the king and asked:

     "How was our service?"

     The king jubilantly replied,

     "Fine, fine."

     The high priest quickly said,

     Then could yo not give me that piece of land at Mapulehu? I want it for my kilokilo (star gazer) so that he can watch the heavens through a clear sky and forecast the star signs."

     The king could do nothing else but say "yes."

Next: The Prediction. 

*  Note: The word, "feld" is original to this text.