► 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

► Chinese Lore for Chinese-Hawaiians - 3: Chinese Religion

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Wednesday, February 6, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor  

     Chinese Grandpa who lived in Honolulu was fortunate. He was near Chinese temples and scholars who conducted Chinese language schools.

     Chinese Grandpa who live in the country of had to walk miles to consult a scholar who could translate or write Chinese letters for him or advise him of festival dates in the Chinese Almanac.

     Grandpa did not attempt to keep the worship days of all deities.

     He had a particular deity to who he was devoted - perhaps Kuan Yin - and he made his devotions regularly on the First day of the new moon and on the 15th day of the lunar month.

     If he lived in the city, Grandpa may have had a statue of his special deity standing on a shelf with his ancestor tablet.

     He regularly placed offerings of wine, rice, and the three living things - fish, fowl and pork - before the figure.

PICTURE OF DEITY

     If he did not have a statue, he has a picture of the deity or a scroll with the name on it in Chinese characters.

     It was only in the temples that incense was lighted on the days devoted to the worship of deities.

     For instance, in the first month (February of 1957) almost every day is a worship day for some deity.

     The first day (Chinese New Year) is a big day. Offerings must be made to the high gods (four) - Seong Yin - the moon goddess - and to the ancestors.

     The second day of the first month is the day to make offerings to a great benefactor who invented the wheel. As a deified being, he is worship[p]ed as Chia (carriage) Kung (male).

DAYS OF WORSHIP

     Sung Thunz Yang is worship[p]ed on the third day, the goddess who protects the bamboo container which holds chopsticks is worship[p]ed on the fourth, the king of the grain on the eighth, the Jade Emperor Yuk Wong, on the ninth.

     Tu Sun, and earth god, is worship[p]ed on the 10th day of the first month; the moon goddess on the 15th; the god of order and pacification on the 16th; the door god on the 19th; the god of wealth and children, on the 20th and the great god of wealth on the 26th.

     Chinese remember the youth Chew Choi Tong Gee on the 20th day by telling their children about the unfortunate lad who abused his mother and accidentally killed her on the day he had intended to reform.

NEXT: Moon worship

* worship[p]ed  -  original to this text