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Mo'olelo
KUʻIALUAOPUNA is dedicated to making a lasting impact through education and traditions in the Hawaiian fighting art of Lua. We look to our stories, our history, and ancestral practices as sources of knowledge in the profession of Lua.
Every month we will be sharing stories so that connections can be made with the different cultures in our Pacific family group. These short stories are told here to inspire our thinking about ourselves. They reveal the thoughts and history of a people.
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Kalaipahoa gods
HAWAIIAN MYTHOLOGY Martha Beckwith UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESS HONOLULU pgs. 111-117 LEGEND OF KALAIPAHOA kii: Bishop museum Kamakau version. A man of Molokai named Kane-ia-kama (Kane-a-Kama) joins a gambling game at Hale-lono, the gambling place at Ka-lua-koi, and wins the stakes. On his way home, he gambles again at the famous gambling place on Maunaloa and loses everything he has except his bones, which he is afraid to stake. That night, the god Kane-i-kaulana-ula (Kane i
Kuialuaopuna
25 minutes ago9 min read
Kauā o Kaʻū
Photo: Kelley Cultural Surveys Ninole 1954 THE POLYNESIAN FAMILY SYSTEM INKA-ʻU, HAWAIʻI by E. S. CRAIGHILL HANDY and MARY KAWENA PUKUI with a concluding Chapter on the History and Ecology of Ka-ʻu by ELIZABETH GREEN HANDY pg 204-205 THE OUTCASTE CLASS. The aristocrats (aliʻi), experts in priestcraft of one kind or another ( kahuna ), and tribesmen of the land ( maka-ʻaina-na ) were proud of being one stock, native to Ka-ʻu. But there was an outcaste group whose origin is sub
Kuialuaopuna
3 hours ago3 min read
Ka Niu Moe o Kalapana
Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna In the old times, it was a tradition in Kalapana to pull down a young coconut tree to grow in a reclining position to honor a chief who went there on a chiefly visit. The last two such trees were bent down to honor our chiefess, Ululani, and Queen Emma. On one of Queen Emma’s visits to Puna, she was asked to participate in a commemoration. While mounted on a horse, she held a single coconut leaf growing from a tree, while the people pulled and strained unti
Kuialuaopuna
4 hours ago2 min read
Pāʻao of Wawau
Kii: Getty Image Voyaging Chiefs of Hawai'i . Teuira Henry & Others. 1995. 192 pages. reissued as an online collection in 2000. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~dennisk/voyaging_chiefs/paao.html P a ‘ao was a priest, Makuaka‘ u mana a prophet, Pilika‘aiea a chief coming after La‘au-ali‘i in the genealogy of Hema. They were from Wawau [Borabora] and ‘Upolo [Taha‘a] and islands to the west. Ka‘ak o heo was the sea-cliff from which they departed, and Malaia was the mountain ridge in ‘Up
Kuialuaopuna
4 hours ago10 min read
Concerning the dead in ancient days
HAWAIIAN ANTIQUITIES AND FOLK-LORE THE HAWAIIANS' ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THEIR ISLANDSAND ORIGIN OF THEIR RACE, WITH THE TRADITIONS OF THEIRMIGRATIONS, ETC., AS GATHERED FROM ORIGINAL SOURCES By ABRAHAM FORNANDER Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop MuseumVolume V‒Part I HONOLULU H. I.BISHOP MUSEUM PRESS 1998 pgs. 570-576 Writer S. Kamaka Mokumanamana -ancient lands of our tupuna Kii: Creative Commons WHEN confined with long illness, and death draws near, a person, befo
Kuialuaopuna
2 days ago8 min read
Mo`olelo of Laka and `Olohe
Kii: ku'ialuaopuna The Molokai Dispatch May 2015 https://themolokaidispatch.com/moolelo-of-laka-and-olohe/ Source of this article: John Kaimikaua, contributed by Halau Hula o Kukunaokala In Molokai tradition, the martial art form of lua evolved from out of the hula. Laka learned the art of the dance from her older sister Kapo`ulakina`u on the hill Pu`u Nana at Ka`ana on the top of Maunaloa, west Molokai. Laka was the older of the twins born into the La`ila`i family. `Olohe
Kuialuaopuna
2 days ago2 min read
ʻŌlena
Kii: Luana Naturals The flower and upper part of the olena plant dies off and the hua remains growing underground in the winter months. In Hawaiʻi, this laau is used in medicine, ceremonial practices, and as a yellow ochre-colored dye for kapa. The underground rhizomes have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and are used to heal the body in various ways, internally and externally. Traditional K.K Ku'ialuao
Kuialuaopuna
2 days ago1 min read
Lawe Pio i Ka Niuhi
Kii: herb Kawainui Kane Stories of Life in Old Hawaiʻi Capturing a Tiger shark by Caroline Curtis illustrated by Oliver C. Kinney Kamehameha Schools Press Honolulu 1998 pgs. 91-94 Tomorrow we shall catch a tiger shark! That exciting thought kept Malu awake. The chief's fishermen lay in the house beside ʻAukai's shrine. The others slept. How could they sleep, Malu wondered. Only twice had the young man gone out to catch this fierce fish. Tiger-shark fishing was a sport for
Kuialuaopuna
3 days ago4 min read
ʻAva Kamoa
Kii: metmuseum.org The Samoan 'ava ceremony, also known as Ole Saofaiga ma atua, signifies an assembly among the gods and is considered sacred, playing a crucial role in the culture and traditions of Samoa. In ancient times, the 'ava ceremony was held by the matai or chief of the village for two main reasons: to welcome guests, including foreign visitors and those from other villages, and to celebrate the ascension to the matai title. Today, 'ava is an integral part of signi
Kuialuaopuna
3 days ago3 min read
Ka Wai Ola
Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna Waters of life Water is considered a medicinal and life-giving force by Hawaiians and many indigenous cultures. Various sources of water, including rain, rivers, springs, mists, and dew from plants like coconut, are recognized as gifts from Papahanaumoku. These different types of water hold significance in Hawaiian traditions for spiritual purification, healing, and communication. Hawaiians categorize water based on its unique properties and benefits, attri
Kuialuaopuna
3 days ago1 min read
Ka Hana Lawai'a
Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna VOLUME I: KA HANA LAWAIʻA A ME NĀ KOʻA O NA KAI ʻEWALU COMPILED FROM: NATIVE HAWAIIAN TRADITIONS, HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS, GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS, KAMAʻĀINA TESTIMONY AND ETHNOGRAPHY By Kepa Maly Cultural Historian & Resource Specialist & Onaona Maly Researcher Prepared for The Nature Conservancy A HISTORY OF FISHING PRACTICES AND MARINE FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS August 1, 2003 Pgs. 53-62 https://ulukau.org/ulukau-books/?a=d&d=EBOOK-MALY1.2.5.4.2&e
Kuialuaopuna
4 days ago17 min read
Alapa Warriors of Hawaii
Photo: Ku'ialuaopuna HAWAIIAN HISTORICAL LEGENDS By William D. Westervelt 1923, pgs. 125-142 KA-LANI-OPUU was the Moi, or king, of Hawaii, at whose feet Captain Cook was slain in 1779. He had been the ruling chief since 1754. About 1760 Kalaniopuu attacked the southern coast of Maui and captured the famous fort of Kau-wiki. For fifteen years the Maui chiefs were not able to recapture it. During these years Kalaniopuu had frequently gathered his best company of warriors and at
Kuialuaopuna
4 days ago15 min read
GAMES AND PASTIMES OF THE MAORI SLINGS AND SLINGING
Photo:From New Zealand Electronic Text Collection Author: Elsdon Best Publication details: A. R. Shearer, Wellington Part of: The Published Works of Elsdon Best pgs:35-38 License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BesGame-t1-body-d2-d1-d8.html Slings and Slinging It is a well-known fact that the Polynesian was, in many places, much given to the use of the sling in war. Many writers have told us ho
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 29, 20257 min read
Traditional Hawaiian Fish hooks
Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/g-umi-kai Kii: Umi Kai
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 29, 20251 min read
Na Kini o Ke Akua
Kii: Marvin Chandra When Hawaiians of old prayed, in order to include all aspects of God and to avoid omitting or offending any akua, they added the words: “E Hoʻoulu ana i kini o ke akua, ka lehu o ke akua, nā mano o ke akua.” (Invoke we now the 40,000 gods, the 400,000 gods, the 4,000 gods.)—Beckwith There are many types of spirits that are part of the Maoli (Native Hawaiian) world. These akua possess many different characteristics—some mischievous, some caring. Certain aku
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 29, 20256 min read
ANCIENT TAHITIAN SOCIETY
Matavai Bay, Island ofTahiti by George Tobin, 1792. Image courtesy State Library of New South Wales FL1606990 . ANCIENT TAHITIAN SOCIETY DOUGLAS L. OLIVER THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF HAWAII HONOLULU Copyright © 19 74 by The University Press of Hawaii https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/5a8a4139-3e0b-49eb-a569-89be3641f995/content pgs 376-387 Warfare Among the Society Islanders, in consequence of the influence of the climate, luxurious mode of living,
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 23, 202518 min read
Abolition of the Kapu Under Liholiho
Kii: Bishop Museum CHAPTER XVIII Abolition of the Tabus Under Liholiho SAMUEL M. KAMAKAU Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS Copyright © 1961 pgs. 219-228 https://ulukau.org/ulukau-books/?a=d&d=EBOOK-CHIEFS.2.21.1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txPT----------- The ten days necessary for the cleaning of Kamehameha's bones had passed, and they had been brought to the tower ( ʻanuʻu ) within the heiau built for them where the receptacle ( kaʻai ) was woven in which they were to b
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 23, 202518 min read
Ka ʻai a ka olohe i koe iā ʻoe
Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna Pa Lua, Olohe, and the Training of Kekuhaupiʻo I ka wā kahiko, many pa lua , or schools of instruction, existed at various levels of skill and prestige. Those pa lua that belonged to a high chief’s court were guided by the most accomplished olohe , who were responsible for overseeing each school. These skilled olohe determined the type and level of training conducted within their pa lua . Within chiefly pa lua , additional olohe lua assisted with instruc
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 23, 20253 min read
Pahulu of old Hawaii
HAWAIIAN MYTHOLOGY Martha Beckwith 1970 by University of Hawaiʻi Press pg. 108 Ki'i: Susan Scott, Star Advertiser The moolelo of the Pahulu ohana was always known in the area of Kualoa, Hakipuu, Waiahole ,Kaalaea and Koolaupoko. Pahulu was known as the family that came from Molokai in the ancient times. These times were before Pele came to Oahu to look for a home at Aliapaakai on the Kona side of the island. This was the time of Aila'au, the akua of the fire who lived on Hawa
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 23, 20257 min read
Wai'ōhinu, Ka'u
Kii: Marina S. Riker This moolelo was passed down by Olohe Likeke Paglinawan, who was a keiki hanai to Tutu Ku'umi Kin In and Kawena Puku'i of Ka'u. There was an alii of Ka'u who had a pua'a or pig that was kapu for anyone to slaughter and eat. This puaʻa belonged to the alii of the area and was not seen by the alii that day and so he ordered a search for his puaʻa throughout the forest and village of his people. The whole village, chiefs and priests went out and looked for
Kuialuaopuna
Dec 23, 20252 min read
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