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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

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Hawaiian Culture & History

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  1. Hawaiian Culture & History Religion and Traditions of Hawai’i

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Concepts in Hawaiian Lifestyle • Mana spiritual energy • All people and objects can possess mana • Amount of manais variable • Kauwu“untouchables”

  5. Concepts in Hawaiian Lifestyle • KapuSystem  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

  6. 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

  7. Concepts in Hawaiian Lifestyle • Aina • Respect for the land • The land is a gift to be taken care of by man

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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.

  17. Resources • To-hawaii.com • Nativehawaii.com • Bigisland.org • Hawaii-guide.info • MythicHawaii.com • Aloha-Hawaii.com • Nps.org

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