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Nā Lei o Hawai`i
Types of Lei

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Types of Lei
`A`ohe pau ka `ike i ka hālau ho`okāhi
All knowledge is not taught in the same school

It is necessary to remember that from ancient times there has been a certain amount of variation in terminology between different islands, districts, and families. The Hawaiian culture and language are far more complex, diverse, and varied than would be indicated by most tourist publications, or even Western school texts.

haku - three-ply braid. A method of making a lei by using a base material, such as soft la`i, and braiding it while adding the decorative plant material into each wrap of the braid. Lei laukukui and lei laua`e are typically made with this method.

    Leilehua shows a student at Keola Beamer's Aloha Camp how to prepare la`i for lei haku. Dried la`i are collected and softened by dampening and flexing, then braided into a base cord into which the decorative materials will be braided as well.

     Below, a lei kukui in the haku style. This lei incorporates the leaf, blossom, and fruit of the kukui tree. The la`i base braid also forms the end ties of the lei. Center, a closeup of the lei. Right, the underside of the lei showing how the leaf petioles and stems are incorporated into the core of the lei.