Katelyn Jones

Dance History 460

Research Paper

A Look into Traditional Hawaiian Culture through the Hula and Punia Knee Drum

In years past the Hawaiian culture created a unique particular dance called the Hula.

While remnants of this dance are still continued in the culture today, what is performed today

has indefinitely been altered from the traditional Hawaiian Hula. The original Hula shows

important insight into why Hawaiians dance and why it is so important to the culture.

Something interesting about Hawaiian dances is that the majority of them tell stories and often

they are about important historical events that are vital to the culture of today. In addition to

the traditional dancing that was a part of the hula there were also two types of handmade

drums called pahu drums that were used. The pahu drums, one used for religious ceremonies

and one used for celebration, give important insight into the Hawaiian history and the influence

that dance brought to the culture.

In traditional times the hula “was an elevated and dignified performance which required

skill and knowledge in the highest degrees for presentation of the most important occasions”

(Kaeppler Pahu and Punia 3). So this means that those who danced the hula were very talented

as well as in a higher class standing in order to have the privilege to perform at important

occasions. It main seem that the main focus of the hula is the dancing but one should also put

into account the poetry that accompanies as well as the steady beat of the drums. Only with all

of the pieces put together does the hula exist.

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In the book Hula Pahu Hawaiian Drum Dances Vol. 1: Sacred Movements there is a story

about a women named Eleanor Leilehua Hiram who studied the hula since she was born. The

history, understanding and performing of the hula was her life. Eleanor was one of the last

people to go through the sacred hula rituals as a child. The story goes that when Eleanor was

born in O’ahu she was taken by a pahu drum player named Keakaokala Kanahele and there she

would grow up. Eleanor grew up learning the way of the hula and that was it. She did not have

the opportunity to have many friends or even play like normal children. Keaka’s ambition was

to keep the tradition of the hula alive. And in order to do so Eleanor had to learn and know all

there was to know about the ancient traditional hula. Even as a baby Eleanor was sung, mele oli

and mele hula, the traditional songs that accompanied the hula dance instead of nursery

rhymes. The story continues with many strange rituals that Eleanor would have to observe

almost daily up until the point that she performs everything that she has grown up studying and

earns her graduation certificate to perform the hula and even to perform the chants that go

along with the hula (34-38). There are many other stories similar to this one. This just goes to

show how important this dance and ritual was to the Hawaiian culture. Although these rituals

are not observed today the sacredness of the hula and what it stands for is still remembered

each time the hula is performed.

The original pahu drum was only used in ceremonies in the temples. This was because it

was taller than the punia therefore allowing for the drummer to stand behind the drum instead

of needing get up and down from a kneeling position in such a holy place (Kaeppler Pahu and

Punia 5). An interesting fact pertaining to some of the first know pahu drums are that each one

has its own name. Because it is such an important piece of history to this culture the people felt

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like they should be acknowledged for such prestige by having a name. The names typically

chosen for the drums were of Gods and Goddesses. The people that were privileged enough to

own one of these special named pahu drums had to be of especially high rank and power in the

Hawaiian society. And even though different people owned them they were so special to the

culture that they were kept in an enclosed vault built solely for the purpose of holding the

sacred pahu drums. These drums were just made out of coconut tree trunk and mammal but to

this society that wood held powers and a sacred aura at all times. During the process of making

one of these drums the whole community would be present and chants would be sung the

whole time (Kaeppler Pahu and Punia 6). These sacred rituals are what embedded the powers

into the plain ordinary coconut tree trunk and made them so special to the society. One of the

many chants that they would have repeated is as follows:

In this verse it talks of Lono who is one of their Gods. The people are hoping that through

chanting this during the making of one of their precious drums it will have a strong, loud beat

just like the Hawea, the royal drum. The extent of how important these drums were to this

culture is difficult to explain just because of how powerful they felt about them. Even though

these feelings are now as strong in today’s times, the pahu it still used occasional though not in

the same traditional fashion as the originals.

The second type of drums which was used for celebrations and song and dance was

called the punia. This drum was smaller than the previous one discussed so it could either be

I ka pahu kani a Lono

O Lonoikamakahiki

Ho’oheihei kani moana

Kani Hawea pahu ali’i

The sound of Lono’s drum

Of Lonoikamakaihiki

The sound (of the beating) over the ocean

Sound Hawea, the royal drum

-Kaeppler Pahu and Punia p.6

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tied between the legs so the drummer could move around or the person drumming would have

to kneel or sit while playing it. It was made by sanding and hollowing out a coconut shell then

attaching a thick fish skin, most often shark skin, over a hole that had been cut in the top to

form the head. This drum could either be played by one or both hands hitting the drum head,

or by using a mallet for striking. This drum was made secondary to the pahu drum so all of the

special sacred significance that applies to the pahu also applies to the punia. Originally this

second style of drum was made because many pitches of sound could be created from different

shaped coconuts (Kaeppler Pahu and Punia 10). During a celebration ceremony many of these

drums would be used together to create a more full sound and have variety in the music

choices.

In the book, Hula Pahu Hawaiian Drum Dances Vol. II: Sounds of Power, it describes one

of the typical dances that would be performed using the punia drums. The dance is called

Houra-Houra and is mostly done by men. The dance does not require much use of the legs or

feet but mostly of the upper body and arms. The movement is very graceful and fluid but also

has a strong quality throughout it. There are typically three men in a group with maybe three or

four groups performing the dance and then the women from the community crowd all around

them to watch. If the dancing is pleasing to the women then they will throw the dancers pieces

of their clothing (47-48). Unlike the performances that use the pahu drum, this dance does not

have much significance other than that of the joy of dancing and showing off to the opposite

sex. Although this particular dance performance is not done to vocal chants there are many

that have chants that accompany the drumming. The norm for an occasion such as this would

be that the band and vocalists would begin the chants then once the audience catches on to

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the song that is being sung then they are allowed to join in (Kaeppler Sounds of Power, 49). The

purpose of these dances and songs are just to celebrate and have fun as a community.

Although both of these drums are different from each other they each play a very

important role in the culture of the Hawaiian society. Both, the pahu and punia drums, have

their special purposes. Without either one of these drums much of what makes up Hawaiian

culture would be missing. Through these drums and by understanding the background and

significance of their origins one can realize how crucial sacred rituals and ceremonies as well as

fun celebrations are to the people. So much can be learned about this people and what is truly

important to them.

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Works Cited

David, Choo. Art of the Hula. Menlo Park: Sunset Publishing Corporation, 2001. Web.

Emerson, Nathaniel Bright. Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula. 2007.

Web.

Kaeppler, Adrienne. Hula Pahu Hawaiian Drum Dances Vol. I Ha’a and Hula Pahu: Sacred

Movements. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1993. Print.

Kaeppler, Adrienne. Hula Pahu Hawaiian Drum Dances Vol. II The Pahu: Sounds of Power.

Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1993. Print.

Kaeppler, Adrienne. Pahu and Punia: And Exhibition of Hawaiian Drums. Honolulu: Bernice

Pauahi Bishop of Museum, 1980. Print.

Thrum, Thomas G. Hawaiian Folk Tales A Collection of Native Legends. 2006. Web.