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Marie Alohalani Brown

Kaʻu Wahi Pūʻolo


"Kaʻu wahi pūʻolo"(my little bundle) derives from the use of pūʻolo (bundle, container) as metaphor for "message or topic." 

This is a blog about Hawaiian Religion. A frequent topic is its continuity despite the fact that it was officially abolished in 1819 and despite massive efforts to Christianize Hawaiians in the 19th and 20th centuries. A good portion of this blog is dedicated to sharing articles on Hawaiian religion from 19th- and 20th-century Hawaiian-language newspapers and other sources. I use the electronic archives Papakilo Database and Ulukau for much of my online research. My translations here are just very rough drafts to offer the gist of the articles for those who are unable to access the Hawaiian language. 
Photo: Dawn at Kahoʻolawe, a sacred island and kino lau of the ocean deity Kanaloa. Across the ocean stands Haleakalā, another sacred mountain, on the island of Maui. ​

A Hawaiian pastor is criticized for also honoring Hawaiian deities.

7/28/2015

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 Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, August 11, 1888,
IT IS BETTER TO END THE REMNANTS OF IGNORANCE
     We received a letter from one of the islands relating the ignorant acts of a certain lay church official, and here is the letter's explanations.
     Here is the incredible thing this man did. He set aside some nights for prayer, and the prayer for those nights were ones dedicated to ancestral gods of darkness (fig. ignorance). This is what he did: he prepared the evening meal, then he chewed all the kava in the kava bowl. When the kava was ready, he called out: To you, all the ancestral gods from the east to the west, the heavens above and the earth below, the zenith to the horizon, I ask you to bestow the best blessings upon my foster child. 
     Say, is that appropriate way for a lay official to behave, teaching the good practices and the bad practices?
     Regarding the above question of this friend regarding whether the lay official’s actions are just; if he acts thusly, there is only one answer. It is inappropriate. 
  This remnant of hoʻomanamana among us, it is a great taint laid upon the nation/people in this time. The Hawaiian nation/people are called a nation/people firm in the Christian enlightenment.
     It is true, good works/actions have spread among the nation/people. The word of light has entered the nation/people. However, some seeds idol worship remain from the times of darkness, these are those things that are coming to light bit by bit in these districts in the way of ancestor worship, ʻanāʻanā prayers, and so on.
    It would be a good thing for pastors to closely observe these deeds, and also proceed to clean them out of their parishes. It has been heard that some of their pastors are engaging in these kinds of activities.
     If so, those who preach the gospel on the various islands would do well to intervene in connection with the pastors of that sort. It is inappropriate for people to practice hoʻomanamana, to worship images, and perhaps others things if they are pastors, lay officials, or Sunday school teachers. These things need to end once and for all.
     It is our understanding that these practices have increased in these last few years. If those things become a prime part of the churches and the Sunday schools, it is quite obvious what will be the result of those activities. It is up to the pastors and the associations to deal with what  has been presented here. If these kinds of activities increase, it will be but a moment before the light of the nation/people is put out.
     If the light of the churches are taken away,  there will only be the candle without light. This is a bad outcome for us. No one is able to care for the two lords.
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Rev. James Bicknell on Hoomanamana (circa 1890)

7/28/2015

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​James Bicknell’s treatise on hoʻomanamana, which he defines as "idolatry," is twelve pages long. According to bibliographer David W. Forbes, this work was probably published about the same time his article on kahuna appeared in The Friend (Forbes, Hawaiian National Bibliography, 1780–1900: 1881–1900 (Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1998: 335). In any case, this is the first page of this treatise. The importance of this work is that it evidences the continuity of Hawaiian religion seventy-one years after a small group of powerful aliʻi decided to abolish it in 1819. 


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A family in Kona is purported to have decided to offer itself as a sacrifice to Pele to save the population from a lava flow (1917).

7/28/2015

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Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, July 20, 1917.
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End The Ignorant Superstitious Practices.
     Not long ago, this newspaper published news about a family in Kona, Hawaiʻi, who believed the false prophecy of a young girl about the lava flow that would destroy certain places, and so the family left their home to go to the Kīlauea crater to offer their lives to Pele for their lives so that the aliʻiwahine [queen] of the volcano would spare the population.
     This is one of the ignorant behaviors connected to the worship of god images, which are well known and common among many families in this time of enlightenment; the time of ignorance is long past, but here it is, reigning among a certain portion of the Hawaiian people. 
     Those peoples' ignorance  is clear; in their mistaken belief in the false prophecy of sordid spirits, they nearly ended their lives on that road if help had not arrived at the right time. When would the god who led those people have arrived to save their lives?
     Perhaps many people of this kind live among Hawaiians, who believe in hoʻomanamana  and hoʻomanakiʻi [worship of idols]; the Kuokoa will teach them, and they will leave behind their beliefs from the time of ignorance, and believe that there is only one God, and in believing in his Name, will have their sins forgiven, and obtain life in the body and the soul.

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Rev. James Bicknell's 1890 newpaper article on kahuna and their practices.

7/28/2015

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Hoomanamana rites conducted on the night that King Kalākaua was laid in state (1891)

7/28/2015

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Ka Leo o ka Lahui, February 17, 1891.
Hoʻomanamana Practices.
     In the evening that the coffin of King Kalākaua was placed on view, a half-Hawaiian and half-caucasian woman directed ceremonies associated with Hawaiian kahuna. After she led her followers, arriving to and entering the mausoleum of the Aliʻi Parent Keohokalole. The activities of these people who dwell in ignorance and follow the instructions of kahuna who practice ʻanāʻanā [generally translated as "sorcery"], Kalakea and the deceitful practitioners, is to thwart God's righteous Prophet Daniel. The Christian name of the Hawaiian Nation/People is dirtied by the deeds of these disciples of Satan under the direction of idol-worshipping Ministers,  under a woman who acts as a medium for gods just as Saul who was deceived. 

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The Practice of Hoomanamana (1886)

7/28/2015

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Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, February 20, 1886
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The Practice of Hoʻomanamana.

The Kuokoa; Aloha.
     It is very sad and painful for pious people to continually hear about the pagan practices of Hānuna (Haʻiʻōlelo) among the united churches of Kailua and Helani.
     During the last days of the election, J. G. Hoapili organized a banquet at Keauhou for  J. K. Nāhale, the candidate for the House of Representatives, a pig and kava were prepared because S. W. Mahelonoa (attorney) was a kahuna [Note: kahuna as in church pastor or kahuna as in practitioner of Hawaiian religion? According to his obituary, he seems like he enjoyed good standing  as a Kawaiahaʻo Church member]. At Kahaiuu, J. G. Hoapili and others did something similar, but Hānuna was however the kahuna of that work at Kahaluʻu, which was divination, etc. 
     Hānuna had done many things that are improper, and his wife was well-learned in many things, but she did not gain wisdom. 
   Sam. Māʻalo.

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Hoomanamana Activities at Kauaʻi (1891)

7/28/2015

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Ka Nupepa Kuokoa 18 April 18, 1891.

Here are the Acts of Hoʻomanamana
         ______
J. U. Kawainui, Esq.,
     Aloha: 
     On March 29, we saw a man named Nāʻohenui passing in front of our homes with a bucket and gathering ʻilima (a plant that has flowers that range from bright yellow to orange-red). He went all the way to the beach near where the pōhuehue vine grows (a variety of morning glory that grows on the beach), and plucked some leaves and put them in the bucket. He took it to down to sea, and then turned back and went to the gate of J. W. Lota's house. He stood there for a few minutes, and then began performing the pīkai ritual (cleansing ritual that includes sprinkling saltwater). He did the pīkai on the plants near the gate with the seawater in the bucket, above and below, east and west. He did that on both gates, then, he began doing the pīkai on the street leading to the store of Kiwo. These people are frequenting deceitful Hawaiian kahuna to seek a way to separate the daughter from the husband. 
                                                                                     Keonepuakoai.
                                                                                     Hanalei, Kauaʻi,
​                                                                                     Apr. 2, 1891.                            

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The Hoomanamana Case (1887)

7/28/2015

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Ka Elele, February 12, 1887.

The Hoʻomanamana Case
     At 9 o'clock in the morning of Friday past, February 4, the Aha Hoʻomalu [Police Court] heard the hoʻomanamana case of Paʻahao (f).
     This woman who practices hoʻomanamana is young, and that kind of practice is unsuitable, and her gods she prays to are "Kamohoaliʻi" and "Laukiomanoikahiki," the latter bring the fish-tailed woman [mermaid] of Kepohoni. Some of her false prophecies were made known to the Aha. Namely, she asked John for five dollars, then, within five days, that Chinese person Kana Huka who ran away would be found. But, only three days, the police found that Chinese fugitive outside of Pāwaʻa [Honolulu].
     When she was asked about the fact that her prophecy did not come to pass, she replied, "My God returned to the Cape of Kepohoni." Such duplicity. Their kauwila wood rod for Kamohoaliʻi was brought before the Court, one taro with leaves of the kind called lauloa, and some stones of the "ʻalā" type [waterworn volcanic stones that are dense rather than porous], one silver/money cup containing alcohol. According to them, this cup was a money collecting cup for their gods. If that cup was set aside in the evening without money in it, when it was fetched the next morning, it would be full of money. Many people were taken in by this, believing it to be true, but there these two were, filling it up with money at night while people slept. Such duplicity.

     Mrs. Kāʻili revealed to the Court that [they] were able to get $60 because of their lies at this place. That female kahuna was fined: [she was sentenced to] ten work days and [ordered to pay a] fine to the Court.

Note:  One of the valuable things about this article is that it offers information on the god named Laukiomanoikahiki.



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Hoomanamana Artifacts (1880)

7/27/2015

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Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, 14 February 1880.
Hoʻomanamana-related things      

Mr. Editor. Aloha:--
     I have some news to give you, and here it is. Last Monday, at the Puʻukolo, some old things pertaining to hoʻomanamana kahiko (ancient  worship) were burned, namely, a mat called "Opaneʻe i ka loa a me Paneʻe i ka laulā" [Push to the height and Push to the breadth], a kava bowl, and four kava cups. 
    Moreover, last Thursday at Kauanonoʻula [Honolulu], some other things pertaining to hoʻomana kahiko [ancient/traditional religion] were burned, namely, a fishing line and some other things.
     Woe! Ignorance is great. 
     Here is the reason that it was burned, it was under the leadership of some youths who have come to know the True God, and determining that which is ignorant. God is in the heaven and the Life in heaven.
     Oh! How wonderful to give it up? If that is so everyone should give up their bundle of this kind, how truly wonderful.

   I am,
   R. K. Kaikiomeheula.
     We think that it is not the last remainder of darkness, but, there is more. 
    We are grateful to the youths of this type, who entered into the light (wisdom) and escape the darkness (ignorance). [L. H.] 
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Hīlea (f) and her Hoomanamana Gods (1875)

7/27/2015

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Ka Leo Lahui, February 4, 1875
Lahui Hawaii; Aloha:--
     May it please you Editor, to allow me a bit of room in your body so that you can show before the public those words "Hilea me kona Akua Hoomanamana."
     Here at Puaʻahala, Molokai, a woman named Hīlea, with her gods Pūnohu and Kahala, is healing certain people; many people have turned to this evil handiwork. It is something that embarrasses me to observe, people who were taught knowledge joining in the filth, who had been teachers before, and at this time, are the kava chewers for the gods of Hīlea. In last few days, Hīlea predicted that a school of fish would appear at Honouli, akule [big-eyed scad]. Many people went there because of her words, but they returned with nothing. Hīlea was taken before the Associate Court Judge of Molokai to be fined, and because of false testimony, hiding the misdeed,  the offense was dismissed. The time of ignorance has passed, enlightenment has appeared, when will the dimness afflicting the sight cease? If the eyes are closed at the drinking of kava, here is the time to stop that error, and remember, there one GOD in  Heaven. "To obey is life, to disobey is death."
With aloha, 
Molokai.

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