Ka 'Awa 'Ili Lena o Puna

Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna

Ka ‘awa ‘ili lena was a variety of ‘awa known to Puna. Its origins trace back to ancient times in the forested region of Kaliʻu and Mālama. It was said that the birds of Puna carried this ‘awa into the trees, and because of this, it became known as ‘Awa kau lā‘au a ka manu—the ‘awa placed in the trees by the birds. The grove where this yellow-skinned ‘awa grew was called Mauānuikananuha, which was also considered the body form of the god Kūlilikaua-i-kanahele-o-Kaliʻu. This special ‘awa was also referred to as “Ka ‘awa ‘ili lena a ka manu i kanu ai i luna o ka lā‘au”—the yellow-skinned ‘awa planted by birds atop the tree branches.

Kaniahiku was the guardian of the forests of Kaliʻu and Mālama and the protector of this famous ‘awa growing in Mauānuikananuha. According to the moʻolelo of Kamiki and Maka‘iole, published by John Wise and J.W.H.I. Kihe, an ‘ōlohe chiefess named Kaniahiku lived in the district of Kapoho, Puna, Hawaiʻi. She possessed supernatural gifts and was a highly skilled ‘ōlohe lua, undefeated in combat. As kahu of the forest, she protected both the lands of Kaliʻu and Mālama and the sacred ‘Awa kau lā‘au a ka manu.

Gathering this ‘awa required strict kapu. Those who sought to pick the ‘Awa kau lā‘au a ka manu were required to offer two specific fish: the ‘āhuluhulu and the ‘ōlapa. The ‘āhuluhulu is the young stage of the kūmū fish, whose growth stages are kolokolopā, ‘āhuluhulu, and finally kūmū. This red fish was used ceremonially as a high offering to the akua, as red (‘ula) or dark (hiwa) forms were considered sacred. The word kumu—the adult stage—means “source” or “origin.”

Kii: NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries/James Watt

For the ‘ōlapa, it is the young stage of the āhole. Its growth stages are pua, āholehole, and finally āhole. The word hole means “to strip away,” as in stripping flesh from bones or removing leaves from a stalk. This fish was used ceremonially to chase away harmful spirits. The āholehole was also called pua‘a kai and served as a substitute for a pig offering. These meanings help explain why these two fish species were required as sacred offerings to the akua Kūlilikaua-i-kanahele-o-Kaliʻu for the gathering of the ‘awa ‘ili lena.

Aholehole fish

Kii: Hawaii Biological Survey, Bishop Museum

For those who broke the kapu associated with gathering this ‘awa—or other forest plants such as ‘ōhi‘a lehua, ‘ōhelo, and other sacred growths in Kaliʻu and Mālama—a dense mist and heavy rains would descend, enveloping the area completely. The person would become disoriented, wandering aimlessly until they were lost and unable to find their way out. Many people died in these forests after carelessly breaking plants or calling out loudly, disturbing the silence of the forest deities. From its origins in Kaliʻu and Mālama, the moʻolelo of this prized ‘awa ‘ili lena of Puna spread throughout the lands of Puna and across the pae ʻāina for generations.

There is also a land called Kaliʻu on Kauaʻi, and it appears this ʻāina is likewise associated with the famous ‘Awa kau lā‘au of Puna. The ‘awa ‘ili lena a ka manu o Puna may still exist today in the deep forests of Mālama. One must be blessed by the kūpuna to encounter it high in the forest canopy. Yet the forest is drying, and the native birds that once lived in these upland zones are now rare or absent. Still, I continue to search among the ‘ōhi‘a and the ekaha of Puna’s forests for the hidden ‘awa ‘ili lena a ka manu i kanu ai i luna o ka lā‘au—the yellow-skinned ‘awa planted by birds atop the tree branches.