Ali’i / Chiefs / Governance | Page 17

July 26, 2024 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry

Among the very early examples of early Hawaiian jewelry are Queen Emmaʻs silver bracelet engraved “Aloha ia ka heiheimalie.” (Ka-heihei-malie was a wife of Kamehameha I.)

Likewise, reportedly, a gift from Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop to Queen Liliʻuokalani was a bracelet using Victorian scroll, yet traditionally Hawaiian with the word “Aloha” and wrapped with a band of human hair.

Some have suggested (reportedly, incorrectly) that the Hawaiian heirloom jewelry (primarily the gold bracelets with black/raised lettering) started as gifts to Queen Kapiʻolani and Princess Liliʻuokalani when they attended Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887.

Gold jewelry adorned with black enamel was already traditional in England when Queen Victoria turned it into “mourning jewelry” after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861.

It turns out Princess Liliʻuokalani had the English-style mourning jewelry at least 20-years before she traveled to England in 1887 to attend the Jubilee.

In Hawaiʻi, Crown Princess Liliʻuokalani, perhaps empathizing with the widow Victoria, took a liking to the jewelry style and had bracelets made for herself.

In the early-1860s, Liliʻuokalani wore a bracelet that was a precursor of the Hawaiian heirloom jewelry worn by women in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere today.

Its textured surface is embellished with the Hawaiian phrase, “Hoomanao Mau” (Lasting Remembrance,) which is rendered in black enamel.

But the Queen did not save these treasured bracelets for herself. In 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani presented a gold enameled bracelet to Zoe Atkinson, headmistress at Pohukaina Girls School.

The inscription on the bracelet read “Aloha Oe” (“Farewell to Thee”) and “Liliʻuokalani Jan. 5, 1893.”

The inscription proved to be prophetic: Just days later, the Queen was forced to abdicate her thrown and the Hawaiian Monarchy had come to a sudden end.

Atkinson, who was an active socialite and the event coordinator for the Queen, became the envy of many young ladies, who then asked their mothers for engraved bracelets of their own.

However, the young girls requested from their mother that their name be placed on the bracelets instead of the phrase “Aloha Oe.”

The tradition has since continued throughout the generations. Hawaiian heirloom jewelry has been given as gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations and weddings.

Over the years, the styles (and prices) changed. By the 1980s they were manufactured using motorized cutters and raised lettering was started.

In the 1990s the engravers latched on to the idea that the designs could be extended to the edge of the bracelets and then scalloped around.

Although machinery made production more diverse and faster, many of the engraving and enameling was done by hand, as it had been done since the 1860s.

In 2008, with the advent of laser cutting machines, new lettering could be achieved, with lettering being a different color than the background.

Today, there is Hawaiian heirloom jewelry from traditional to contemporary – not just folks in Hawaiʻi, but thousands of people from all over the world embrace the Island jewelry.

So, what happened to the Queen’s bracelets?

It was the Queen’s wish that when she died, that her jewelry was to be sold and the proceeds used to fund an orphanage. The “Hoomanao Mau” bracelet and another marked “R. Naiu” were inventoried after her death and auctioned for $105 in 1924.

In 2009, Abigail Kawananakoa purchased and donated the “Hoomanao Mau” bracelet to the Friends of ʻIolani Palace; it is part of the display in the Palace Gallery.

July 22, 2024 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Royal Remains

Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, ‘Place of Refuge of Honaunau,’ is located in the ahupua‘a of Honaunau, in South Kona, on the west coast of the Island of Hawai‘i. (NPS)

“The heiau of the pu‘uhonua at Honaunau at the time of European contact was Hale o Keawe. This association with religious structures indicates that a pu‘uhonua as that at Honaunau was not merely a place of physical refuge, but more specifically a sanctuary.”

“In a thatched house on one of the heiau platforms were kept the bones of deceased high chiefs, now deified. This was not a burial, but rather a deification. Hawaiian burials per se were quite different.”

“The powerful mana of these deified chiefs continued after life to surround the area and to afford protection to anyone entering the enclosure. The sanctuary at Honaunau was under the protection of the deified chief Keawe, and the one at Waipi‘o Valley under Liloa.” (Marion Kelly, NPS)

“The oldest Hawaiian mausoleum of which there is information was Hale o Liloa at Waipio. It was built probably in 1575, when it may be estimated that King Liloa died.” (Stokes)

“It was during this residence at Kaawaloa that we visited the old ‘heiau,’ or temple, at Hoonaunau, in company with Naihe and Kapiolani. It was then surrounded by an enclosure of hideous idols carved in wood, and no woman had ever been allowed to enter its consecrated precincts.”

“Our heroic Kapiolani led the way, and we entered the enclosure. It was a sickening scene that met our eyes. The dead bodies of chiefs were placed around the room in a sitting posture, the unsightly skeletons mostly concealed in folds of kapa, or rich silk.”

“The blood-stained altar was there, where human victims had been immolated to idol gods. Fragments of offerings were strewed about. Kapiolani was much affected and wept, but her husband was stern and silent.”

“A few months after our visit [probably early 1829] Kaahumanu came and ordered all the bones buried, and the house and fence entirely demolished. She gave some of the timber, which was spear-wood (kauila), to the missionaries, and told them to make it into canes and contribution boxes, to send to their friends. (Laura Judd, Honolulu Sketches)

“By the order of Kaahumanu and Kalanimoku , the officers of the Blonde were allowed to remove nearly all of the idols and some of the other relics deposited in the ‘House of Keawe’”. (Alexander)

“A few months later, Kaahumanu visited Kapiolani, and resolved to put an end to the superstitions connected with the place. By their orders the venerated deified bones were removed, deposited in two large coffins, and interred in a secret cave at Kaawaloa, where they remained for nearly thirty years.”

“Mr. Chamberlain made a list of the names of twenty-three chiefs, whose bones were then removed, and stated that five or six more were brought over from the sacred ‘House of Liloa’ in Waipio.” (Alexander) “Liloa, Lonoikamakahiki, Kauhoa, and Lole are the only ones who were found by Kaahumanu at Waipio, and they were brought to Kaawaloa.” ((Kuokoa, June 13, 1868)

“The house and fence were entirely demolished, and the sacred Kauila rafters were used in building a Government House on the site now occupied by Hackfeld & Co’s building, which was therefore called ‘Ka hale kauila.’” (Alexander)

“In January, 1858, Kamehameha IV, accompanied by a numerous retinue, made a tour of the windward islands in the British sloop-of-war, Vixen, Captain Meacham, arriving at Kaawaloa, January 24th, 1858. On the following night the venerable kahu, or guardian of the secret burial cave, was ordered to remove the stones that concealed the entrance.”

“The coffins were then brought out by torch-light, and carried on board of the man-of-war, which brought them to Honolulu, where they were consigned to Governor Kekuanaoa.”

“The Vixen, with the royal party on board, arrived in Honolulu, February 12th, and Captain Meacham died on the 17th, after an illness of only three days. It was universally believed by the Natives that his death was caused by the displeasure of the akuas, or departed spirits, whose mortal remains had been disturbed.” (Alexander)

The remains were taken to Sacred Mound (previously a stone mausoleum); it was constructed in 1825 to house the remains of Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and his consort, Queen Kamāmalu. Both had died of measles while on a journey to England the year before.

Then upon their arrival in Hawai‘i, in consultation between the Kuhina Nui, Ka‘ahumanu, and other high chiefs, and telling them about Westminster Abbey and the underground burial crypts they had seen there, it was decided to build a mausoleum building on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace.

The mausoleum was a small eighteen-by-twenty-four foot Western style structure made of white-washed coral blocks with a thatched roof; it had no windows.

Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and Queen Kamāmalu were buried on August 23, 1825. The name ‘Pohukaina’ begins to be used to reference the site at the time of their burial. (Pohukaina – is translated as “Pohu-ka-ʻāina” (the land is quiet and calm.))

For the next forty years, this royal tomb and the land immediately surrounding it became the final resting place for the kings of Hawai‘i, their consorts and important chiefs of the kingdom.

“After the completion of the present Mausoleum in Nuuanu [Mauna Ala], on the night of October 30th, 1865, the coffins of the former royal personages of Hawaii nei, including those brought from Kaawaloa, were removed to it in an imposing torch-light procession . It is to be hoped that their repose will not be disturbed again.” (Alexander)

The remains of the Ali‘i were removed from Pohukaina and transferred in a torchlight procession at night to Mauna ‘Ala, a new Royal Mausoleum in Nu‘uanu Valley.

In a speech delivered on the occasion of the laying of the Cornerstone of The Royal Palace (ʻIolani Palace,) Honolulu, in 1879, JH Kapena, Minister of Foreign Relations, said:

“Doubtless the memory is yet green of that never-to-be-forgotten night when the remains of the departed chiefs were removed to the Royal Mausoleum in the valley.”

“Perhaps the world had never witnessed a procession more weird and solemn than that which conveyed the bodies of the chiefs through our streets, accompanied on each side by thousands of people until the mausoleum was reached …”

“… the entire scene and procession being lighted by large kukui torches, while the midnight darkness brought in striking relief the coffins on their biers.”

“Earth has not seen a more solemn procession what when, in the darkness of the night, the bodies of these chieftains were carried through the streets”. (Hawaiian Gazette, January 14, 1880)

“The utmost quiet pervaded the streets of the city as the procession moved along, escorted by a military guard, and followed by the Royal carriage, another carriage in which rode His Excellency, Governor Kekuanaoa and several other carriages.”

“The procession passed through the streets about nine o’clock. The solemn stillness was broken by the wailing of one solitary native woman, who followed the procession.”

“It seemed peculiarly fitting that this national sign of mourning should find utterance as the mortal remains of Kings and Chiefs were passing to their final resting place on earth.” (The Friend, Nov 1, 1865)

The March 10, 1899 issue of the Hawaiian Gazette noted that Līloa (1500s,) Lonoikamakahiki (late-1500s) and Alapaʻi (1700s) are among the buried at Mauna ʻAla.

The State designated the area a Monument in recognition of its historic importance, and to utilize these unique resources to educate and promote awareness of the historic and cultural character of the era of the Hawaiian monarchy.

July 14, 2024 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Liholiho – Kamehameha II

Liholiho was born circa 1797 in Hilo, on the island of Hawaiʻi, the eldest son of Kamehameha I and his highest-ranking consort Queen Keōpūolani.

Kamehameha the Great died in 1819, and Liholiho officially inherited the role of King; however, Ka‘ahumanu would serve as kuhina nui (the rough equivalent of the 19th-century European office of Prime Minister.)

His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu ʻIolani. It was lengthened to Kalani Kaleiʻaimoku o Kaiwikapu o Laʻamea i Kauikawekiu Ahilapalapa Kealiʻi Kauinamoku o Kahekili Kalaninui i Mamao ʻIolani i Ka Liholiho when he took the throne.

Liholiho had five wives, Kamāmalu, Kekāuluohi, Kalanipauahi, Kekauʻōnohi and Kīna‘u; he had no children with any of his wives.

The new king was generally well-liked and admired. As one American missionary observed, “There is nothing particularly striking about his countenance, but his figure is noble, perhaps more so than that of any other chief; his manners polite and easy, and his whole deportment that of a gentleman.”

Kamehameha II is best remembered for the ‘Ai Noa, the breaking of the ancient kapu (taboo) system of religious laws six months into his reign when he sat down with Kaʻahumanu and his mother Keōpūolani and ate a meal together.

The religious and political code of old Hawai‘i, collectively called the kapu system, was abolished.

While the islands were united by his father, after the abolition of the kapu, Keaoua Kekuaokalani (Liholiho’s cousin) led the forces supporting the ancient Hawaiian religion; Kekuaokalani, his wife Manono and his warriors were overwhelmed. Lekeleke Burial Grounds, 7 miles south of Kailua, commemorates the battle.

Sandalwood was an important export at the time. In 1819, Liholiho ended the controls on harvesting ‘iliahi initiated by his father. In their rush to collect wood, the chiefs ordered even young trees to be cut down.

New trees were not planted to replace those cut down. Soon there was little ʻiliahi worth gathering in Hawaiʻi. As the supply dwindled the trading of ʻiliahi came to an end.

On April 4, 1820, the initial group of missionaries came to Hawai‘i and Liholiho granted them permission to stay in the Hawaiian Islands.

Later, in 1820, Liholiho bought a Royal Yacht known as Cleopatra’s Barge in exchange for reportedly 1-million pounds of sandalwood; he renamed the yacht Ha‘aheo o Hawaii (Pride of Hawaiʻi).

Kamehameha II was quite proud of his ship; in the words of Charles Bullard, the agent for the ship-owner: “If you want to know how Religion stands at the Islands I can tell you; all sects are tolerated but the King worships the Barge.”

Whaling soon replaced the sandalwood trade of ʻiliahi wood in economic importance. It lasted about fifty years, from 1820 to 1870. During this time Hawaiʻi provided support services to the whaling ships; people grew crops and sold fresh fruits, vegetables and salted-meat to the ships.

Liholiho’s reign was also noted for his efforts to ensure the lasting independence of the Hawaiian kingdom. In 1823, Liholiho and his favorite wife, Kamāmalu, sailed to England to meet with King George IV, the first Ali‘i to travel to England.

King George IV scheduled a meeting for June 21, but it had to be delayed; Liholiho and Kamāmalu became ill. The Hawaiian court had caught measles, to which they had no immunity.

It is believed they probably contracted the disease on their visit to the Royal Military Asylum (now the Duke of York’s Royal Military School).

Virtually the entire royal party developed measles within weeks of arrival, 7 to 10 days after visiting the Royal Military Asylum housing hundreds of soldiers’ children.

On the 8th of July the Queen died at half-past six in the evening from inflammation of the lungs. A few days later, King Liholiho died. His reign was approximately 5-years.

The moments just before he died, he said faintly: “Farewell to you all – I am dead, I am happy.”

Then upon their arrival back to Hawai‘i, in consultation between the Kuhina Nui, Ka‘ahumanu, and other high chiefs, and telling them about Westminster Abbey and the underground burial crypts they had seen there, it was decided to build a mausoleum building on the grounds of the royal palace.

The Sacred Mound (previously a stone mausoleum) – Pohukaina – was constructed in 1825 to house the remains of Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and his consort, Queen Kamāmalu.

The mausoleum was a small eighteen-by-twenty-four foot Western style structure made of white-washed coral blocks with a thatched roof; it had no windows.

Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and Queen Kamāmalu were buried on August 23, 1825. The name ‘Pohukaina’ begins to be used to reference the site at the time of their burial. (Pohukaina – is translated as “Pohu-ka-ʻāina” (the land is quiet and calm.))

For the next forty years, this royal tomb and the land immediately surrounding it became the final resting place for the kings of Hawai‘i, their consorts and important chiefs of the kingdom.

July 3, 2024 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Nine Traditions That Emphasized Chiefly Rank

In 1920, Martha Beckwith became the first person to hold a chair in Folklore at any college or university in the country. The Folklore Foundation, established at Vassar, was an unprecedented institution and became a center of research in the almost entirely new field of folk culture. (Vassar)

“Position in old Hawaiʻi, both social and political, depended in the first instance upon rank, and rank upon blood descent-hence the importance of genealogy as proof of high ancestry.”

“Grades of rank were distinguished and divine honors paid to those chiefs alone who could show such an accumulation of inherited sacredness as to class with the gods among men. Since a child inherited from both parents, he might claim higher rank than either one.” (Beckwith)

There were nine traditions that emphasized chiefly rank:

a family genealogy tracing back to the gods through one of the two sons of Ki‘i, Ulu and Nanaʻulu, and by as many branches (lala) as family relationship could be stretched to cover
a name chant, composed at birth or given in afterlife, glorifying the family history not only of persons concerned but also of places made sacred by particular events or association
signs in the heavens by which ʻaumakua of the day recognized their offspring on earth
a special place set aside as sacred to the birth of high-ranking chiefs (i.e. Kūkaniloko)
the sacred cord (aha) stretched at the entrance of a chief’s dwelling, under which all of lower rank must pass but which fell “of itself” before the approach of anyone of equal or higher position
wealth, especially in lands, labor and specialized objects such as foods, ornaments, colors belonging to ranking chiefs alone
the power of the kapu, which gave the ranking chief immense personal privilege, although the ruling chief might have actually more power over lands and wealth (before certain captive chiefesses of Maui of incredible sanctity, according to Kamakau, Kamehameha himself was of lower rank)
the right to officiate in the heiau as both chief and priest
at death, the final deification of the bones and their laying away in a sacred and secret place difficult of access (one of the most important such place in ancient times being the ʻĪao valley on the island of Maui)

Rank depended primarily upon blood; but of great importance was the conduct of life by which one could, by carelessness in preserving the kapu and in making proper marriages, lose caste and prerogatives under the severe discipline of the Aha-ali‘i (Council of Chiefs,) or could, through a royal marriage, raise the rank of one’s descendants upon the family line.

The image, ‘Aha Ula’ by Brook Parker, represents the chiefly rank. Information here is primarily from Beckwith, Mookini and Yardley.

July 1, 2024 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

ʻĀinahau Hotel

“’Have you seen the Cleghorn Gardens?’ is a frequent question to the malihini, and only another way of asking if one has seen the gardens of the late Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani, lovely hybrid flower of Scottish and Polynesian parentage, daughter of a princess of Hawaiʻi, Miriam Likelike (sister of Liliʻuokalani and Kalākaua) and the Honorable Arthur Scott Cleghorn.”

“We are too late by twenty years to be welcomed by Likelike, and eight years behind time to hear the merriment of Kaiulani in her father’s house Kaʻiulani, who would now be of the same age as Jack London.”

“The famous house, ʻĀinahau, is not visible from the Avenue. Here the bereft consort of Likelike lives in solitary state with his servants, amid the relics of unforgotten days. He receives few visitors, and we felt as if breaking his privacy were an intrusion, even though by invitation.”

“But the commandingly tall, courtly old Scot, wide brown eyes smiling benevolently under white hair and beetling brows, paced halfway down his palm-pillared driveway in greeting, and led our little party about the green-shady ways of the wonderland of flowers and vines, lily ponds and arbors, ‘Where Kaʻiulani sat,’ or sewed, or read, or entertained all in a forest of high interlacing trees of many varieties, both native and foreign.”

“I was most fascinated by a splendid banyan a tree which from childhood I had wanted to see. This pleased the owner, whose especial pride it is ‘Kaʻiulani’s banyan’ … Into nurseries and vegetable gardens we followed him, and real grass huts that have stood untouched for years.”

“And the house. The portion once occupied by the vanished Princess is never opened to strangers, nor used in any way. Only her father wanders there, investing the pretty suite of rooms with recollection of her tuneful young presence.” (Charmaine London, June 29, 1907)

Princess Kaʻiulani inherited 10-acres of land in Waikīkī from her godmother, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani. Originally called Auaukai, her mother named it ʻĀinahau; Princess Kaʻiulani spent most of her life there.

The stream that flowed through ʻĀinahau and emptied into the ocean between the Moana and Royal Hawaiian Hotels (where the present Outrigger Hotel is located,) was called ʻApuakehau (the middle of three rivers that used to run through Waikīkī.)

The family built a two-story home on the estate. At first the home was used only as a country estate, but Princess Kaʻiulani’s family loved it so much, it soon became their full time residence.

Miriam Likelike passed away at ʻĀinahau 12-years before Kaʻiulani herself passed in 1899; Cleghorn lived until 1910 and also passed away there.

“ʻĀinahau, the beautiful residence and park at Waikiki, formerly the home of Governor Cleghorn, has become the property of the public, the will of the late governor, filed for probate yesterday, bequeathing the property to the public use as a park, to be known as Kaʻiulani park, after his daughter the late Princess Kaʻiulani.” (San Francisco Call, November 20, 1910)

“Mr. Cleghorn … felt that he held ʻĀinahau in a sort of trust, to preserve it for the memory of Kaʻiulani, and indirectly also of Likelike.” (Honolulu Star Bulletin, April 16, 1913)

“A bill to accept the fine gift passed the senate in 1913 but was killed in the house, and it was admitted at the time that some of the heirs under the will had joined in fighting against the acceptance bill.” (Honolulu Star-Bulleting, September 23, 1913)

“The deal by which the property was leased was completed yesterday. The name of the lessee is withheld at this time, but it was learned that local persons are interested in the project.”

“On the first of July the buildings already on the estate will be opened as a hotel. The buildings include one large structure, five cottages and one grass house. … The lease is made for a short period of time, with the privilege of extension. It includes the entire area of beautiful ʻĀinahau.” (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 21, 1913)

Mrs EH Lewis rented the property from the Cleghorn estate and operated the property as ʻĀinahau Hotel from 1913 to 1917.

“The ʻĀinahau, with its waving, coconut trees, stately palms and winding roads and paths, has always been known as one of the most beautiful and romantic spots in Honolulu.” (Honolulu Star-Bulleting, September 23, 1913)

“The ʻĀinahau Hotel has its entrance opposite the Moana and is not on the beach, but in the beautiful tropical jungle which was the residence of the late AS Cleghorn, father of the deceased Princess Kaʻiulani. This is also on the cottage plan, and accommodates 75 guests. American plan $1.50 to $2.50 per day; $40 to $75 per month.” (The Aloha Guide, 1915)

“ʻĀinahau is entered by a roadway opposite the Moana Hotel at Waikiki and was the residence of the late AS Cleghorn, father of the former Princess Kaʻiulani.”

“Mr. Cleghorn, upon his death in 1911, devised ʻĀinahau to Honolulu as a public park specifying certain conditions, among them that it should be closed after 6 pm.”

“Using this as a pretext, the legislature of 1913 rejected the gift, the city being now the poorer for it, for here tropical trees, plants, vines and shrubbery abound in such profusion and luxuriance as to offer wonderful opportunities for parking.”

“The property is now operated as a hotel, the numerous cottages being used for the purpose. The large banyan tree growing in front of the main building was a favorite retreat of Robert Louis Stevenson while he sojourned here.” (The Aloha Guide, 1915)

Then, newspaper accounts noted, “ʻĀinahau, the beautiful home of the late Governor AS Cleghorn at Waikiki and the spot perhaps best loved by Robert Lewis Stevenson of any place on the islands, will soon be only a memory, for it has been sold to James W Pratt and other interests and will immediately be cut up into building lots.”

“The price of the land, which comprises 11 2/3 acres, was $60,000. It is the plan of Mr. Pratt to subdivide the estate into 40 lots and make it an exclusive and one of the most beautiful residential districts in Honolulu.” (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 19, 1917)

Shortly after, ads started getting posted in the local papers, “For sale – Entire furnishings of ʻĀinahau hotel, 40 bedroom sets, billiard and pool tables, etc.” (Honolulu Star Bulletin, March 26, 1917)