The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 9, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"
Daddy (David K.) Bray has found that haole "seekers of the truth" are very anxious to know about the offerings made to Hawaii's old gods and the meanings of the offerings.
The haole thinks there might be a clue to the secret which "unlocks" the powers of heaven in an offerings.
The human offering is the best known of all the mohai. Daddy Bray explains that the human being was offered to atone for sins just as it was in the Old Testament of the Bible.
The most common human offering was the enemy captured in battle. Enemy offerings were made the war god Ku-ka-ili-moku in the belief that the prowess and bravery of the enemy would become the property of the victor.
ABUSED POWERS
Daddy Bray says the priests of old Hawaii abused their powers just as some moderns abuse their authority. If a priest wanted to curry favor with his chief, he saw to it that the chief's enemy was sacrificed.
If the chief has a retainer who was a nuisance, the chief would get rid of the man by asking the priests to take him as a sacrifice. It was a splendid way of keeping down freedom of speech.
Awa, a narcotic drink, was the special offering to the gods. In modern times, brandy, and gin have been substituted because the Hawaiian word for brandy is palani and in Hawaiian, palani is the name of a certain kind of human sacrifice.
The Hawaiian for gin is gini, pronounced kini. The meaning of kini is "a multitude." so the Hawaiian offers gin and in doing so, asks for a multitude of blessings.
The list of food and plants used as offerings numbers about 20. Pig was the most important animal offering and taro the most important vegetable.
SPECIAL PIG
Just any pig would not do. The pig had to be a special breed and color fro the type of offering required and the god to whom it was to be offered.
Taro represented all life - the running water, the productive earth, fire and air.
Other offerings included fish from the sea, fish from the fresh water, eggs, chickens, bananas, seaweed, sugar cane, and certain material.
Each god had its particular list of offerings and the offerings varied according to sin to be forgiven or the purpose of the ceremony.
NEXT: The Gods
Showing posts with label taro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taro. Show all posts
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
► Chinese Lore for Chinese-Hawaiians - 4: Moon Worship
Honolulu Star Bulletin. Thurssday, February 7, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor
It is impossible today to say "this" is correct or "that" is correct in speaking Chinese customs.
The origins of many of these customs are lost in antiquity and there are many explanations given of them.
For instance, the worship of the moon goddess on the first and the
15th of the month.
Scholars have several explanations which derive from old Chinese literature.
DECREED BY EMPEROR
One literary source says the Moon Festival was decreed by the Emperor Ming of the East Han dynasty in 58 A.D. Another source says the festival is much older and tells of the origin of the Moon Festival on the 15th of the eighth month as proof.
During the turbulent years of the Ching dynasty, an Emperor escaped from his enemies and fled to the hills where he was starving.
On the night of the full moon of the eighth month, a great moon shone over the fields like daylight. The Emperor sent his people into the fields to look for food.
They found snails, peanuts, taro, and many kinds of fruits.
ESTABLISHES FESTIVAL
When the Emperor was restored to his throne, he set up the Moon Festival and told his people to make round, white cakes like the moon for the occasion.
Buddhists say the Moon Festival was inaugurated during the Tun dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.) to celebrate the victory of the Buddhist monks over the T'aoists in a great debate.
The Buddhists were then at the height of the influence at court and T'aoists with the people.
In the course of the debate the monks told how the disciples has asked Lord Buddha, "What is to become of our ancestors? They are not here to hear your message."
Buddha replied,
"Before I was born, there were many other Buddhas from who your ancestors may have received the message.
"You can offer sacrifices to the Buddhas on the 15th of the first month and ask them to intervene for your ancestors."
BUDDHIST VICTORY
Because of the Buddhist victory, the Emperor decreed the first moon festival to be held on the two days of the first full moon of the year (the 15th and 16th of the First Moon).
That is the festival celebrated today as the Lantern Festival.
NEXT: The Lantern Festival.
It is impossible today to say "this" is correct or "that" is correct in speaking Chinese customs.
The origins of many of these customs are lost in antiquity and there are many explanations given of them.
For instance, the worship of the moon goddess on the first and the
15th of the month.
Scholars have several explanations which derive from old Chinese literature.
DECREED BY EMPEROR
One literary source says the Moon Festival was decreed by the Emperor Ming of the East Han dynasty in 58 A.D. Another source says the festival is much older and tells of the origin of the Moon Festival on the 15th of the eighth month as proof.
During the turbulent years of the Ching dynasty, an Emperor escaped from his enemies and fled to the hills where he was starving.
On the night of the full moon of the eighth month, a great moon shone over the fields like daylight. The Emperor sent his people into the fields to look for food.
They found snails, peanuts, taro, and many kinds of fruits.
ESTABLISHES FESTIVAL
When the Emperor was restored to his throne, he set up the Moon Festival and told his people to make round, white cakes like the moon for the occasion.
Buddhists say the Moon Festival was inaugurated during the Tun dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.) to celebrate the victory of the Buddhist monks over the T'aoists in a great debate.
The Buddhists were then at the height of the influence at court and T'aoists with the people.
In the course of the debate the monks told how the disciples has asked Lord Buddha, "What is to become of our ancestors? They are not here to hear your message."
Buddha replied,
"Before I was born, there were many other Buddhas from who your ancestors may have received the message.
"You can offer sacrifices to the Buddhas on the 15th of the first month and ask them to intervene for your ancestors."
BUDDHIST VICTORY
Because of the Buddhist victory, the Emperor decreed the first moon festival to be held on the two days of the first full moon of the year (the 15th and 16th of the First Moon).
That is the festival celebrated today as the Lantern Festival.
NEXT: The Lantern Festival.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)