Pahukini Heiau

Pahukini Heiau has eluded me for long enough and this past weekend I finally took the time out to visit it. My first attempt was quickly shut down years ago as I tried to drive up to it from the Kapaa Dump Station. 

A few of the heiau in the district of Kailua and Kaneohe were built by Olopana and even have a similar look as far as wall width and height. Like that of Kawa'ewa'e Heiau on the other side of Mahinui ridge. Back when I visited that heiau I was under the impression that there was only one chief named Olopana. But now I am open to the idea that there was another chief named Olopana generations after the voyaging Olopana of Waipio and Kahiki. He may have been the one that built at least five heiau in the Koolaupoko moku and had dealings with the legendary Kamapua'a.

Pahukini means many drums, but it has other possible older names like Mo'okini simular to the heiau Pa'ao made in Hawaii island. It seems to relate together as there is also another name of the heiau, Makini which means many deaths. Pa'ao brought the sacrificial religion to Hawaii and it spread throughout the rest of the island chain eventually. Pahukini may have been a newer name created by onlookers at a distance hearing the drums of the practices going on away from view.

Speculation aside, sometimes heiau are built over older structures and used for totally different means. After the Kapu system fell to Christianity and then development came in, and finally all of the kupuna passed away. Who are we to profusely say that we know exactly what each and every heiau was used for? 

In fact it's a wonder that this heiau still physically exists. Since one of it's walls almost slid down a man made cliff about 200 feet high, created from rock quarrying in the 50's. After that the dump took over and dumped rubbish near it. The landfill dirt would later be used as an aid to preserve the unstable wall from falling. By filling the area below it with stable ground.

Pahukini was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 1972.

In 1987 the community volunteers began restoring it by removing vegetation within and around the heiau. Finally archaeologists were able to study the site. It was rededicated 1988 and there were plaques placed here to commemorate its new life out in the open.

Caretakers still upkeep the area around the heiau. Maybe I can get involved in a clean up if they host them for the public...

This large stone has the bronze plaque on it's front side.

Most of the small ili'ili stones used as pavement inside of the heiau were stacked in piles during the restoration.

There in the distance is the furthest reach from the smaller section to the back of the southern heiau wall. There is a smaller enclosure there that i will get to later.

The smaller square section off of the north wall of the greater rectangle of the main heiau is covered in weeds.

 This meduim sized stone has been disturbed at some point in time and lies inches from its counterparts. It shows a round exterior but is flat on the other sides and looks to fit somewhere like a puzzle piece.

I made my way around the heiau from the north to the west wall.

Here is a view of the quarry on the other side of H3 Freeway tucked in the valley, Kapaa Quarry, Mahinui ridge, and the Koolau in the distance

The south west corner has a separate section not pictured in the image on the plague. I'm not sure if these were pilled in modern times or a separate structure

A little displaced  stone in the center is another example of a puzzle like shape that must have originally been design to fit perfectly in place.

Here is the south wall on the higher elevation.

From the top of the heiau there is a smaller enclosure inside with a short wall inside separating the rest of the heiau.

Finally here at the end of the cleared path around the heiau ends at the south east corner.

I made my way back to the northeast corner and noticed that it pointed almost exactly north...

A hui hou Pahukini...

Palila

While reading Fornander's Collection #5, one of the legends stuck with me. It was the Legend of Palila. This legendary hero of Hawaii has origins in Kauai and then eventually ends up in Hilo on the island of Hawaii. Although he did spend some time on the island of Oahu, and those locations were the ones I was interested in finding.

Palila was discarded at birth by his parents Kaluaopalena (the ruler of half of Kauai), and Mahinui (the daughter of Hina).  In the Koloa district of Kauai because he was born as a form of a bloody cord. Palila's grandmother Hina came and claimed him from a refuse pile and covered him in tapa cloth. After three times of switching out to clean tapa cloth, Palila eventually took to the form of a human. This was in the sacred temple of Alanapo, where spirits dwell .

After growing up with Hina living in the spirit realm and years of being taught the art of war. He emerged a strong valiant champion. Half spirit and half man. He left his home and journeyed into his first battle that was going on between his father Kaluaopalena, and the ruler of the other half of Kauai, Namakaokalani.  Palila swung his war club named Huliamahu a mile away from the battle and fell trees which in turn crushed the opposition to Kaluaopalena. His father becoming king of the entire island of Kauai. Kaluaopalena humbly approached his son Palila and during an uneasy, high tension moment Hina appeared and made Palila laugh. Breaking the kapu of Palila and then she partially circumcised him as they returned to the sacred place called Alanapo.

After ten days of being back in Alanapo, Palila became restless and wanted to travel to other lands to fight chiefs and demigods. He twirled his great war club and by simply holding on to the end of it he could fly to distant places (kind of like Thor in the Avengers movies). He flew from the knoll of Komoikeanu to the cliff of Nualolo, he stood there and looked over the ocean toward Kahiki, but then chose to head to Oahu.

 He swung his club again and landed on Oahu at Kaena point in Waianae. 

Then he a flew short flights to Pu'u Kalena, to Pohakea, to Maunauna, to Kanehoa (all of the previous being mountain peaks on the Waianae range), to the plain of Keahumoa where Palila overlooked the district of Ewa. He saw a dust cloud of the people gathering there and so he headed to Honouliuli. The people of Ewa heard his arrival like roaring thunder and fled to Waikele.

(Waikele Stream) 

When Palila arrived in Waikele he found the people playing athletic games. Hosted by the King of Oahu at that time, Ahuapau. When Palila left Kauai, he had a vision of meeting an unruly character by the name of Kamaikaahui. A sharkman from Maui with the mouth of a shark on his back. Kamaikaahui was a farmer that would keep track of people headed to the ocean, and beat them to the water and eat them. He was discovered in Maui for what he was doing and fled to Waikele Oahu. He could not resist his hunger and took up to his same evil ways here, and could blend in for some time by covering his shark parts under a loin cloth.

Ahuapau feared Kamaikaahui and declared a kapu that if anyone were able to chase the sharkman out of Oahu or kill him. Ahuapau would make that person the chief ruler of Oahu.

Palila told Ahuapau that Kamaikaahui would flee at the sight of him. Ahuapau realized that this was the man that was going to help defeat his enemies and welcomed Palila into his inner court. Palila revealed himself to Kamaikaahui and as the sharkman tried to escape into the ocean. Palila blocked his way with his club, Huliamahu. Kamaikaahui's cloth was removed and his shark form was shown to all of the people and then he was killed.

Ahuapau was said to have had his royal enclosure at Kalaipohaku close to Wailuakio in Kapalama. He was a kapu chief that was kept away from wind and rain. He was carried around in a palanquin by two swift runners of his, Iomea and Ioloa.

(Lo'i Kalo Park in Kapalama)

(A stone cliff with a cave overlooking Kapalama on Pohaku Street)

Papakolea was a farmer that lived in Leleo with his wife Koiuiu. He was told that when his harvest was ready, the Heiau Kanelaauli would be opened to the public. Papakolea, upon seeing Palila. Mentioned to Ahuapau that he should have his daughters, Kaalamikioi and Kalehuawai wed to Palila. Kahikoluamea (not sure if he was Ahuapau's kahu or the officiating priest over Kanelaauli Heiau)cautioned not to have Palila wed to his daughters until Palila's spirit form could be removed and have him in full human form.
Palila was quickly placed in Ahuapau's palanquin and quickly taken to Kanelaauli Heiau. Where they performed a ceremony of drums and coconut rattling to turn Palila the kapu chief of Alanapo into a perfect man.
Ahuapau being left without his runners and palanquin felt the wind and rain for the first time.  

             

(Papakolea as viewed from Tantalus Drive)

(Kanelaauli Heiau once stood at the foot of Puowaina, Punchbowl hill. Where Royal School is now located)

After the ceremony was done. Palila was allowed to marry Ahuapau's daughters and they lived together.

One day Ahuapau asked Palila to take a tour of the island of Oahu and Palila agreed. Before leaving he asked Ahuapau, "Aohe kupu, a alai o ke alanui a puni Oahu nei? Are there any lawless obstructions along the road surrounding Oahu?" Ahuapau relied, no. Although, he was lying and actually knew that there was a giant warrior living in the Koolau district at Kaelepulu, Olomana. Ahuapau must have felt threatened that Palila would take the kingdom away from him and intended for Palila to hopefully be killed by Olomana.

Palila replied, "yes, I am going on my way and in case I meet some one who will attempt to harm me, I will first kill him and then I will return and kill you and all your men. Ahuapau came clean and told him the truth, and Palila agreed to continue his journey and not kill Ahuapau. 

Palila climbed to the top of Punchbowl and then walked to Nuuanu Pali. From there he swung his war club and flew to where Olomana was at Kaelepulu. When he saw Olomana he jumped up and landed on his shoulder. Olomana was thirteen yards in height as the storyteller describes. No one ever dared to challenge him. Once on his shoulder, Olomana asked where this haughty youngster was from. Palila told him who he was and that he was from the temple of the gods in Alanapo Kauai. This caused Olomana to experience fear for perhaps the first time.  He knew that warriors from Alanapo were endowed with supernatural powers. Olomana asked Palila for mercy but Palila denied him and told him he had to die for the evil deeds he has done. Palila took one swing with his war club Huliamahu, and cut Olomana in half. One half fell toward the ocean becoming Mahinui hill overlooking the fishponds of Mokapu. The other half remained where Olomana stood becoming the three peaks that bare his name till this day.

After Palila made a circuit of the island he  met a fisherman named Kahului in the Maunalua district. Palila aided this man to take his canoe out to see. Even paddling with his war club Huliamahu after breaking nine paddle wis his brute strength. While out at sea he even baited his war club and caught fish with it on great numbers. 

This was the way that Palila eventually left the island of Oahu. He landed in Molokai and after eating his fish with Kahului. He swung his war club and flew to the rest of the islands. He eventually landed in Hawaii island at Kaula in Hamakua near Hilo. He met Hina's sister Lupea living in Kaawalii. It is said that when ever Palila spread out his malo no hau tree grew there even till this day. The storyteller reveals that this was because of the god of Palila this god is revealed as Ku. 

Palila for sometime became a vagabond along the roadside rolling a calabash.

 A battle of two apposing chiefs, Kulukulua of Hilo and Wanua of Hamakua. Similar to the battle between his father and his rival on Kauai, was taking place near him. Again as on the other islands were great warriors with massive war clubs. The Hamakua side had them and they boasted to the Hilo side which warrior they could offer up to compete. Upon hearing this Palila joined the Hilo side and stopped the hostilities to instead challenge these warriors. The fuels was cleared and the two largest of them set up to fight Palila. Palila hit the war club of the largest warrior sending it flying to Waipio and then killed all of the three giant warriors of Hamakua. He hung their jaws up on a lehua tree on Kaula. 

Palila became the king of Hilo and remained there until his death.

Keith Maile at the Prince Lot Festival

The Prince Lot Hula Festival in Moanalua Gardens was this past Saturday. I actually started work on the same time the event did. So I decided to pass through on my commute to see what I could find. I rode through all of the booths and was inclined to stop at one that caught my eye.

Keith Maile was already in conversation with another fellow that I recognized but could not figure where I knew him from. He most likely figured the same thing as we created each other with the traditional sharing of breath face to face. Later I realized that the gentleman was the other guy with a camera at the Pali lookout on the day of the Battle of Nuuanu memorial commemoration. I wish I got his name though. He's in the picture above and standing to the left of Mr. Maile.

Keith Maile was a gentleman and described each and every object he had on display. He mentioned that sharing knowledge about them is even more fulfilling than trying to sell them. Although I bet he gets by pretty good with that as well. He supplies Royal Hawaiian Jewelers and even Bishop Museum with his authentic Hawaiian carvings, implements, kapa, ornamentation, 'umeke, and weapons.

This adze o'o is secured to an Ulu wood handle. He mentioned that Ulu  (breadfruit) wood is very light. It is better for it to be light to handle as well as being easier to break before the stone does. As the stone would be harder to acquire after the tool's expected failure through repeated use.

I tried to sound smart and asked about the use of the wood from the only endemic olive, Olopua. He caught me right away and mentioned about Peter Young's recent post on the matter (exactly where I heard about it). Keith Maile actually had some samples of Olopua, a very hard wood used for many things from weapons to fishing. He asked us to smell it and mentioned that he has grown to tell the different woods apart by their smell when he works with them. It was hard for us to get that sense of smell from them as good as he would while sanding them and having the dust flown in the air while doing so. He also mentioned that the dust from creating these implements could also be harmful. Sanding teeth and bones cause a build up in the lungs and create a sort of cement in your lungs after a while. He recommends using a mask while handling those materials.

Here are some of his lures. These are his top sellers and he even keeps them in special made containers for the customers that want them.

Lastly, these shells blew my mind. Hihiwai are small stream snails that only thrive in the most purest of fresh water streams He acquired the largest one from Molokai. That he was wearing around his wrist. They are a beautiful black with a hint of orange just under that layer. The texture of the top looks like that of some sort of salamander skin. It must be very hard to find in a stream because of its rarety and camoflouge with the surrounding rocks it would be embedded in.  I didn't get to ask him about the snail itself and if it tasted good or was even edible. I'd probably eat it if I found one. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Opihi craving!

Kaualehu Cave

Kaualehu, The Ash Rain.

Kaualehu Cave is a small triangular cave situated on an isolated ridge in Haiku Valley.

This was one of the places where a legendary earth goddess Kameha'ikana dwelt. She would go to the ocean to pick limu and then return to her dwelling up high on the 'Ioleka'a cliffs of Haiku Valley. This cave had a connection with, and could be viewed from Kehekili Heiau below in the center of the valley. Wahinekapu was also connected to this cave.

One of my close friends works for a moving company. One day as they were driving on the H3 freeway, his coworker pointed out to him this same cave. He was told that there was a burial canoe inside of it and the canoe could actually be seen with binoculars! I've never attempted to bring anything more than my iphone while driving on the freeway to take pics. On this day I actually pulled over on the shoulder lane with my hazard lights flashing and hung out of the window to take these pictures. 

The cave seems to almost be impossible to approach from any angle. Anyone that got inside must have been a true god among men, or at least a expert cliff climber. Anything deposited inside would have to have been done using the ancient Hawaiian technique of lowering it down from above the cave and then swung inside. The rope used for lowering the object would be soaked in blood, so that rats would eat the rope as it was left on the cliff side. If it was an idol or a canoe than it would be the only thing remaining in the cave. Had it been a chiefs bones, they would have been bundled with salt so that the rats would leave it alone...