According to the Hawai’ians, the world began with Po, the unfathomable female night. As the source of life and wisdom, Po gave birth to Kumulipo (male night) and Po’ele (female night). From this brother and sister came Akua, the 40,000 gods and goddesses. Then, the elder brother to the Hawai’ians, Kalo (the Taro plant) was created. When Hawai’ians say, “Mai ka po moi (from the night or the beginning of time), they are speaking of the ancestral wisdom.
For Hawai’ians, Aloha aina (profound respect for Hawai’i) is the interconnectedness of the people, the land, Akua, and the ancestors. To be Hawai’ian means nurturing and honoring all family ties. O’hana (family) is defined not by blood but by those who share a common sense of aloha (love and compassion). O’hana means caring for their land and ancestors as well. For example, families who live near a volcano have a duty to care for the different aspects of that deity. One family would have the responsibility to compose chants for each eruption of the volcano.
Chanting in the Hawai’ian culture serves many roles. Not only do they convey genealogy, chants also honor gods and chiefs. In addition, they convey great drama or intimate feelings. For the erupting volcano, the chants would ensure that particular eruptions were honored as well as remembered. The Kumulipo (The Creation Chant) tells how the world was created and reminds people of their core relationship with the land and with each other. As Pualani Kanahele (Hawai’ian elder) writes, “The Kumulipo is the reality of our dim past, the foundation of our present, and the pathway into the future.”
In the Hawai’ian world view, women are the source of new life and great spiritual power. Therefore, they possess much Mana, the power that moves through the universe. Because of this, Hawai’ian religious life was divided into male and female spheres. Since the plants growing from the earth were considered male, only men could do the cooking. Meanwhile, women were not allowed to eat the food devoted to male gods, the coconut of Ku (War), the banana of Kanaloa (Long Voyaging), the pig of Lono (Agriculture), and the red fish of Ku’ulakaii (Deep Sea Fishing). When people upheld their responsibilities in their different areas, then could Pono (perfect harmony in the universe) be maintained.
To be a Hawai’ian meant fulfilling the duty of love, respect, and obedience to the elders. In return, the chiefs, Akua, and Kolo provided for the needs of food, shelter, and civil direction. Pono was maintained as long as the chiefs remained devoted to the gods, and the people to their elders.
The Hawaiians offer their Wisdom for you. (Mana Cards)
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Va. Carper
February 16, 2008