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Excerpted
From
Hulu Manu
Featherwork
of Hawai`i
by
Leilehua Yuen
copyright 1999, Leilehua Yuen
(For information on images, please click desired images)
Mele
Inoa Ali`i
after
Kuluwaimaka
from Master Chanters of Hawai`i collection
`Ike
ia Kaukini he lawai`a manu
He `upena ku`u i ka noe ko Pokahi
Ke ho`opuni la i ka `ohu
Ke ho`opuni la i ka `ohu na kikepa
Ke na`i i ka luna o Ka`auana
`O ka `uahi ke kapeku
E hei `ai ka i`a manu o Puoali`i
`O ke ali`i wale no ka`u makemake
`O ka luhi o maua me `ia nei
`O ka makou le`ale`a no `ia
You
will recognize Kaukini, the bird catcher
Spreading his nets like the mist of Pokahi
The mist stretches
Stretching the mist-like nets around
And over the uplands of Ka`auana
The dark smoke will drive
The bird Puoali`i into the net
I delight in serving the chief
Whom I and others care for
This is our joy
Introduction
As one gazes on the pageantry of Hawaiian cultural festivals, their
awesomeness is enhanced by the grace of flowing `ahu`ula (feather cloaks),
elegance of tall kahili (feather royal standards), and the festive
decorative effect of lei hulu manu (feather garlands). These items and
more were an important part of Hawaiian court and diplomatic life from
ancient times.
The canoes of Hawaiian chiefs also wore
lei hulu manu, giant feather lei. They streamed in the wind telling its
direction, providing both function and beauty. With the Hawaiian love of
metaphor, they possibly also were felt to add to the mana, spiritual
power, of the craft by imbuing it with the spirit and protection of the
bird from whose feathers the lei hulu manu was crafted.
Religious articles were decorated with
feathers. The best known is the image of Kuka`ilimoku, Kamehameha's war
god. But many other images as well as at least one small shrine were
enhanced with plumage.
In Hawaiian legend, the homes of goddesses were sometimes thatched
with feathers. Laieikaewai, a chiefess hidden in the magical land of
Paliuli by her guardian, lives in a hale thatched with yellow feathers. In
the adventures of the chiefly sojurner Kawelu, the chief of O`ahu sets him
the task of constructing a hale and thatching it with feathers.
Kauakahiali`i, legendary
inventor
of the `ohe hano ihu, lived in a hale woven of flowering lehua branches
and thatched with feathers. (Beckwith, pp. 408, 526, 536)
The regalia of the very highest chiefs could include a feather malo
(loin cloth), ka`ei (feathered girdle or belt), `aha`ula (feather cape),
mahiole (helmet), kahili pa`a lima to be carried in the hand, kahili lele
carried by a personal attendant and used as a fan or fly-flap as need
arose, kahili carried
before
the chief as a banner, and large formal kahili for state functions. These
feather items often were given their own personal names as in, for
example, the feather cloak "Halakeao`I`ahu" and the kahili
"`Ele`eleualani."
These items were made with great care and love. When making them,
no evil thought must cross a person's mind. Nothing unkind, or unloving.
The mind should focus on love, long life, good
health,
righteousness, honor, and success for the person who will wear or use the
item.
Mana, according to John Dominis Holt in The Art of Featherwork in
Old Hawai'i, was: ". . .the source of spiritual power, the source of
intelligence and excellence. Mana was hidden in the divine ancestry
of a person. Mana was hidden in the
kaona (the metaphor) of chants. Mana - elusive and subtle, much
sought after but not easily attained, -
therefore you put the best of your heart and soul, your feelings
and hopes, into a work of art! "The designs on feather objects and
garments were particularly challenging to the old Hawaiian artists. In
their mana-steeped consciousness these artists worked always to achieve
the most generous acquisition of mana. Mana was granted or collected in
objects to the degree the maker put heart and soul into the creation.
Inspiration came from the gods. One kept in constant touch with unseen
powers. Prayers and chants and certain rituals fortified this union
between artist and akua."
The colors and patterns selected were given intense study and
planning. These were the manifestations of Hawaiian heraldry, as important
and complex as any royal heraldic traditions of
Europe.
Color and design themes apparently were based on the heraldry of the
individual, and so were consistent for an individual to some degree. But
they also were modified by events during the person's life. For example, a
chief who conquered another could appropriate the fallen chief's regalia
and incorporate it into his own regalia to add its mana to his.
The Hawaiian heraldry was similar in function to that of European
royal families. The royal knights of medieval Europe wore plumed steel
helmets, arms-emblazoned surcoats, and carried
banners,
all of which told rank, lineage, and saint. Appropriate usage was overseen
by a college of heralds.
The royal war chiefs of Hawai`i wore crested helmets, patterned
capes, and carried kahili, all of which told rank, lineage, and `aumakua.
Appropriate usage was overseen by a convocation of kahuna (priestly
experts in a field). According to Holt (p. 38) the designs "are
certainly not happenstance arrangements,
but carefully considered elements of form worked into patterns which are
mainly concerned with
an exhibition of symbols relating to clan, to the spiritual connections
with `aumakua, and the constant tie existing between the wearer of feather
garments and the universe."
Kahili, however, according to kumu hula Kaha`i Topolinski, did not
necessarily fall into the same pattern, and developed a somewhat
independant artistic tradition.
The feathers for all these works came from a variety of birds. The
most valued were the pale yellow feathers, called `e`e, which came from
the wing tufts of the `o`o (Moho nobilis). From the mamo (Drepanis
pacifica) came dark golden yellow feathers. The `i`iwi (Vestinaria
coccinea) was the main source of red feathers, although the `apapane (Himatione
sanguinea sanguinea) also provided red. Green feathers primarily came
from the `o`u (Psittirostra psittacea), with some contributed by
the `akialoa (Hemignathus obscurus obscurus). But other birds, from
chickens to sea birds, and in at least one case the owl, provided feathers
for the royal and religious regalia.
Professional bird catchers, kia manu, were deeply conversant
with the habits of their prey and the best methods of catching each. Ha`inakolo
was their god.
Birds caught specifically for their feathers were captured at the
beginning of the molting season, when the feathers were loose and easily
removed without damage to the bird. The display
feathers
used in courtship were no longer needed by the bird, but were still in
good enough condition to be valuable for feather work. The birds were
snared in nets or caught on poles daubed
with
pilali (bird lime), a sticky substance which glued the birds' feet to the
pole. After the desired feathers were removed, the bird lime was cleaned
from the bird with kukui oil. The bird was then set free to raise its
family and grow a new crop of feathers.
Birds which would be eaten were caught by pelting with stones,
clubbing, snaring, netting, and tangling with lines as well as by netting
and liming (Malo pp 37-39). Ducks were caught by hiding under water and
breathing through a hollow reed. When a duck swam by, it was grabbed by
the legs. Seabirds were caught with hooks and lines, or with nets. The
coastal people of Hamakua
developed
a unique method of catching seabirds. In the evening they built smokey
fires along the cliff edges. When the seabirds returned home to roost,
they flew through the smoke and became
disoriented,
enabling the Hamakua people to catch them with scoop nets.
After killing the bird, the feathers were removed and cleaned.
Women often did the sorting and bundling of the tiny feathers to prepare
them for later use (Handy, ... and Others, p. 138).
After preparation, the feathers, while not used as currency in any
strict sense, often were collected by the chiefs as taxes, tribute, and as
spoils of war. This practice continued well into
the
monarchy, as evidenced by the kapu placed on yellow feathers when a new
cloak was being made for Princess Ruth in 1876.
Lord Thomas Brassey and his wife the Lady Annie Brassey traveled
about the world with their family on their yacht Sunbeam. Lady
Brassey was quite a collector of "curiosities" and acquired a
number of them in Hawai`i. They arrived at Hilo Bay on 22 December, 1876
and departed O`ahu on 3 January, 1877. Despite the brevity of their stay
they made many friends and in 1881, King David Kalakaua visited them at
their home in Catsfield, England. 
In her journal, Lady Brassey writes:
". . .The woman of the house, which contained some finely
worked mats and clean-looking beds, showed us some tappa [sic.] cloth,
together with the mallets and other instruments used in its manufacture,
and a beautiful orange-colored lei, or feather necklace. It was the first
she had made herself. The cloth and mallets were for sale, but no
inducement would persuade her to part with the necklace. It was the first
she had ever made, and as I was afterwards told that the natives are
superstitiously careful to preserve the first specimen of their handiwork,
of whatever kind it may be.
". . . While our accounts were being settled, preparatory to
our departure, I occupied myself in looking at some kahilis [sic.] and
feather leis [sic]. The yellow ones, either of Oo [sic.] or Mamo feathers,
only found in this island, are always scarce, as the use of them is a
prerogative of royalty and nobility. Just now it is almost impossible to
obtain one, all the feathers being `tabu,' to make a royal cloak for Ruth,
half-sister of Kamehameha V, and governess of Hawaii. Mamo feathers are
generally worth a dollar apiece, and a good lei or loose necklace costs
about five hundred dollars." [editor's note: compare this to the
time's daily wages of approximately ten cents]
Ka`ei
Of feathered items worn on the body, the ka`ei and pa`u
probably were the most rare. There are several `aha`ula in existence, most
in museums, a number of feathered helmets, many lei, but only two feather
ka`ei and one pa`u are known to still exist. All are at the Bishop Museum
in Honolulu. One ka`ei is in tatters, only fragments remain (Bishop Museum
Cat # 6921). The other is almost intact.
Identification of and use of these long featherworked strips has
been problematic for years. Frequently considered loincloths, they also
have been identified as baldrics or sashes. Lahilahi
Webb,
in a lecture at Kamehameha schools, called it "King Liloa's kaei
kapu, a cordon made out of `o`o and `i`iwi feathers.. . .It has been
thought to be a malo, but it is not a malo. It is the only artilcle of its
kind in existance and very probably it was sacredly used in religious
ceremonial." It was depicted on the famous statues of Kamehameha I
worn somewhat similarly to a baldric.
John Papa `I`i gives an excellent description of an item very much
like that in Bishop museum. In Fragments of Hawaiian History, the English
translation of his series of newspaper articles, it is called a malo.
`I`i's mother was its kahu and he was sometimes its bearer.
"When the family went to Kipapa from Kumelewai by way of upper
Waipio to make ditches for the farms, his [`I`i's] mother trained him in
the observance of the kapu noho. She placed on his back a bundle
containing a wonderful malo [sic.] made of feathers from mamo and `apapane
birds attached to a fine net, with rows of human teeth at the end; this he
had seen when his mother put it out to sun. Slipping his arms into the
loops of the bundle, she taught him to cry 'E noho e! (squat
down!).'" (`I`i, p 28)
This could be the same the intact ka`ei in Bishop Museum, the term
"malo," likely being an error of translation.
This ka`ei is believed to have been made for Liloa, the high chief
of the island of Hawai`i. He reigned from about 1455 to 1485. His
successor was his eldest son Hakau, but the ka`ei passed to his second
son, `Umi, born to a lower ranking mother. Hakau was a despotic ruler and
in 1490 was overthrown by `Umi. Then, for three generations, there is no
mention of the ka`ei.
In the mid to late 1600s, Liloa's great-great-great-granddaughter
Ke-akea-lani-wahine, daughter of Keakamahana, the highest ranking chiefess
of Hawai`i, was in possession of the ka`ei. She ceremonially dressed her
grandsons, Ka-`i-amamao and Ke`eaumoku, in it - signifying that they were
of the highest chiefly kapu (sacredness).
Again, the ka`ei falls into obscurity until `I`i's mother trains
him in its care. It next appears when acquired by King David Kalakaua,
possibly sometime in the 1880s. He bequeathed it to his sister
Lili`uokalani, who later gave it to the Bishop Museum.
Based on examination of photographs reproduced in books, the ka`ei
appears to be a base of `olona covered with a broad red center stripe
running its entire length, occasionally crossed by
bands
of yellow featherwork. The edges appear to be primarily mamo, with some
sections in `e`e (the yellow feathers of the `o`o). A row of human teeth
hangs from the lower edge of a horizontal band of `e`e. At the bottom edge
a section is decorated with alternating rows of human teeth and rosettes
or clusters of small fish teeth. This section appears to be bordered with
mamo feathers.
Probably the sections were added at later and separate dates, the
human teeth being those of people whose mana was wanted to increase that
of the ka`ei.
One reason for the obscurity of the ka`ei could be that they were
so sacred. The few ka`ei mentioned in legend were closely guarded to
prevent them being viewed by the wrong people. For the unentitled to see,
let alone touch, a ka`ei was death.
Possibly one reason for the rarity and exceptional sacredness of
the ka`ei is this unusually great mana. Even today, often items of
personal use are considered to be kapu to their owner. In many halau hula,
it is forbidden to borrow someone else's instruments or costumes.
So, to wear such a personal garment is to claim a direct link to
the mana and fertility of the owner. In other words, to claim descent,
either genealogical or spiritual. As mana could be
dissipated
and lost through careless use and dispersal, such a powerful garment would
require great solicitude in its use and display.
Pa`u
The female counterpart to the ka`ei was the feathered pa`u. The
last known feathered pa`u was made for Nahi`ena`ena, daughter of
Kamehameha I. It was 30 inches wide and 20 feet 8 inches long. After her
death in 1836, the pa`u was cut in half and used to form a royal pall,
about 5 feet wide by ten feet long. It was last used over the coffin of
Kalakaua. [Bishop Museum # 6831].
Kamo`oinanea, a kupua woman, owned a kahili and feathered pa`u
which had the power to protect the bearer from fire and reduce enemies to
ashes. (Beckwith, p. 491)
`Aha`ula
Feather capes, some of the most memorable of chiefly regalia, were
the province of men until Ka`ahumanu, favorite wife of Kamehameha I,
appeared in her husband's golden mantle to
announce
his dying words.
Up to that point, use of feather capes by women was reserved for
the wives of chiefs who had followed their men into battle. These women,
knowledgeable in the arts of war, aided their husbands as strategists. If
their husbands were slain, the women would put on their husband's capes
and continue the fight in their stead. But this was an exception, rather
than the rule, and
only
practiced in extremis.
After Ka`ahumanu's public appearance in Kamehameha's `aha`ula,
other chiefly women began to wear the short cape.
Thousands upon thousands of feathers were used to make a single
cape for a high chief. The bold patterns stand out at a distance, and
possibly denoted lineage, rank, and `aumakua. In addition to being worn,
they also were spread out over the bows of a chief's canoe when on state
functions. In this, they may have functioned somewhat as the chief's
ensign.
Some of the capes have a loop on each of the front edges. These
loops are where a person's hand would be when the cape is worn. Webbers
drawings of the people of Kaua`i show how they were
looped
over the thumb or finger, giving a wing-like appearance. A chief striding
along in his cape, crested helmet on his head, would appear to be a huge
bird-like, god-like figure.
In practical use, the large sweeping gestures used to give
battlefield commands would certainly be enhanced by the swath of brilliant
feathers. It would be much easier for warriors to see a
six-foot
semicircle of bright red and gold than even the most powerful bare arm.
Only the highest ranking chiefs had the resources to acquire enough
feathers for a full cloak. Most chiefs wore the shorter capes which came
approximately to the elbow.
`Aha`ula literally means "red garment" (`aha - garment:
`ula - red). Probably in the original feather capes only or primarily red
was used. But in Hawai`i the pale yellow feathers of the `o`o
were
the rarest of those suitable for garments. So, with royalty's penchant for
rarity, they became the most highly esteemed. Next in value were the
yellow feathers of the mamo. The anciently traditional red feathers were
still valued, just not as highly. Thus, the higher the percentage of
yellow, the higher the rank of the chief. Kamehameha was the only chief
known to wear a
cloak
comprising only the yellow `e`e.
Another unique `aha`ula belonged to Hewahewa, a high ranking kahuna
of the time of Kamehameha. Hewahewa was attached to the court of
Kamehameha. After the death of his chief, Hewahewa was one of the advisors
of Liholiho. He assisted the young monarch in dismantling the religious
system of his ancestors.
Hewahewa's `aha`ula was made from the feathers of the pueo. As the
pueo was a very powerful `aumakua, and therefor seldom molested by even
professional bird catchers, wearing an `aha`ula
pueo
would have made a powerful statement regarding the rank and sacredness of
the kahuna. The effect would be comparable to the pope wearing a stole
made from threads of Jesus's robe, or to the
Dalai
Lama wearing a robe woven from silk planted by Buddha. Ironically, the
power vested in Hewahewa by the ancient religion made him one of the few
who could destroy it.
Mahiole
The feathered helmets grace the most sacred part of the human body,
the head. And so one might extrapolate that the feather helmet also was an
object of high honor.
The base is made from tightly woven `ie`ie root. While they won't
offer much protection from bullets, they deflect somewhat the force of a
spear, slingstone, or club. But more importantly,
they
crown the wearer with the protection of his ancestors and gods.
To some these helmets look like the helmets of Spanish soldiers. To
others they look like the helmets of the Roman centurions. They are almost
identical to the ceremonial helmets of Tibetan monks. Some believe this
demonstrates contact with one or more of these groups. But, such contact
does not explain the many shapes of the Hawaiian helmet.
Most likely, the helmet shapes denoted rank, lineage, and `aumakua
affiliation. The mahiole of high chiefs were feathered and had a prominent
crest ridge. The ridge often was decorated in stripes running its length.
Perhaps this symbolized the rainbow which ancient legend said appeared
over a chief's head.
Some lesser chiefs had a lower crest ridge and no feathers. Other
lesser chiefs, apparently laterally ranked, had mushroom-shaped
protuberances on their helmets and also were featherless.
Common
soldiers wore a simple skullcap to protect the head from slingstones and
other objects.
Kahili
The kahili of ancient times were more varied and reached greater
heights than kahili of modern times. Some of the tallest state kahili were
as high as 10 meters, with 3 meters of feathering. The small hand kahili,
or kahili pa`a lima, were up to a meter in length. Originally fly whisks,
the kahili pa`a lima and kahili lele still served that purpose at the time
of Captain Cook's arrival in the islands. But they also functioned
somewhat in the same fashion as the royal scepters of European nobility.
And,
according to Holt, were more important in the spiritual application of
warding off bad mana, than in the practical application of chasing flies.
During the monarchy era, the huge formal state kahili lost much of
their height, although they gained many new colors from imported feathers
and developed a larger diameter. Probably this
was
because the state functions had moved indoors, and the tall kahili were
not easily maneuverable under the ceilings and chandeliers and through
doors. The great width of the Monarchy era kahili could possibly be
attributed to the innovation of kahili-holders, as well as the move
inside, so the strength of arm and stamina of the kahili-bearer as well as
resistance to
wind
were no longer considerations.
The first European account of kahili is recorded in the Journals of
Capt. James Cook, (Beaglehole, p. 1227 - Samwell). The occasion was the
arrival in January of 1778 of the Resolution and the Discovery at Kaua'i.
"Karanatoa brother to Teeave came on board the ship this morning with
a man carrying an enormous fly-flap before him on his Shoulder. . ."
Unfortunately, this is just enough information to tantalize, but
not to describe. How "enormous" is "enormous?" What
were the colors? Patterns? Did it match Kalanakoa's cape and other
regalia? Kahili pa`a lima and kahili lele were seen frequently during this
and subsequent visits. Might this have been a display of the large formal
kahili of state? Or was it simply one of the larger kahili carried before
the chief as a banner.
The men of Cook's party termed the kahili "fly-flaps"
because they were familiar with the ceremonial and practical fly-flaps of
the South Pacific cultures. It is likely that at least part of the
ancestry of the kahili is, indeed, a fly-flap.
Brigham (1899, p 14) says: "It is probable that a bunch of
feathers used as a fly-flap was the primal form of feather work . . . and
the prototype of the kahili seems to have been a stem .
.
. of the ki [Cordyline fruticosa]. . ."
Otto Degener (1984 p 207) suggests that the kahili was
"probably in vogue since the time of Hawai`i Loa. . ." Meaning,
it appears, since the beginning. Hawai`i Loa is the legendary, and
possibly apocryphal, chief who discovered the Hawaiian Islands. He named
the largest after himself and the others after his sons.
By the time of Cook's arrival in Hawai'i the kahili had evolved
into several styles and sizes. They ranged from the small personal kahili
pa`a lima carried by an ali'i to the tall formal kahili carried before the
ali`i by an attendant.
Small personal kahili pa`a lima were carried about by persons of
high rank and apparently served as a combination fly whisk, fan, and to some degree,
scepter. The extant Cook kahili range in length from 67 cm to 90 cm.
Between half and a third of the length is feathered, and the feathering is
about 10 to 15 cm in diameter. Colors and patterns of the hand kahili show
great
variation,
although black appears to have been a favored color.
When Cook reached Kealakekua Bay at Hawai'i Island, Kona's high
chief, Kalaniopu'u, made a state visit to the newcomers. He made presents
of featherwork to Cook. Among the items was a
kahili
pa`a lima, described as a "very handsome fly-flap."
Many kahili were collected during Cook's third expedition, 22 of
which ended up in the Leverian Museum. Today, however, only a few of these
are known to be extant and accepted as from Cook's third voyage. All of
these are kahili pa`a lima.
In late May of 1786 the fur traders Nathaniel Portlock and George
Dixon arrived in Hawai`i. Portlock's June 11 journal entry gives a
description of a kahili:
". . . I purchased two very curious fly-flaps, the upper parts
composed of beautiful variegated feathers; the handles were human bone,
inlaid with tortoiseshell in the neatest manner, which gave them the
appearance of fineered [veneered] work" (Portlock, 1789, 1968, p88).
Lady Brassey, who traveled with her family on their yacht the
Sunbeam, arrived in Hilo Bay on 23 December, 1876. In a journal entry she
says:
"Kahilis [sic] are also an emblem of rank, though many people
use them as ornaments in their houses. They are rather like
feather-brooms, two or three feet long, and three or four inches across,
made of all sorts of feathers, tastefully interwoven. I bought one. .
." (Brassey, 1878, p 279)
According to Malo, (1976, p77):
"The kahili, a fly brush or plumed staff of state, was the
emblem and embellishment of royalty. Where the king went, there went his
kahili-bearer (pa'a-kahili); and where he stopped, there stopped also his
kahili-bearer. When the king slept, the kahili was waved over him as a
fly-brush. The kahili was the possession solely of the ali'i."
Mrs. Lucy G. Thurston, wife of Rev. Asa Thurston, published her
autobiography in 1882. In it she describes Kamamalu, favorite wife of
Liholiho, at a commemorative feast given by the king for
his
late father, Kamehameha I: "She, . . . according to court ceremony, so arranged a native
cloth pa`u a yard wide, with ten folds, as to be enveloped around the
middle with seventy thicknesses . . . Two attendants followed her, one
bearing up the end of this cumbrous robe of state, and the other waving
over her head an elegant nodding fly-brush of beautiful plumes, its long
handle completely covered with little tortoise shell rings of various
colors." (Brigham, 1911/1976 p186)
Larger
kahili, around two to three meters long with about a meter of feathering
10 to 15 cm in diameter, were carried before the nobility by personal
attendants. These kahili functioned much like the banners of the European
kings and knights, allowing observers to identify at a distance the
signified noble and tell for which level of kapu they should prepare.
Again, as in the European courts, the attendants were, themselves, of
noble blood.
Conclusion
Today, even though the regalia may be made from dyed feathers,
silk, felt, flowers, or even paper, it brings to mind the pomp and
splendor of ancient Hawai`i and the ruling chiefs.
 At
right, Leilehua makes a kahili pa`a lima during Keola Beamer's 2003
Aloha Music Camp in Puna, Moku Hawai`i.
Appendix I
Feather Substitution Chart
The following is a listing of birds which are known to have been
used in ancient Hawaiian featherwork and suggested substitutions of
natural feathers. Dyed feathers trimmed to shape also
may be used, although they will fade in sunlight and are more easily
damaged by moisture. This list is incomplete and research continues.
`akaloa
(Hemignathus obscurus obscurus)
green
canary, parrot, saffron finch, parrot, parakeet
`alala
(Corvus hawaiiensis)
black
mynah, chicken, duck, turkey, bulbul
`amakihi
(Hemignathus virens)
bright yellow to yellow-green
saffron finch, yellow-fronted canary, parrot, parakeet
`apapane
(Himatione sanguinea sanguinea)
deep crimson
red-crested cardinal, yellow-billed cardinal, parrot
`i`iwi
(Vestaria coccinea)
red
red-crested cardinal, yellow-billed cardinal, parrot
`io
(Buteo solitarius)
brown, tan
pheasant, duck, partridge, turkey, barn owl
`iwa
(Frigeta minor palmerstoni)
black, grey
dyed turkey, duck, dove, mynah
koa`e
(Phaeton lepturus dorothea)
white
cattle egret, white dove, goose biots
mamo
(Drepanis pacifica)
dark golden yellow
golden pheasant, canary, parrot
moa
(Gallus gallus)
reddish brown, iridescent black
game cock, Rhode Island Red rooster
nene
(Bernicla sandvicensis)
grey, brown
grey goose
`o`o
(Moho nobilis)
lemon yellow, black, black with white
golden pheasant, kalij pheasant, mocking bird, parrot,
commercial coque
`o`u
(Psittirostra psittacea)
green
parrot, meijiro, canary
pueo
(Asio flammeus sandvicensis)
brown, tan
duck, pheasant, partridge
Appendix II
Kahili
The following is a listing of kahili, information about which was
used for this paper, as well as possible locations of others. Kahili
believed collected on Cook's third voyage are in
italics.
As the large formal kahili were dismantled and presumably repaired
between uses, it is possible that design drift occurred over the
centuries. Some ancient kahili may still be extant, but
have
had members replaced with more modern materials. In such a case, the kahu
would still consider them the originals, even though they may bear little
resemblence to the original form.
Named
Kahili
`Ele`eleualani:
"Dark Rain of Heaven": Kahili of Lonoikamakahiki, carried before
him as part of his regalia: Last documented owner, Keopuolani: Described
as "dark and beautiful as the foliage of the
forest," and said to have been crafted from feathers found only on
Hawai`i Island, likely the long tailfeathers of the Hawai`i Island `o`o:
possibly in Bishop Museum collection
Hawai`i
Loa: Named for legendary discoverer of the Hawaiian chain: Kahili of
Ka`ahumanu, commisioned by Kamehameha in her honor
Koa`ehuluma`ema`e:
"[Spiritually] Pure Koa`e Feather": Kahili of Kaheiheimalie
Kaniu and Kahakuha`akoi: Likely made from the tail streamers of the koa`e:
possibly in Bishop Museum collection
Kupukapu:
"Sacred Sprout": Kahili of Kuakamano, "a great chief of
old"
Po`ouliuli:
"Dark Head": Kahili of Princess Ruth Ke`elikolani
Extant Kahili
K01
- kahili pa`a lima: Cook / Leverian: 90 cm long, red-brown, black, grey,
white moa and other feathers badly chewed by clothes moths which allows
viewing of construction technique, pa`u formed of feathers of decreasing
size, brown and black tortoise shell handle terminating in joint of
tibia(?): collected by Samwell, Kaua`i, 3 March 1779: National Museum of
New Zealand, Wellington
(Cat
# FE 329)
K02
- kahili pa`a lima: Cook / Leverian: 67 cm long, appears black in b/w
photo, somewhat chewed feathers could be moa, `alala, or iwa, unusually
thin wood handle, pa`u missing: Museum
Fur
Volkerkunde, Neue Hofburg, Heldenplatz, 1014, Vienna, Austria
(Cat
# 204)
K03
- kahili pa`a lima (?): black, curly moa feathers, bone and tortoise shell
handle: Ipswich Museum and Art Gallery, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk,
England, 1P1 3QH (no photo available at
this
time)
K04
- kahili pa`a lima (?): black, red and pink yarn pa`u, tortoise shell
handle terminating in three inch long ivory piece, the use of ivory dates
this kahili as post-European contact: presented to the museum by Mother
Bertha in 1882. She was one of three
teaching sisters who helped establish St. Cross School in Lahaina and
arrived in Hawai`i inn 1865: Pitt-Rivers Museum,
South
Parks Rd., Oxford, England OX1 3PP (no photo available at this time)
K05
- kahili pa`a lima: Cook / Leverian: 89 cm, bone handle, probably
collected by Clerke on Kaua`i 4 March 1779: British Museum, London,
England (no photo available at this time)
K06
- kahili pa`a lima: King / Trinity College: 56 cm, wood handle with
terminal flare, medium-toned medium length broad feathers (b/w photo)
appear to have been split to increase amount
of
curl: Given to Trinity College by Capt. James King who sailed on Cook's
3rd Voyage to the Pacific as second lieutenant on the Resolution and
returned as Capt. of the Discovery following the
death
of Capt. Clerke in 1779: National Museum of Ireland (Trinity College),
Kildare St., Dublin 2, County Dublin, Ireland
(Cat
# 1882.3692)
K07
- kahili pa`a lima: King / Trinity College: 72 cm, wood handle with
distinct terminal flare in "poi pounder" shape and flat or
concave terminus, medium-toned long slender feathers (b/w
photo)
appear to have been split to increase amount of curl: Given to Trinity
College by Capt. James King who sailed on Cook's 3rd Voyage to the Pacific
as second lieutenant on the Resolution
and
returned as Capt. of the Discovery following the death of Capt. Clerke in
1779: National Museum of Ireland (Trinity College), Kildare St., Dublin 2,
County Dublin, Ireland (Cat #1882.3693)
K08
- kahili lele: black, olona net pa`u, 1.25 meter long handle with brown
and black tortoise shell and ivory bands, terminates in ivory tip: Musee
des Antiquites Nationales de St. Germain-en-Laye, Chateau de
Saint-Germain, F-78100 St. Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, France (no photo
available at this time)
K09
- kahili: no description available: Museum fur Volkerkunde, Arnimallee 27,
D-1000 Berlin 33, West Germany
K10
- 2 kahili: no description available: Royal Scottish Museum, Chambers
Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1JF
K11
- kahili fragments: Clerke / Gov. of Kamchatka: black moa tail feathers
split down the center to add curl, handle section with bone and turtle
shell fragments: Muzej Antropologii i
Etnografii
in Petra Velikogo, Universitetskaja nab., 3, Leningrad B-164, Russia
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Beckwith,
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Berger,
Andrew: Hawaiian Birdlife, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu: 2nd ed
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William T: Ka Hana Kapa, The Making of Bark-Cloth in Hawai`i Volume III:
Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu: 1911, reprinted Kraus Reprint Co. 1976
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Edwin H. Jr & Emory, Kenneth P: The Natural and Cultural History of
Honaunau, Kona, Hawai`i: 1st ed: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum: Honolulu:
1986
Buck,
Sir Peter: Arts and Crafts of Hawai`i: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum:
Honolulu: 1957
Degener,
Otto: Plants of Hawai`i National Park Illustrative of Plants and Customs
of the South Seas: Braun-Brumfield, Inc: Ann Arbor: 1984
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Betty: The Hawaiians of Old: Bess Press: Honolulu
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Craig S: Seabirds of Hawai`i, Natural History and Conservation: Cornell
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E.S. Craighill / Handy / Green, Elizabeth: Native Planters in Old Hawai`i,
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Handy,
E.S. Craighill / Emory, Kenneth P. / Bryan, Edwin H. / Buck, Peter H. /
Wise, John H. / and others: Ancient Hawaiian Civilization, A Series of
Lectures Delivered at Kamehameha Schools: Charles Tuttle Company: Rutland
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Hawai`i
Audobon Society: Hawaii's Birds: Hawai`i Audobon Society: Honolulu: 1984
Holt,
John Dominis: The Art of Featherwork in Old Hawai`i: Topgallant Publishing
Co. Ltd: 1985
`I`i,
John Papa: Fragments of Hawaiian History: Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu:
1959
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Adrienne L: Artificial Curiosities: Bishop Museum Special Publication 65:
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David: Legends and Myths of Hawai`i: Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc:
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David: Hawaiian Antiquities: Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication
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George C: Birds of Hawai`i: Charles E. Tuttle Co. Inc: Rutland / Tokyo:
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MK, and Elbert, SH: Hawaiian Dictionary: University Press of Hawai'i:
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Periodicals
Thrum's
Hawaiian Annual, All About Hawai`i: Editor, Clarice B.
Taylor:
Honolulu Star Bulletin: Honolulu: 1948
Interviews
DeAugiar,
Tom: interview series: 1998-1999: Honaunau, Hawai`i
Freitas,
Carla: interview series: 1994-1999: Honaunau, Hawai`i
Halualani,
Sandy: telephone interview: 28 April 1999: O`ahu
Kahelepuna,
Paulette: telephone interview: 3 May 1999: O`ahu
Topolinski,
Kaha`i: telephone interview: 10 May 1999: O`ahu
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