Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 8, 1 August 1988 — Makaku [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Makaku

By Rocky Ka'iouliokahihikolo 'Ehu Jenscn

Sorceru Gods??? Auwe!

I guess I've about had it with the erroneous interpretation of our ancestral imagery. Unfortunately, some things die hard and this is one of them. Initially, our images were created to house the spirit of our more illustrious ancestors. In the old days we had a discipline for almost everything, and the rituals for them worked. Several weeks ago I had the privilege of handling and measuring the statue Kihanuilulumoku, presently exhibited in Hawaiian Hall of the Bishop Museum. That particular statue, with an elliptical crevice along the back and one also running down the left leg, is an awesome display at perfection. You must look beyond the missing hair and weathered look. Narrow your eyes a bit and eoncentrate on how it must have appeared when freshly carved by the Kahuna Kalai Ki'i. The body is symmetrically aligned ... the chest indicating that it is in a passive state . . . its ha low in the stomach cavity. Looking close, you are able to detect nipples where the pectoral muscles are. The collar bones are also evident and the slope of the shoulders into the forearm and finally into the hands and fingers are a thing of pure beauty. Every finger has three joints. In wa kahiko, the artist had originally painted realistic mo'o on the face: two on the brow, two on the cheeks and two on the ehin. These are faded now and barely discemable. The power of the mo'o however, still resides within the statue's confinements. In measuring the cavity, someone said, "Oh, that is where they put the poison." I looked up at my wife and smiled. Just as useless as it was then

to explain, the same holds true for today. Since then, I've heard several other references to "sorcery" and "poison". I finally decided that explanations are in order. Our spiritually sophisticated and wonderfully evolved ancestors knew the mysteries behind the life and death phenomena. So mueh so . . . that creating rituals whieh surrounded the prolongation of their essence on this earthly plane became second nature to them. One such ritual was the kaku'ai or transfiguration. During the funerary procedure, and this only if the last sacred request was the desire to be transfigured, the Kahuna (a relative), enacted the ritual of kaku'ai. Simply put, this was to separate the flesh and bones of the departed in as many pieces required by the Kahuna. These pieces were then imbuedwiththedivinemanaofthedeparted . . . a very small portion of his essence. Onee this was completed, the pieces were then secreted to various wahi kapu throughout the kingdom. These areas then became the kuleana of that individual, remaining in the care of the extended 'ohana forever. Some pieces were incorporated into the ritual of kupua, involving the mano, mo'o or pele, others were simply put into elaborate statuary especially designed for them . . . such as the magnificent kihanuilulumoku. It might be that some deranged kahuna 'aihamu or "outlaw priest", might have taken one of these statues and abused the privilege and usage of same. But that was the exception to the rule. And you must remember that this probably occurred in the late 19th century . . . a sorrowful time of

despair, greed and very poor judgement. We were onee very close to our departed family . . . we, as a nation of people, at one time believed in rebirth and the absolute control of our many destinies. Our closeness prompted us to communicate with the ancestors even after death. Their aloha for us encouraged that declaration of intimacy. Unfortunately, because of the introduction of Christianity, only a few of us remember or believe in our past. Is it a wonder that our wondrous kahuna refrained from explaining our magic to the missionaries and other religious folk. Would they have understood it??? I give praise to the ancestors who kept the mystery alive . . . even in the face of extreme adversity. I kaulana their names. Mai Ka Po Mai 'Oia'i'o.

P<ea/y ///k /LO/d/t//>*/ /3y f/2/)a/a/. ar.