►Young Kalawainui Becomes Kaluhikai

Hawaii Star Bulletin
June 26, 1953
Clarice B. Taylor's Tales About Hawaii

The Young Kalawainui Becomes Kaluhikai

Hidden Alii, No. 11

     Moopu'u II lingered at Kaluanui on Windward Oahu long enough to collect a boatload of taxes with which he returned to Hawaii, thus making his trip look natural.

     During his stay on Oahu, he did not explain to his uncle about the temple incident. He casually said Kalawainui would like to stay on Oahu until the next tax collecting trip.

     So Moopu'u II returned to Hawaii alone. Months later he came back to Oahu with two canoes. One he loaded with tax goods, the other left Windward Oahu with two in it, himself and Kalawainui. 

     As the two canoes rounded Koko Head they parted company. The canoe loaded with tax goods sailed straight for Hawaii, the other coasted along the Oahu shoreline to Waianae.

     At Waianae the young Kalawainui stepped ashore to start a new and strange life as a fisherman. Moopu'u II paddled away without looking back.

THE FISHERMAN

     Kalawainui carried fishing equipment and a bundle wrapped in ti leaves to hide its beautiful tapa covering. When he met other fishermen, he answered their first question by saying his name was Kaluhikai (Tired and Weary). He said he came from over the Waianae mountains.

     Since it was impolite for a Hawaiian to ask too many questions, the Waianae people did not press Kaluhikai for further information about his family. They took it for granted that he did not know his geneology.

     Kaluhikai had no trouble making himself and home, for Hawaiian custom decreed hospitable treatment for all strangers.

     Time went by and Kaluhikai took a wife, the daughter of a Waianae fisherman, and the couple had four children.

HUMBLE FAMILY

     Kalehua, the wife, thought nothing strange about her husband and showed no curiosity when he hid a tapa covered bundle in their house and cautioned her never to open the bundle. She thought it probably an old family fishing god.

     And so Kaluhikai grew old and died when his four children were still young. Kalehua lived on the learn the true identity of her husband one day in 1870 when Queen Emma came to call and asked to see the hidden bundle.

     The four children were given family names when they came to the wards of Queen Emma. The family surname became Kaho'alii and the children received Christian given names as well as Hawaiian names.

     The oldest girl was Maud Niaupio Kaho'alii. She died while attending the Priory. The second girl, Fanny Malulani Kaho'alii married Abraham St. Chad Piianaia and had a family.

     The brothers were Alexander Kaho'alii and Ilihia Kaho'alii. Alexander died young and Ilihia became a teacher at the old Royal School. He, too, died without children, so Fanny's children were the only descendants of the Hidden Alii.

Next: Piianaia Family, Queen's Relatives.

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

► Molokai Iliili-opae: The Priests - 13

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Monday, January 28, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor

     The gods were in full attendance in Iliili-opae heiau at the Mapulehu on Molokai before the priests started their dedication ceremonies.

     The attendance of the gods was secured by the praying priests of whom there were two divisions, those who prayed all day without interruption and those who prayed all night.

     These priests were identified by their long hair which they wore knotted on the top of their heads and long beards which fell upon their breasts.

     After the temple had been decorated, these priests entered and sat in rows.


     Their prayers were concentrated on "calling the gods." The service was protracted because each god had to be called by name and his attributes enumerated.

     If the service went properly and no one forgot his lines or confused the words, then the voices of the priest were heard "beyond the clouds" and the gods answered the invitation to attend.

     After all, there was no sense of dedicating a temple to the gods if the gods were not there to receive the prayers of adulation and the offerings.

     There were several "schools" of priests, all of whom played part in the services. Each type of priest could be recognized at once by his garb.

     The priests of Ku were of the highest order. Their high priest wore a flowing robe of spotless white, a white bandeau about his head and he carried a staff.

     While performing on ceremony, he carried a staff of hi kauila wood; at another his staff was decorated with ohia leaves; at another with ieie vine.

     At the crucial point of the ceremony - making the offering - his staff was of ohia wood covered with white tapa cloth.


     The priests of Lono were the next highest in rank.

     They wore robes of pinkish-red, carried a staff covered with vines as needed for the ceremony and wore their hair skewered on top of their heads and daubed with red clay.

     A favorite decoration was made of the pala (lace) fern. With it was often used ohia leaves and blossoms.

DRESSED IN RED
     For important services, the king dressed in red. Since he stood beside the high priest, his red made a colorful contrast with the pure white of the priest.


Although the king was considered a high priest in these ceremonies, he was not required to know more than the answer to prayers and he was not required to keep the six to eight day fasts kept by the priests.

NEXT: Rituals