Ho-no-lu-lu is a name made by the union of the two words “Hono” and
“lulu.” Some say it means “Sheltered Hollow.” The old Hawaiians say
that “Hono” means “abundance” and “lulu” means “calm,” or “peace,” or
“abundance of peace.” The navigator who gave the definition “Fair
Haven” was out of the way, inasmuch as the name does not belong to a
harbor, but to a district having “abundant calm,” or “a pleasant slope
of restful land.”
“Honolulu” was probably a name given to a very rich district of farm
land near what is now known as the junction of Liliha and School
Streets, because its chief was Honolulu, one of the high chiefs of the
time of Kakuhihewa, according to the legends. Kamakau, the Hawaiian
historian, describes this farm district thus: “Honolulu was a small
district, a pleasant land looking toward the west,—a fat land, with
flowing streams and springs of water, abundant water for taro patches.
Mists resting inland breathed softly on the flowers of the hala-tree.”
Kakuhihewa was a king of Oahu in the long, long ago, and was so noted
that for centuries the island Oahu has been named after him “The Oahu
of Kakuhihewa.” He divided the island among his favorite chiefs and
officers, who gave their names to the places received by them from the
king. Thus what is now known as Honolulu was until the time of
Kamehameha I., about the year 1800, almost always mentioned as Kou,
after the chief Kou, who was an ilamuku (marshal), under King
Kakuhihewa. Kou appears to have been a small district, or, rather, a
chief’s group of houses and grounds, loosely defined as lying between
Hotel Street and the sea and between Nuuanu Avenue and Alakea Street.
Ke-kai-o-Mamala was the name of the surf which came in the outer
entrance of the harbor of Kou. It was named after Mamala, a chiefess
who loved to play konane (Hawaiian checkers), drink awa, and ride the
surf. Her first husband was the shark-man Ouha, who later became a
shark-god, living as a great shark outside the reefs of Waikiki and
Koko Head. Her second husband was the chief Hono-kau-pu, to whom the
king gave the land east of Kou, which afterward bore the name of its
chief. In this section of Kou now called Honolulu were several very
interesting places.
Kewalo was the place where the Kauwa, a very low class of servants,
were drowned by holding their heads under water. The custom was known
as “Ke-kai-heehee,” “kai” meaning “sea” and “hee” “sliding along,”
hence the sliding of the servants under the waves of the sea. Kewalo
was also the nesting-ground of the owl who was the cause of a battle
between the owls and the king Kakuhihewa, where the owls from Kauai to
Hawaii gathered together and defeated the forces of the king.
Toward the mountains above Kewalo lies Makiki plain, the place where
rats abounded, living in a dense growth of small trees and shrubs. This
was a famous place for hunting rats with bows and arrows.
Ula-kua, the place where idols were made, was near the lumber-yards at
the foot of the present Richards Street.
Ka-wai-a-hao (The water belonging to Hao), the site of the noted old
native church, was the location of a fine fountain of water belonging
to a chief named Hao.
Ke-kau-kukui was close to Ula-kua, and was the place where small konane
(checker) boards were laid. These were flat stones with rows of little
holes in which a game was played with black and white stones. Here
Mamala and Ouha drank awa and played konane, and Kekuanaoa, father of
Kamehameha V., built his home.
Kou was probably the most noted place for konane on Oahu. There was a
famous stone almost opposite the site of the temple. Here the chiefs
gathered for many a game. Property and even lives were freely gambled
away. The Spreckels Building covers the site of this well-known
gambling resort.
In Hono-kau-pu was one of the noted places for rolling the flat-sided
stone disc known as “the maika stone.” This was not far from Richards
and Queen Streets, although the great “Ulu-maika” place for the
gathering of the chiefs was in Kou. This was a hard, smooth track about
twelve feet wide extending from the corner of Merchant and Fort Streets
now occupied by the Bank of Hawaii along the seaward side of Merchant
Street to the place beyond Nuuanu Avenue known as the old iron works at
Ula-ko-heo. It was used by the highest chiefs for rolling the stone
disc known as “the maika stone.” Kamehameha I. is recorded as having
used this maika track.
Ka-ua-nono-ula (rain-with-the-red-rainbow) was the place in this
district for the wai-lua, or ghosts, to gather for their nightly games
and sports. Under the shadows of the trees, near the present Hawaiian
Board Mission rooms at the junction of Alakea and Merchant Streets,
these ghosts made night a source of dread to all the people. Another
place in Honolulu for the gathering of ghosts was at the corner of King
Street and Nuuanu Avenue.
Puu-o-wai-na, or Punchbowl, was a “hill of sacrifice” or “offering,”
according to the meaning of the native words, and not “Wine-hill” as
many persons have said. Kamakau, a native historian of nearly fifty
years ago, says: “Formerly there was an imu ahi, a fire oven, for
burning men on this hill. Chiefs and common people were burned as
sacrifices in that noted place. Men were brought for sacrifice from
Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, but not from Hawaii. People could be burned in
this place for violating the tabus of the tabu divine chiefs.”
“The great stone on the top of Punchbowl Hill was the place for burning
men.”
Part of an ancient chant concerning Punchbowl reads as follows:
“O the raging tabu fire of Keaka,
O the high ascending fire of the sacrifice!
Tabu fire, scattered ashes.
Tabu fire, spreading heat.”
Nuuanu Valley is full of interesting legendary places. The most
interesting, however, is the little valley made by a mountain spur
pushing its way out from the Kalihi foothills into the larger valley,
and bearing the name “Waolani,” the wilderness home of the gods, and
now the home of Honolulu’s Country Club. This region belonged to the
eepa people. These were almost the same as the ill-shaped, deformed or
injured gnomes of European fairy tales. In this beautiful little valley
which opened into Nuuanu Valley was the heiau Waolani built for
Ka-hanai-a-ke-Akua (The chief brought up by the gods), long before the
days of Kakuhihewa. It was said that the two divine caretakers of this
chief were Kahano and Newa, and that Kahano was the god who lay down on
the ocean, stretching out his hands until one rested on Kahiki (Tahiti
or some other foreign land) and the other rested on Oahu. Over his arms
as a great bridge walked the Menehunes, or fairy people, to Oahu. They
came to be servants for this young chief who was in the care of the
gods. They built fish-ponds and temples. They lived in Manoa Valley and
on Punchbowl Hill. Ku-leo-nui (Ku-with-the-loud-voice) was their
master. He could call them any evening. His voice was heard over all
the island. They came at once and almost invariably finished each task
before the rays of the rising sun drove them to their hidden resorts in
forest or wilderness.
Waolani heiau was the place where the noted legendary musical shell
“Kiha-pu” had its first home—from which it was stolen by Kapuni and
carried to its historic home in Waipio Valley, Hawaii. Below Waolani
Heights, the Menehunes built the temple Ka-he-iki for the
“child-nourished-by-the-gods,” and here the priest and prophet lived
who founded the priest-clan called “Mo-o-kahuna,” one of the most
sacred clans of the ancient Hawaiians. Not far from this temple was the
scene of the dramatic plea of an owl for her eggs when taken from
Kewalo by a man who had found her nest. It forms part of the story of
the battle of the owls and the king.
Nearer the banks of the Nuuanu stream was the great bread-fruit tree
into which a woman thrust her husband by magic power when he was about
to be slain and offered as sacrifice to the gods. This tree became one
of the most powerful wooden gods of the Hawaiians, being preserved, it
is said, even to the times of Kamehameha I.
At the foot of Nuuanu Valley is Pu-iwa, a place by the side of the
Nuuanu stream. Here a father, Maikoha, told his daughters to bury his
body, that from it might spring the wauke- [1]tree, used for making
kapa ever since. From this place, the legend says, the wauke-tree
spread over all the islands.
In the bed of the Nuuanu is the legendary stone called “The Canoe of
the Dragon.” This lies among the boulders in the stream not far from
the old Kaumakapili Church premises.
In Nuuanu Valley was the fierce conflict between Kawelo, the strong man
from Kauai, assisted by two friends, and a band of robbers. In this
battle torn-up trees figured as mighty war-clubs.
These are legendary places which border Kou, the ancient Honolulu.
Besides these are many more spots of great interest, as in Waikiki and
Manoa Valley, but these lie beyond the boundaries of Kou and ancient
Honolulu. In Kou itself was the noted Pakaka Temple. This temple was
standing on the western side of the foot of Fort Street long after the
fort was built from which the street was named. It was just below the
fort. Pakaka was owned by Kinau, the mother of Kamehameha V. It was a
heiau, or temple, built before the time of Kakuhihewa. In this temple,
the school of the priests of Oahu had its headquarters for centuries.
The walls of the temple were adorned with heads of men offered in
sacrifice.
Enormous quantities of stone were used in the construction of all these
heiaus often passed by hand from quarries at great distances so the
work of erection was one consuming much time and energy.
According to the latest investigations there were one hundred and eight
heiaus on the island of Oahu, some evidences of which may still be
traced, showing the far-reaching influence of kings and priests over
these primitive people.