"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted. One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?" -Eminem
This was the mind state I showed up with after my wife begged me to accompany her and her sisters on a single day trip to the Big Island of Hawai'i. There were four of them including my brother in-law that were there for the entire weekend. I had just finished completing my new carbon race bike and I was dying to take it out for an all day maiden voyage instead. My wife gave me the puppy dog eyes and said she'd be lonely without me. So I gave in and joined them for a day, this last Monday on my only day off from work.
Although, I had ulterior motives for my visit. I wasn't going to pass up on visiting places of deep interest to me. Had I had more time, I would have taken the opportunity to visit family and friends living on the Big Island. My in-laws would have been treated to the best hangout spots and great food and drink, but that wasn't the vibe when I arrived...
"E oni wale no 'oukou i ku'u
pono 'a'aole e pau."
"Endless in the good that I have given you to enloy."
-Kamehameha I May,8 1819
I decided to focus on Kamehameha and his Kahuna Hewahewa. Again, have I had more time I would have visited other sites that I've studied about and honored all of the rulers of the island. Not just the most popular and more recent. I was with a team of travelling snackers and I had to get to Kailua, Kona from Hilo. With time to return for our flight out back at Hilo Airport.
We actually stopped three times for food after leaving the hotel late already as it was...
The first sight of the Big Island from the plane was the peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa breaking through the clouds. Mauna kea, better known as Mauna Wakea touching the sky. As if it was the meeting place of the earth mother Papa and sky father Wakea.
On the plane I busted out "Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii" by Kamakau, and tried to take notes of significant heiau in Hawaii island as collected by Kamakau in the index of the book. A gentleman sitting next to me, Joe Kahele asked me how I liked the book and mentioned that it was about time for him to read it again. I had a vibe that we was cool dude and it seemed as if he was there to await or participate in the arrival of the Hokule'a, that was heading to Hilo from Oahu. It was a short conversation. I wish I took my stupid earphones off earlier.
One such place that stood out seemed close to our hotel so I took a google maps screen pic of the location. When I was picked up at the airport we had to pull over to yelp/locate an ice cream place called Kozmic Cones. I said I would look it up and when I pulled up my phone it was still set at the screen pic of the heiau. Although the google map screen was the exact same spot where we pulled over at. I knew then that I had to visit that place. After crashing(sleeping a night) at the hotel, the next morning on the way to Kona, I asked to pull over again at the same spot.
At the bottom of Waianuenue Ave and just around the mouth of Wailuku River, was Kai Palaoa Heiau.
"In September, 1776, Kamehameha returned to Hawaii to make war on Namakeha and his followers. The battle took place at Hilo. Namakeha was defeated, fled, and hid in the bush until he was captured. He was made a mock of by his enemies, and in January, 1797, with the consent of Kamehameha, he was offered in sacrifice to the gods in the heiau of Kai Palaoa in Pi'ihonua, Hilo. Many had said that Namakeha would never be taken by Kamehameha because he was of higher blood, but it was the higher powers who decided which should become greater of the two. This was the last of the battles fought by Kamehameha to unite the islands. He now had brought Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Oahu under one rule, with Kauai and Niihau under another ruler." -S.M. Kamakau
"Liholiho was born in November (Hanaia'ele'ele), 1797, in Hilo, Hawaii. His mother was Kalanikauika'alaneo Keopuolani, and she gave birth to him at the age of seventeen and a half years. He was her firstborn and he was given the name Kalani Kua Liholiho. Many signs appeared at his birth. He was taken to the heiau of Kai Palaoa, and the sacred rite of cutting of his naval cord was performed by the kahuna." -S.M. Kamakau
I jumped back in the car and after a couple of stops. Like visiting a vanilla farm and stopping for malasadas. We were ready to drive all of the way to Kawaihae. I found it more than coincidence that the first heiau I had the chance to visit was Kai Palaoa, ocean sperm whale, and then now on the other side of the island was Pu'ukohola, mountain blue whale...
Hale O' Kapuni, a destroyed heiau in the bay under Pu'u Kohola. Generations came here to honor their shark aumakua. Sharks still come to this area just off shore. The park service ranger in the visitor center said he just saw three sharks before we arrived that day. In time Hale O' Kapuni would be submerged and dislodged into ruin by ocean level change and numerous tsunami's.
After a couple of battles involving large loss of life on both sides, as well as a volcanic event that killed many of Kamehameha's opposition as they walked through the untimely eruption.
Keoua Kuahu'ula arrived on these shores with his fleet to meet Kamehameha at the "slippery words"
of two of Kamehameha's counselors, Keaweaheulu and Kamanawa. Even though his advisers repeatedly warned him to kill those two. A skirmish arose and even though Keoua countered a spear thrown at him by another of Kamehameha's counselors, Keeaumoku. All that were on Keoua's canoe were killed. His kahuna, Kuakahela jumped overboard, swam to shore, and hid under the floor mats of the tabu house of Keku'iapoiwa. Pauli Ka'oleioku, Kamehameha's first born son that he had when he was young. Was on another canoe with all of the people that Keoua knew would be spared. Kamehameha called out to him to come to shore but Pauli was scared of what would happen to him after witnessing the battle. Kamehameha promised that no more blood shed would occur and they landed safely in peace. Keoua's body would be placed as a sacrifice in Pu'u Kohola Heiau. Thus honoring the gods and paving the way for Kamehameha to fulfill his destiny as ruler of the entire island and then unite the archipelago under one rule. Some say Keoua knew of his fate and actually mutilated his face in order to taint his body as a sacrifice. Both of these great men were standing at the precipice of destiny on that day. Many prophecies were fulfilled regarding these two pivotal characters in our rich history. One such was,
Haui ka Lani, Fallen is the Chief by Keaulumoku. Numbering 809 lines of the death of Keoua and foretelling the rise of Kamehameha. In recent times this can also be interpreted as the fall of the kingdom of Hawaii as steward over the land, to foreign powers...
Here is the brackish point where the waters of the stream beside Pu'u Kohola meet the ocean.
This stone altar is of modern construction but the large upright stone in the center is Kiki a Ko'i. It was the leaning post for Kamehameha when he would feed the sharks that come to the bay. During the upgrades that the park service had ten years ago. A truck driver backed into the stone and it broke in half. The driver is said to have died within days of the incident of unknown causes. On another occasion in 1974 there was a restoration project on the heiau in the park. 30 people were hired to carry the stones into the heiau. 29 of them were not from Hawaii and they all died shortly after. Only the 30th person was of Hawaiian descent and he is the neighbor of the person that told me the story...
Mailekini Heiau predates Pu'ukohola heiau and is situated a little lower on the hill. It's original origin and purpose is obscure.
"After the battle of Mahinaakaka, Kalaniopu'u ruled over Ka'u and Puna, for he was a native of Ka'u. There were the birth sands of his ancestors. Alapa'i dwelt in Hilo for a year and then went to live in Waipi'o. Shortly after, he and his chiefs moved to Waimea and others went by canoe to Kawaihae. From Waimea he went to Lanimaomao, where he fell ill. Later he moved to Kikiako'i in Kawaihae. There his illness bacame serious, and at Kikiako'i in the heiau of Mailekini, Kahaihae, he apponited his son Keawe O'pala to be ruler over the island." -S.M Kamakau
During Kamehameha's time here, he set up Mailekini Heiau as a fort. He reinforced the mauka wall to handle the turbulence of cannon fire, and situated cannons that he received from foreign ships. To defend his kingdom from invasion. Whether by domestic or foreign powers...
Finally is Pu'u Kohola Heiau. This heiau was constructed at the command of Kamehameha. Ha'alo'u, the aunt of Kamehameha sought out the guidance of a wise man from Kauai named Kapoukahi. She recited the genealogy chant of her grand mother, Kaneikaheilani, and then asked him to provide a way that her lord may become ruler of the islands. Kapoukahi instructed her to have a home built for Kamehameha's god at Pu'u Kohola.
During construction everyone had to come and help build a human chain to carry stones from miles away. Even the high ali'i had to come help, Kamehameha himself even labored with the people in the physical labor. Inspired by Kamehameha's deed. His younger brother,Keali'imaika'i, the high tabu cheif wanted to help as well, and so he picked up a stone. He was immediately commended by Kamehameha to put the stone down in order for him to keep his high tabu undiminished. The stone he tried to help carry was then taken for out into the ocean and dropped into the sea...
Kumu Kaipo'i related the wall jutting off of Pu'ukohola as the fin of a whale. The hill itself was already named Pu'u Kohola before the heiau was conceived.
The last place I came to visit had special meaning to me. I have been learning about the presence of the living god Jehova within the Pacific rim in Olelo Hawai'i class. Or at least the knowledge of the most high in the old days before church and the western religions were established. So I wished to see the place where the first missionaries landed in Kailua, Kona. Fact.
After observing Kamehameha doing his religious rites to his gods, Vancouver realized that Kamehameha was a religious man at the very core. These gods after all were the ones that aided him to power. Vancouver asked him if he wanted to request King George to send missionary "kahunas" to come at teach him and the people about the true god. Not made out of wood but in heaven. Kamehameha denied the request.
Things would quickly change after Kamehameha's passing. As if the islands were preparing for the coming of Jehovah. The kapu system was abolished, first with the 'Ai Noa with Liholiho and Ka'ahumanu eating together, then the battle at Kuamo'o. Keaoua Kekuakalani, Kamehameha's nephew inherited care of his uncles gods and Liholiho inherited the kingdom. As Kamehameha inherited Kalaniopu'u's god and Keoua inherited the kingdom. Keaoua and those trying to preserve the kapu system were obliterated by Kalanimoku's military devises. Thus paving the way or another religion. Had the missionaries came any earlier, they might have been under a great opposition from the ruling ali'i and people of the land.
Hewahewa, Kamehameha's kahuna nui would undoubtedly have had the most power with the old religion. Although he is rarely mentioned during the overthrow of the kapu system. He had a foresight that was ready for the coming of the "akua in the black box". He had a vision of the coming of this god and pointed out the god would land on. A pohaku in the shape of a Honu(located on the map above). The black box being a chest containing the bible.
Here is the prayer of Hewahewa. It is the first known prayer in the Hawaiian language recognizing Jehovah and Jesus. This was uttered and recorded before the missionaries arrived. We can only assume that when he described these beings, that either John Young or Isaac Davis realized that he was talking about Jehovah and Jesus. Thus aiding in his correct terminology of characters theoretically unknown in this part of the world at the time...
Ke, ku la ia, ku la.
Pilia, ku lalani, ku la.
O pouli la, poeleele la.
Opu kalakala, lau ia, e ku' la.
He Akua nui, he Akua mana,
He Akua ola, he Akua mau
O'Iehova he Kamahele mai ka lani mai;
He Akua noho i ka iuiu,
O ka welelau o ka makani,
Iloko o ke ao kaa lelewa.
He ohu ku i ka honua,
He onohi ku i ka moana,
O'Ieku, ko makou kala e kahala a pauloa
Mai ke ala i Kahiki a Hawaii nei,
Mai ka hooku'i a ka halawai;
Ehuehu ka ua mai ka lani mai,
O'Iehova I, ka makemake.
Himeni i ka lani kaakua.
Ke olioli nei ka honua.
Ua loaa ka hua olelo
O ka ike, o ka mana, o ke ola.
Halawai i ke alo o Poki,
I ke alo o ka Haku mana mau.
Pule pono ia Iehova,
I Kahuna mana o na moku,
Me he lama ike hewa nui;
I ola makou a pau;
I ola ia Ieku.
Amene amama ua noa.
Arise, stand up, stand.
Fill up the ranks, stand in rows, stand.
Lest we be in darkness, in black night.
Ye thorny-hearted, assemble, a multitude, stand.
A great God, a mighty God,
A living God, an everlasting God,
Is Jehovah, a Visitor from the skies;
A God dwelling afar off, in the heights,
At the further end of the wind,
In the rolling cloud, floating in the air.
A light cloud resting on the earth,
A rainbow standing in the ocean,
Is Jesus, Our Redeemer.
By the path from Kahiki to us in Hawaii He comes.
From the zenith to the horizon;
A mighty rain from the heavens,
Jehovah the Supreme, we welcome.
Sing praises to the rolling heavens.\Now the earth rejoices.
We have received the words
Of knowledge, of power, or life.
Gather in the presence of Poki,
In the presence of the ever mighty Lord.
Pray with reverence to Jehovah,
As a mighty kahuna of the Islands,
Who, like a torch, shall reveal our great sins;
That we all may live;
Live through Jesus.
Amen.
Kumu Kaipo'i taught me this prayer and he mentioned how it can be used in the darkest of times for the bringing of light. I have been taught at a young age not to use repetitive prayers and speak from the heart. So as to keep your true feelings within them but this prayer in the language of the land is very compelling and very powerful, I must admit.
A classmate of mine at Olelo Hawai'i is a direct descendant to Hewahewa and I swear he would be a perfect person to use as an actor if they ever made a movie of Kamehameha. He came here recently and uttered the prayer of Hewahewa in the exact spot of the landing of the missionaries. He said he said he saw some uhu swimming just beyond the break wall and knew where to stand. The fresh water from the mountains are supposed to seep into the ocean at the same spot. So fish come here often. The uhu were green when he started but he said when the prayer ended he saw a red uhu jump out of the water!
My visit and prayer was a little different. After driving all of those miles with my in-laws throwing all types of vibes along with the heavy vog. I felt like my mind wasn't there and ready to do what I cam to do. My brother in-law, Victor came with me while the women stayed in the car anticipating the long drive back to Hilo to catch our flight. I softly uttered the words above. Nothing spectacular happened in my observance. I did get splashed by a wave that hit my camera. maybe like rain at a wedding, that was the blessing. I will return if I am ever back on the island and take my time and absorb the whole thing in the moment with an "ike bomb"
So that was it. We took Saddle Road back to Hilo in time to catch our flight back to Oahu. I was hoping that the Hokule'a would have arrived at Hilo by the time we got back but no luck.
Aloha!
