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| Prior to the arrival of the missionaries in 1820, Hawaiians believed in many gods. A Hawaiian chant, the Kumulipo which consists of 2102 lines, links the royal families to the gods.
The four main gods were Kane, Ku, Lono and Kanaloa. Demi-gods included Pele and many others. Kane was the god of sunlight, fresh water, and natural life. Ku was the god of war and the male generating power. Lono was the god of peace, fertility, winds, rain and sports. Kanaloa was god of the ocean; Pele, the goddess of fire. The complexities of the relationships between all Hawaiian gods are explained in many legends. Each Hawaiian family had its own aumakua (personal god) which protected them. For some it was the shark, others the pig, and so on. It was thought that spirits could communicate to the living through dreams and often appeared in the form of the family's aumakua. The Hawaiians built many heiau (temples) and placed offerings on specially constructed altar-like towers. Most offerings were edible and wrapped in ti leaves to keep the evil spirits away. Human sacrifice did occur but was not common. It was reserved for the war god Ku. The Hawaiian religion was greatly altered by the missionaries, yet strong beliefs did not die. In modern times a Hawaiian priest may bless a ground-breaking ceremony with a combination of Hawaiian chants and Christian prayers. The spirit of old Hawaii lives on. Of the great gods worshiped throughout Polynesia, Ku, Kane, Lono and Kanaloa were named to the early missionaries. They are invoked together in chant, as in the lines: A distant place lying in quietness for Ku, for Lono, for Kane and Kanaloa. | |
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Hawaiian carved Tikis from the Big Island |
Hawaiian Tikis - Totem poles from Hawaii! |
| Ku and Hina were the first gods of our people. They were the gods who ruled the ancient people before Kane. On the Island of Lanai was the gods landing, at the place called Ku-moku. That is the tradition of your people. Kane and Kanaloa arrived there, but not Lono. Some claim that Lono came to Maui. It is said that at the time Kamehameha quartered his men at Kaunakakai on Molokai before the invasion of Oahu, he went to Lanai to celebrate the Makahiki (New Year) festival and on that occasion he said: We come to commemorate the spot where our ancestors first set foot on Hawaiian soil. SO it seems as if it must be true that the first gods who ruled our people came to Lanai | |
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