Download - Hawaiian Culture & History
HAWAIIAN CULTURE & HISTORY
Religion and Traditions of Hawai’i
RELIGION OF THE ISLANDS
Native Hawaiian religion was much like those observed in other Pacific Island cultures
Hawaiians trace their ancestry to some deity which becomes that family’s patron god
Today there are many religions practiced in the islands due to the intermixing of various cultures
THERE ARE FOUR MAIN GODS
Kane god of living creatures Ku god of war Kanaloa god of the sea and spirit world Po Lono god of fertility and land
CONCEPTS IN HAWAIIAN LIFESTYLE
Mana spiritual energy All people and
objects can possess mana
Amount of mana is variable
Kauwu “untouchables”
CONCEPTS IN HAWAIIAN LIFESTYLE
Kapu System laws of the gods Rules for every aspect
of life with severe punishments for law breakers
Abolished after the death of Kamehameha I in 1819
EXAMPLES OF KAPU
Men and women can not eat together Women cannot eat certain foods including
banana, coconut and pork When fishermen were lashing their hooks,
everyone in the community must be quiet No one was allowed to touch any personal items
of the ali’i including his/her shadow During the summer the aku fish could not be
eaten
CONCEPTS IN HAWAIIAN LIFESTYLE
Aina Respect for the land The land is a gift to
be taken care of by man
CONCEPTS IN HAWAIIAN LIFESTYLE
Ohana Family is an
important aspect in hawaiian culture
Sharing what you have and dividing labor was how communities survived in ancient Hawaii
Still important today
HEIAU: HAWAIIAN TEMPLES There are mainly two
types of heiau Massive platforms Walled structures These were places of
worship as well as used for human sacrifice. The mana of the sacrifice was supposed to help ensure victory
PU’UHONUA O HANAUNAU
A place of refuge Provided asylum to
breakers of Kapu Reaching the
pu’uhonua and being blessed by the priest absolved you of your crime
This specific one is a reconstruction that we will visit on the western side of the island
KAHUNA
The kahuna were the priests that ran the heiau and communed with the gods
They knew all the necessary prayers and were in charge of incantations while the ali’i only mouthed the words
BIRTHING CEREMONY
Only an ali’i birth was met with grand celebration
32 chiefs were present to welcome the future ali’i with drums
Kukaniloko were special stones lined up for the woman to rest on
Commoners could not be present
HO’AO: WEDDING CEREMONIES
The bride is brought to the ceremony in a canoe
The conch is blown to announce the ceremony
A kahuna will do a chant as the bride moves to meet her groom
Leis are exchanged A torch bearer is present
to bring light into your new life
BURIAL RITUALS The death of a
Hawaiian was a tragic event where the person’s relatives would publically display their grief, often through physical harm to their body
Burial practices differed depending on the island and the person’s rank
The Big Island is known to have burial caves
HULA
The hula began as more than a dance; it was a way to celebrate or honor a hero as well as tell a story
Today there are two types of hula in practice Auana modern Kahiko traditional
MODERN DAY RELIGIONS
Today Christianity is one of the major religions of the islands after the Catholic missionaries were the first to come to the islands
Almost all other religions are present including Judaism, Islam, Mormonism and Pagan worship.
RESOURCES
To-hawaii.com Nativehawaii.com Bigisland.org Hawaii-guide.info MythicHawaii.com Aloha-Hawaii.com Nps.org