Hula Traditions - Hula Tradition

Mana

In a Polynesian reality there is a coexistence between the physical natural world and the metaphysical spiritual world.
In order to appreciate and understand Hawaiian chants it is necessary to understand this fundamental principal. There are no gods and goddessess, only ancestral dieties and spiritual manifestations of deceasd ancestors transformed. Layered within chant is a cultural storehouse of scientific knowledge preserved by the Ancients encoded within the body of the language of the text.

Formal hula in Hawai'i: Ke Kahua Mua
Kapo'ulakina'u the founder of formal hula in Hawai'i was a sister of Pele, Laka and Hi'iaka. In the 16th century A.D., she arrived in Hawai'i from the islands of Tahiti with other family members and established a dynasty which reshaped and changed the religion, music, performing arts, history, politics , government and culture of Hawai'i.
Homeland: Hawaiki
The island of Ra'i'atea which is part of modern day French Polynesia lies 100 miles Northwest of the island of Tahiti. Rai'atea was formerly known as Hawaiki or Havaiki and was the central point from which voyaging canoes departed to eastblish settlements in the Marquesas, Easter island, New Zealand and Hawai'i.

Historical Background: Te Hau Mo'oRere

The royal families of Hawaiki or Ra'i'atea gathered on the the royal assembly ground of Mata-tihi-tahu-roa to offer sacrifices in the temple Taputapu'atea, "Sacred 'Atea", and in the national marae or temple of Apu-roa home of the ancestral god Kane. Tu-tapu a chief of Ra'i'atea sent his daughter Hutuhiva to the island of Huahine in a sacred drum to wed the chief of Huahine. When she landed on Huahine two warrior princes Tu and Te-au-nui-maru-ia approached her and took her back with them to the district of Maeva. She became the wife of Te-au and had ten children from which the the ten districts of Huahine are named establishing the dynasty called Te-hau-mo'o-Rere.Dragon Clan: Mo'o Kahuna.

The ancient chiefs of Hawai'i were called the five Mo'o divisions of Haumea
1. Mo'o-'Akua, "the divine ones"
2. Mo'o ali'i, "the chiefly ones"
3. Mo'o Kaula, "the seers or prophets"
4. Mo'o Kahuna, " the priests"
5. Mo'o Kanaka, "the people".

They were the descendants of the royal dynasty of Huahine, known by the name Te-hau-mo'o-Rere.
On Ra'i'atea at the temple of Tapu-tapu-'atea the followers of Kane clashed with the worshippers of Oro the Tahitian diety Ku to whom the practice of human sacrifices were made. In Hawai'i the manifestations of Ku were known by the names Ku-te-Oro-ewa, Ku-ke'Orohaka, Kuka'ilimoku and a host of other names. The priests and worshippers of Oro prevailed over the Kane followers in Tahiti and drove them out of the sacred marae or temple complex forcing many to migrate northward to the islands of Hawai'i this is their story.

Kapo-'ula-kina'u

Haumea-niho'oi a high chiefess of Tahiti and her husband the warrior chief Kane-Lu-honua were the progenitors of a large and spiritual family who manifest mana, spritual power associated with the ancestral divinity called Mo'oinanea. Haumea is as a diety of radiating light, a kupua of miraculous powers.

Kauilanui-maka-eha-i-kalani is their eldest male child, named for his unusual birth. He emerges from Haumea's eyes as bolts of lightning. All the children of Haumea were born as physical and spiritual emanations bfrom within Haume'a supernatural body. These corporeal beings were called the fire chiefs of Hawai'i, from whom descend the chiefs, priests and commoners of Hawai'i.

Pele was the first born female child, she emerged from her Haumea's mouth as a flicker of flame. Her name Pele-Honua-mea means, Pele, to pound, - Honua-earth - Mea-Red, She who pounds the red earth.

Kapo was born as an emanation from her mothers eyes. Kapo'ula-kina'u means, Kapo the primordial darkness or abyss in the dawn of time, 'Ula red, kina'u, the mixing of the colors with spots of black, a poetic reference to her mixed genealogical lineage.

Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele was the youngest of Haumea's children born in an egg and nurtured by her sister Pele, Hi'iaka-Cherished, i ka, in the, Poli-Bossom, cherished at the bosom of Pele,she was named after the fashion in which Pele carried her about as if she were her own child.

Hale pili

Pahu, hula drums, hula pahu was considered the most sacred and formal style of hula.

Ipu, gourds were used as containers and hula drums, double gourd drums were called Ipu heke, the top smaller gourd was the heke and the bottom larger gourd the 'olo. Single gourds were called ipu heke 'ole or ipu hula, long gourd drums were called ipu lele without a heke top.

'Ihe, spears

Hula was a stylized form of Polynesian martial arts and combative warfare techniques. Kapo's father was KaneLuhonua also known by the name Kuwahailo who was the patron Lord of Lua the Hawaiian martial art of bone breaking and combat. His children emigrated to Hawai'i and established the first formal schools of training in these arts. Spears became the kala'au used in hula performances, 'ili'ili were the stone amunition used in the sling weapon, 'uli'uli stylized shields, other weapons like the club and paddle were danced with as is and became part of the hula tradition.

'Ie'Ie
La'au hula, plants associated with formal hula and the construction of the hula ku'ahu or altar were considered kinolau or plant bodies of the patron ancestral saints associated with formal hula traditions.

'Ie'ie is a tenacious vine like plant which attaches itself onto the trunk of the 'ohi'a lehua in the forest. 4 lenghts of this plant were cut in the forest and attached to each post of the altar which was constructed of 'ohi'a wood and 'ahakea.

Halapepe

Halapepe was a similar looking plant and represented Kapo herself. A single branch of halapepe was cut in the forest and placed on the altar, no hula altar was complete without it.

Maile

A single maile lei was placed on the center of the altar and represented the umbilical connection to the earth. The seeds of the maile are green and then turn a dark black color before bursting forth from their pod with a popping sound scattering the seeds across the forest floor. The knowledge a student acquired was symbolically represented in prayers as the seeds of the maile.

Palapalai, fern

Palapalai lace fern used in the making of lei and for the altar represented the youngerst sister of this family Hi'iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele. Hi'iaka was a chanter and the composer of the mele hula , hula chants. Her voice and chant compositions form the main cadre of traditional ipu hula associated with the Hula Pele tradition and school.

Koa

A piece of koa wood was placed on the altar it represented strength and was the cognitive associate between hula and lua. Traditional hula was closely associated with psychic warfare training and healing through the use of mana or spiritual power. Once the rituals and proper protocols were observed an altar became active and was inhabited by a powerful healing force, the plants that adorned the 'ahu trembled with the energy that flowed through them, this mana was transferable to the sick rulting in miraculous cures and the suspension of natural law. Participants in this type of ritual must be of pure heart and mind otherwise their prayers remain unanswered and the altar does not become active.

'Ohe, Native bamboo

Native Hawaiian bamboo has long joints with thin walls perfect for making 2 hula implements the 'ohe hano ihu nose flute and the pu'ili or split bamboo rattle. 'Ohe was one of the talisman plants used to ward off malevolent spiritual energy and was placd in the 4 corners of the hula school.

'Ape

'Ape looks like taro but contains much higher levels of crystal oxylates which are toxic if ingested. 'Ape is another of the plants used as a counter agent against malevolent spiritual forces it was planted on each side of the path which led to the door of the hale to ward off negative spiritual forces.

Ki, Ti, Lau'i, La'i

Ti leaf was often planted outside a hale it was another of the plant talismans. Symbollically la'i means peace and tranquility a piece of the unfurled center mu'o or bud was tucked in a persons clothing to protect the wearer against malevolent forces, much like the wearing of a crucifix. Followers of the Kapo tradition were expected to maintain a high degree of personal hygenie especially forwoman they always wore a pieee of ti leaf hidden in their garment or pa'u.