Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 12, 1 December 2012 — Kanaloa, ruler of the ocean [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kanaloa, ruler of the ocean

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D. Our Hawaiian ancestors kept a constant and intimate relationship with their gods. Many things in nature, both animate and inanimate, represented the gods, and our ancestors eonstantly interacted with the gods. For example, the powerful god Kanaloa ruled the oeean and the oeean winds. Many sea creatures, like the octopus, squid and palaoa (sperm whale), are known kino lau (body forms) of the powerful Kanaloa. Mary Kawena Pukui says that the honu (sea turtle), nai'a (porpoise),

hāhālua (manta ray) or hlhlmanu (spotted sting ray) were probable kino lau of Kanaloa, as they were kapu to women. Land forms of Kanaloa include the hanana tree, hanana and 'awa. Nutritionally, Kanaloa's oeean foods offer kanaka high-quality protein, B vitamins and minerals iron, potassium, zinc and copper. Squid and octopus are family foods, while only men could partake of hanana, turtle and the Kanaloa foods mentioned above. Regarding the 'ai kapu (eating taboo) related to the hanana (mai'a), Samuel Kamakau tells us that Wākea, the sky father, allowed three varieties of cooking bananas: pōpōulu, iholena and kaualau, in the diet of women. Pōpō'ulu and iholena hanana ean be eaten raw or cooked, however, the plantain, kaualau, requires cooking to be enjoyed. In addition to small amounts of vitamins A, B and C,

bananas provide both complex and simple carbohydrates. During the ripening process, the complex carbohydrates in bananas slowly

e h a n g e into simple

carbohydrates. 'Awa root and hanana played prominently in the ceremony performed when young male children were old enough to be accepted into the hale mua, (men's eating and lounging house). In the mua entry rituals, kino lau of the god Lono [e.g., sweet potato ('uala), pig (pua'a) and rain] were also represented. Similarly, these

kino lau were used in the 'aha 'āina māwaewae ceremony (pathclearing ceremony), celebrated within the first 24 hours of the birth of a firstborn. The newborn's father would bake a pig (pua'a), dedicated to the god Lono, and the pig's head was placed on the kuahu (altar) in the men's eating house. The gourd,

representing Lono, contained the ear of the pig, and was 4 hung from the neek of a ki'i (image) representing Lono. , | Other ceremonial foods laid | on the kuahu were 'awa root, bananas and coconut, all dedicated to the god Kū. The gourd's vine symbolized vigor-

ous growth and its very large fruit symbolized abundance, to produce healthy growth in the boy and make himbig and strong like the gourd. A stone image of Kāne was always an integral part of the kuahu, thus, the four major gods, Kū, Lono, Kāne and Kanaloa, as well as the ancestral guardians, or 'aumākua, were present, in one form or another, for this ceremony.

After offering appropriate prayers, the child's father would suck on 'awa root and drink 'awa tea while eating the other food on the altar. Onee this ritual was performed, the father declared the occasion noa (freed of taboo), pronouncing that the child was now fr ee to travel to the ends of the earth. In ancient mo'olelo (tales), Kanaloa and Kane were traveling companions who opened springs and watering holes at many loeations providing fresh water as a gift to benefit mankind. One mo'olelo tells of the two gods journeying from Hanauma across O'ahu opening up springs along the way. In Mānoa Valley they eame upon a beautiful young woman. Both gods tried to seize her. Her attendant turned into a great rock in their path, and a spring of water bubbled out of the ground where the girl had stood. Two 'ōhi'a trees, symbols of the two gods, grew upon this spot. The spring was sacred to Kamehameha I. It is called Waiakeakua, "water of the Gods," and it still flows in Mānoa Valley today. ■

MO'OLELO ^ HIST0RY /

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Banana trees are among the land 4 forms of i, Kanaloa.