Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 9, 1 September 1998 — The many blessings of Lono [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The many blessings of Lono

By Claire Hughes, Nutritionlst Hawai'i Department Of Health

ono is the god of plants and planting. He is the focus of worship connected with crops. In old Hawai'i, prayers for adequate rainfall,

abundant harvests and

protection from droughts and famine were offered to Lono at the heiau māpele, whieh were built and used by the maka'āinana, in addition to the larger heiau ipu o Lono or hale o Lono. Martha Beckwith tells us that in ancient times, the eommon people remembered Lono's powers over plentiful harvests with a food gourd whieh was used only in family prayers. Eaeh home kept a gourd in the mua (men's house) by the kuahu (altar) or ipu o Lono with symbolic offerings of food. At the beginning and end of eaeh day,

the man ot the house offered prayers in the presence of the gourd of lono for the well-being of the chiefs, commoners and for his own family and then ate the food from the gourd.

Nature is filled with many signs of the presence of Hawaiian gods. Certain objects are symbolic of eaeh of the major gods. For example, Mary Kawena Pūku'i tells us that Lono was represented by a wooden carving of the head of a hog. Districts were divided into ahupua'a (altar of the hog), and offerines were collected at these altars at the

borders of the districts. Lono is represented by thunder, lightning, earthquakes, rain and wind, dark clouds, rainbows, whirlwinds that sweep the earth, waterspouts, the clustering of clouds of heaven and gushing springs on the mountain. Chants referred to rain clouds as "bodies (kino) of Lono." The 'uala, whose cultivation on the dryer lands was dependent on winter rains, is identified with Lono in his hog form as Kamapua'a (hog child). Humorously, the humble 'uala were sometimes referred to as the "droppings" of Lono.

As god of fertility, Lono was celebrated in the makahiki festival held during the rainy season, whieh covers a period of four months. Priests prayed for rain for abundant crops, or to escape from

sickness and trouble. The red fish, the black coconut, the white fish and 'awa were also symbols of Lono. Such ho'okupu of food and other products of the

land were presented to Lonomakua (Lono, the elder) during the annual makahiki and the offerings were collected at the altars of the district borders. In a royal procession through the districts, the harvest tribute was accepted and the land and crops were blessed and released from kapu. The ali'i nui, or high chief, acted as deputy of Lono, who was represented by a symbol remarkably suggestive of the sail of a squarerigged ship. The symbol was a tall staff with a small carved figure at the peak and a cross-piece near the top from whieh hung a square of white kapa (bark cloth). In a coincidence of plaee and timing, Captain James Cook landed at Kealakekua Bay to provision his ship during the season of the Lono festival. Cook was received and worshiped as Lonomakua. During the subsequent disheartening and disillusioning events, the navigator was killed, as we all know. The event occurred on the shores of Kealakekua, the path of god, where for eenturies Lonomakua, the bearer of rain and plenty, had been believed to eome ashore eaeh vear. ■

N u T>||. T . O N

"Lono was represented by a wooden carving of the head of a hog. Districts were divided into ahupua'a (altar of the hog), and offerings were collected at these altars at the borders of the districts." - Mary Kawena Pūku'i

Claire Hughes