Kahea

Kii: Kawainui Kane

In the past, it was customary for travelers to announce their arrival upon entering certain destinations. It was the normal expectation for all kanaka. The kahea from these visitors would be answered with a response from the host. If no kahea was given, then it was considered rude and inapropriate for one to enter into the space of the host. For those in the practice of lua, death would be the response from the host if no kahea was given before entry. If the setting were at a pa lua, all those entering must kahea the secret password to enter the training area or pa lua. This includes all haumana of the pa lua, the olohe of that pa lua, and all others that seek entry. The kapu in entering was very strict if these rules were not followed correctly. Here is a upu passed down from old Lua traditions.

Here is a upu passed down from our Lua traditions of ka poe kahiko . This is a kahea is used by the lua people of old, on their journey through the lands as strangers or visitors. Today, this can be used to announce one's arrival at a village, marae, or the home of a friend. This upu is used to announce to all that the guests or visitors are present and that their halau or pa seeks an audience from the host.

Traditional K.K. Ku'ialuaopuna

Ua hiki mai ka ‘ehu kai mai ʻō a'e

Hoʻomaʻū ‘ia ka ʻāina i ke kēhau

Ua hiki mai ka lehua a ke kai

Te lapa a Kanaloa

E ala, ka maka o ka ihe

Kani ka leo, wawalo 'ana i ka nahele

Nā mamo a ka lua

A passing shower has arrived

The land has been dampened.

The Lehua are here,

Kanaloa possesses the fire

Arise, point of the spear

The call sounds, reverberating in the trees

The descendants of the pit