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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY
BULLETIN 38
UNWRITTEN LITERATURE OF HAWAII THE SACRED SONGS OF THE HULA
COLLECTED AND TRANSLATED, WITH NOTES AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE HULA BY NATHANIEL B. EMERSON, A.M., M.D.
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1909
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PREFATORY NOTE
Previous to the year 1906 the researches of the Bureau were restricted to the American Indians, but by act of Congress approved June 30 of that year the scope of its operations was extended to include the natives of the Hawaiian islands. Funds were not specifically provided, however, for prosecuting investigations among these people, and in the absence of an appropriation for this purpose it was considered inadvisable to restrict the systematic investigations among the Indian tribes in order that the new field might be entered. Fortunately the publication of valuable data pertaining to Hawaii is already provided for, and the present memoir by Doctor Emerson is the first of the Bureau’s Hawaiian series. It is expected that this Bulletin will be followed shortly by one comprising an extended list of works relating to Hawaii, compiled by Prof. H.M. Ballou and Dr. Cyrus Thomas.
W.H. HOLMES,
Chief.
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CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 7
I. The hula 11
II. The halau; the kuahu—their decoration and consecration 14
III. The gods of the hula 23
IV. Support and organization of the hula 26
V. Ceremonies of graduation; debut of a hula dancer 31
VI. The password—the song of admission 38
VII. Worship at the altar of the halau 42
VIII. Costume of the hula dancer 49
IX. The hula alá’a-papa 57
X. The hula pa-ipu, or kuolo 73
XI. The hula ki’i 91
XII. The hula pahu 103
XIII. The hula úliulí 107
XIV. The hula puili 113
XV. The hula ka-laau 116
XVI. The hula ili-ili 120
XVII. The hula kaekeeke 122
XVIII. An intermission 126
XIX. The hula niau-kani 132
XX. The hula ohe 135
XXI. The music and musical instruments of the Hawaiians 138
XXII. Gesture 176
XXIII. The hula pa-hua 183
XXIV. The hula Pele 186
XXV, The hula pa’i-umauma 202
XXVI. The hula ku’i Molokai 207
XXVII. The hula kielei 210
XXVIII. The hula mú’u-mú’u 212
XXIX. The hula kolani 216
XXX. The hula kolea 219
XXXI. The hula manó 221
XXXII. The hula ilio 223
XXXIII. The hula pua’a 228
XXXIV. The hula ohelo 233
XXXV. Thehula kilu 235
XXXVI. The hula hoonaná 244
XXXVII. The hula ulili 246
XXXVIII. The hula o-niu 248
XXXIX. The hula ku’i 250
XL. The oli 254
XLI. The water of Kane 257
XLII. General review 260
Glossary 265
Index 271
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Page PLATE I. Female dancing in hula costume Frontispiece II. Íe-íe (Freycinetia arnotti) leaves and fruit 19 III. Hála-pépe (Dracaena aurea) 24 IV. Maile (Alyxia myrtillifolia) wreath 32 V. Ti (Dracaena terminalis) 44 VI. Ilima (Sida fallax), lei and flowers 56 VII. Ipu hula, gourd drum 73 VIII. Marionettes (Maile-pakaha, Nihi-au-moe) 91 IX. Marionette (Maka-kú) 93 X. Pahu hula, hula drum 103 XI. Úli-ulí, a gourd rattle 107 XII. Hawaiian tree-snails (Achatinella) 120 XIII. Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) flowers and leaves 126 XIV. Hawaiian trumpet, pu (Cassis madagascarensis) 131 XV. Woman playing on the nose-flute (ohe-hano-ihu) 135 XVI. Pu-niu, a drum 142 XVII. Hawaiian musician playing on the uku-lele 164 XVIII. Hala fruit bunch and drupe with a “lei” 170 XIX. Pu (Triton tritonis) 172 XX. Phyllodia and true leaves of the koa (Acacia koa) 181 XXI. Pala-palai ferns 194 XXII. Awa-puhi, a Hawaiian ginger 210 XXIII. Hinano hala 235 XXIV. Lady dancing the hula ku’i 250 FIGURE 1. Puíli, bamboo rattle 113 2. Ka, drumstick for pu-niu 142 3. Ohe-hano-ihu, nose-flute 145
MUSICAL PIECES
I. Range of the nose-flute—Elsner 146 II. Music from the nose-flute—Elsner 146 III. The ukeké (as played by Keaonaloa)—Eisner 149 IV. Song from the hula pa’i-umauma—Berger 153 V. Song from the hula pa-ipu—Berger 153 VI. Song for the hula Pele—Berger 154 VII. Oli and mele from the hula ala’a-papa—Yarndley 156 VIII. He Inoa no Kamehameha—Byington 162 IX. Song, Poli Anuanu—Yarndley 164 X. Song, Hua-hua’i—Yarndley 166 XI. Song, Ka Mawae—Berger 167 XII. Song, Like no a Like—Berger 168 XIII. Song, Pili Aoao—Berger 169 XIV. Hawaii Ponoi—Berger 172
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