Traditional Hawaiian Religion Flashcards
1819
1778
1820
1819: institutional Hawaiian disbanded; overthrow of kapu sytem when liholiho did not put aikapu back on
1778: Captain Cook arrives
1820: Christian missionaries
‘Ai Kapu
Hawaiian Religion
- laws that regulate food distribution, preparation, and consumption
- forbidden foods, sacred eating
300 AD
first Polynesians arrive from the Marquesas islands by accident; only ate ti plant roots not stereotypical Hawaiian foods like taro
1100 AD
new wave of Polynesians arrive from Tahiti; arrived on purpose; increase in population and food production; brought along sweet potatoes, taros, chicken
1778
Captain cook arrives; was a mapmaker
Mana
supernatural power
*can be physical, political or mental power
Kapu
forbidden, sacred
-has purity; must stay away to avoid polluting
Kapu vs Taboo
Kapu—-> pure; stay away
Taboo–> thing that is taboo is dirty
Kapu System
regulates the flow of mana; every aspect of Hawaiian lifestyle is controlled; punishment is death
Kinolau
physical manifestations of a god; multiple bodies
Examples of ‘Ai Kapu
men and women could not eat together; men would prepare food not women; separate kitchens for men and women food
off limits to women: bananas, fish with red skin, coconuts, pigs
Reason: sexual symbolism; sexual contact between god and women; mana can be sexual; wanted to avoid pregnancy
Kinolau of Kanaloa
God of deep ocean
-bananas, octopus
Kinolau of Ku
God of warfare; state
coconuts, fish with red skin, bird
Kinolau of Lono
God of peace
pigs
Caste System
social hierarchy based on spiritual purity or pollution
*genealogy determines caste; you are born into it and die within same caste; nothing you can do to change rank
INCLUDES ALI’I and MAKA’AINANA
Ali’i
part of caste system
e. g. prince, queen, kings, chiefs
- born with the most amount of mana
- all ali’i claim to be associated with papa and wakea
- there are 8 subranks of ali’i; all ali’i not equal
* ALL WERE TAHITIAN ROOTED
Papa(Haumea)
Earth Mother
Wakea
Sky Father
Kahuna
not a part of caste
*knowledge is power; gain mana
e.g highly educated experts; navigators
alii and makaainana can be kahunas
Kaua
not a part of caste
-alii can order to do hard labor; mana polluters; low mana; physically avoid
kahuna pule
priests; only alii can be kahuna pule
Keopuolani
kamehameha married her (higher rank than him); offspring is higher rank than kamehameha; political marriage
Akua
distant gods; live in the heavens
gods and goddesses
Kupua
demi gods (half-god; half human) are humans e/supernatural powers e.g. maui *unusual landscapes are explained by kupua
‘Amuakua
family gods; we are near these gods
- deified ancestors; transformed to gods
- wont go to land of dead; will go to heaven (usually kahunas)
Kinolau of Pele
Lava
Ki’i
handmade images; portal of mana of food offering to god and back as well
wood used depends on Kinolau
Ku
God of war
*complementary opposite is Lono
2/3 of year; strong work ethnic; very energetic; warfare was a possibility during this time
-had ku priests; only does ritual when the king asks
only ku priests can talk to ku
Lono
God of peace and agriculture 1/3 of year "Makahiki season" winter months heavy work was prohibited "vacation" warfare was prohibited ai' kapu was lifted; sexual relations lifted had Lono priests; set specific rituals; no one were requesting rituals ONLY LONO PRIESTS CAN TALK TO LONO
Kane
God of Freshwater and sunlight; complementary opposite of Kanaloa
anyone can pray directly to god by proper rituals only
Kanaloa
God of DEEP ocean (salt water)
anyone can pray directly to god by proper rituals only
Kanaloa shrines are near canoe launching
Kinolau of Kane
taro, bamboo
Pele
Demi goddess of fire and volcanoes
- no such thing as a canonized (official story) Hawaiian myth
- pele is a akua, kupua, ‘amukua depending what island you are on
Laka (Kapo)
daughter of Papa and Wakea
-Lono’s love interest
Makahiki has hula dancing as a offer to Lono
Wahi Pana
Sacred Sites
-Mythological sites (eg Ka’ena Point)
-ritual sites (e.g. temples, shrines)
Today, often desecrated sites
Heiau
temples; places of worship
Sacrifice
the transfer of mana both ways
Luakini
Ku temple
offerings *kinolaus
ku wanted human (adult males) sacrifices
human had more mana than food
kapubreakers can be killed or sacrificed
can sacrifice from war (enemies) and Kaua
*adult male alii required at sacrifices to observe
Hale o Papa
Only women allowed; Kupuna pele priests were women as well
Mapele
Lono temples; men and women both welcome
Pa’ao
Tahitian kahuna
- Kuhuna pule priest
1) caste system
2) rigid kapu system
3) death penalty
4) ai kapu
5) ku and lono priesthoods
6) humansacrifice
family has a lot of political power
Ku priests
all descendants of Pa’ao
ppl had to get permission of a ku priest before going to war
Kamehameha (1758-1819)
1810 Kingdom of hawaii was established
Ka’ahumanu
favorite wife; prime minister
Kekuaokalani
nephew of kamehameha; young isalnd cheif; late king assigned custody of the powerful spirt kukailimoku to his nephew instead of his son liholiho
Ahupua’a
land divisions
