Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 6, 1 Iune 1989 — "Only The Stars Know..." [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

"Only The Stars Know..."

What Was Birthdate Of Kamehameha?

By Rudy Leikaimana Mitchell Historian/Archaeologist The birthdate of Kamehameha 1 has been argued over and over for some 200 years. In the conclusion of these arguments, I find these words, "It is impossible to know definitely just when Kamehameha was born." The best evidence on the subject is found in estimates of his age made by observers who saw him during his lifetime. Listed below are some of these estimates given in chronological order. 1. John Young stated in 1816, "the king is 67 years old." Three years later, in 1819, the king died at 70. This places his year of birth at 1749. Young arrived in Hawai'i in 1790. Thus Kamehameha would have been 41 years old when Youngarrived in the islands. 2. Francisco deFaula Marin, in his diary, stated that Kamehameha died on May 8, 1819, at 3 a.m., at age 60.5. This places the year of birth at November 1758. Marin arrived in the islands in 1793 when Kamehameha would have been 35 years old. 3. In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived in the islands at Maui. Kamehameha was one of the chiefs that went aboard to visit his ship. Kamehameha would have been 20 years old at the time, according to Marin's calculations and 29 if Young's calculations were used. 4. In 1792, Captain George Vancouver arrived in the islands. Kamehameha would have been 34.5 years old according to Marin's calculations and 43 if Young's calculations were used. Estimates made after Kamehameha's death in 1819 continued to vary: 5. James J. Jarvis, in 1843 claimed Kamehameha was born in 1753 and was 66 years old at death. 6. Robert C. Wyllie, in 1844 said Kamehameha was born in 1758 — (the same year as Marin states) and was 60.5 at death. 7. Samuel M. Kamakau, in 1868 believed Kamehameha was born in 1736, placing the death age at 83. 8. Samuel C. Damond in 1868 claimed it was in 1753; the same year as Jarvis. 9. Abraham Fornander in 1850 noted Kamehameha was born in 1736; the same year Kamakau later favored. 10. Albert Taylor in 1922 claimed Kamehameha was born in 1753, the same year given by Jarvis and Damond. 11. J. F. Stokes, in 1931 said Kamehameha was born between 1750 and 1760, (probably after 1755), placing his age of death between 59 or 69 (probably 64). 12. The Hawaiian Historical Society, in 1935 claimed Kamehameha was born between 1752 and 1761, placing the death age at between 58and 67. From all of the above age estimates of Kamehameha we arrive at an average age of 68 years at death. The Stars Know The early Hawaiians did not record dates by years, for it was not the custom to count by years as we do today. For Hawaiians, birth years were associated with some important event, such as a battle, death of a king, a tidal wave, astronomical sighting or phenomenon, or some other momentous event occurring about the same time. Thus establishing the date of one event automatically establishes other associated events. In 1846, the missionaries tried to induce all Hawaiians to adopt the count by years. They were urged to record their birth years in the bible, though by mid-1900 most old Hawaiians still did not know their ages by years. Sowing, Ho'omai Keiki Chief Keouakalani and High Chiefess Kekuiapoiwa were united in the tradition of the time — following the marriage, she was kept isolated until she gave natural evidence that she was not with child, after whieh preparations were made for an important ceremony called "Ho'omai Keiki." In a specially prepared hale where Kekuiapoiwa waited in

seclusion, Chief Keouakalani approached and planted his spear firmly at the entrance, then entered. To consummate the union of Ho'omai Keiki, Chief Keouakalani and his bride lived at the court of his unele, ruling Chief Alapa'i Nui of the island of Hawai'i. After several months, following the ceremony of Ho'omai Keiki, Kekuiapoiwa still showed no signs that she was with child. She requested a visitation right from Alapa'i Nui and Chief Keouakalani to visit her family members at the court of ruling Chief Kahekili on Maui. The request was granted and Kekuiapoiwa left for Wailuku, Maui. After a short visitation, she returned to Kailua, Kona. Soon after, she found herself to be hapai. Gossip buzzed through the court and spread throughout the island. Rumor had it that the father of the expected child was King Kahekili. Keouakalani accepted Kekuiapoiwa's condition without question.

When time for hanau (giving birth) drew near, Kekuiapoiwa traveled to Halawa in North Kohala, Hawai'i to a small hale near two royal birthstones where ali'i women were taken for delivery. There she was to give birth. It was the beginning of the Hawaiian month of Ikuwa, (mid-October) in the time of Ho'oilo (the wet season), the season of thunder, lightning, rain storms, and rough seas. It was also the time of the kapu makahiki, the turning of the old year to a new one. This was the time of the God Lono, when close observations of the skies were made by the Kahuna Kilo Kilo, watching the stars as they appeared to eall out the coming of the new year and the arrival of the god Lono I Ka Makahiki. During this observation, as the sun began to set the sky was "uliuli", and the first star group began to appear from the eastern horizon. The little cluster of stars, "Makali'i" (Pleiades) began to rise. As the sun set below the westem horizon the sky became "melemele" or orange in color, and the star, Nana Hoa (Aldebaran) rose following Makali'i. When the sun was below the western horizon, the star Koko Iki (Betelgeux) appeared. The moon was new (Hilo). Under this star, Koko Iki, (sometimes called Koko, Kaelo, or Aua), Kekuiapoiwa gave birth to the child Kamehameha. This plaee at Halawa, North Kohala was given the name Koko Iki in honor of the star under whieh Kamehameha was born. These were the astronomical signs associated with the birth of Kamehameha: At the time of birth or soon after, the kahuna kilo kilo observed a great astronomical sight. A fiery star shot across the sky with a tail of flames. The priest called this star Hoku Welo Welo. Others called it Hoku Puhi Paka. The comet was observed by western astronomers in England in December 1758. They called it Halley's Comet. The comet appears regularly about every 76 years. Thus, Kamehameha's birth date, as given by the Spaniard, Francisco dePaula Marin as November 1758, is to be considered more accurate than all the other estimates — either by those who had known him personally, or by those who later made their c!aims after the great chief's death on May 8, 1819 at 3 a.m.

Kamehameha I, portrait by Choris. Bishop Museum