Hawaiian temples were never works of art. Broken lava was always near
the site upon which a temple was to be built. Rough unhewn stones were
easily piled into massive walls and laid in terraces for altar and
floors. Water-worn pebbles were carried from the nearest beach and
strewn over the uneven floor, making a comparatively smooth place over
which the naked feet of the temple dwellers passed without the injuries
which would otherwise frequently come from the sharp-edged lava. Rude
grass huts built on terraces were the abodes of the priests and of the
high chiefs who sometimes visited the places of sacrifice. Elevated,
flat-topped piles of stones were usually built at one end of the temple
for the chief idols and the sacrifices placed before them. Simplicity of
detail marked every step of temple erection.
No hewn pillars or arched gateways of even the most primitive designs
can be found in any of the temples whether of recent date or belonging
to remote antiquity. There was no attempt at ornamentation even in the
images of the great gods which they worshipped. Crude, uncouth, and
hideous were the images before which they offered sacrifice and prayer.
In themselves the heiaus, or temples, of the Hawaiian Islands have but
little attraction. To-day they seem more like massive walled cattle-pens
than places which had ever been used for sacred worship.
On the southeast coast of the island of Hawaii near Kalapana is one of
the largest, oldest, and best preserved heiaus, or temples, in the
Hawaiian Islands. It is no exception to the architectural rule for
Hawaiian temples, and is worthy the name of temple only as it is
intimately associated with the religious customs of the Hawaiians. Its
walls are several feet thick and in places ten to twelve feet high. It
is divided into rooms or pens, in one of which still lies the huge
sacrificial stone upon which victims--sometimes human--were slain before
the bodies were placed as offerings in front of the hideous idols
leaning against the stone walls.
This heiau now bears the name Wahaula, or "red-mouth." In ancient times
it was known as Ahaula, or "the red assembly," possibly denoting that at
times the priests and their attendants wore red mantles in their
processions or during some part of their sacred ceremonies.
This temple is said to be the oldest of all the Hawaiian heiaus--except
possibly the heiau at Kohala on the northern coast of the same island.
These two heiaus date back in tradition to the time of Paao, the priest
from Upolu, Samoa, who was said to have built them. He was the
traditional father of the priestly line which ran parallel to the royal
genealogy of the Kamehamehas during several centuries until the last
high priest, Hewahewa, became a follower of Jesus Christ--the Saviour of
the world. This was the last heiau destroyed when the ancient tabus and
ceremonial rites were overthrown by the chiefs just before the coming of
Christian missionaries. At that time the grass houses of the priests
were burned and in these raging flames were thrown the wooden idols back
of the altars and the bamboo huts of the soothsayers and the rude images
on the walls, with everything combustible which belonged to the ancient
order of worship. Only the walls and rough stone floors were left in the
temple.
In the outer temple court was the most noted sacred grave in all the
islands. Earth had been carried from the mountain-sides inland. Leaves
and decaying trees added to the permanency of the soil. Here in a most
unlikely place it was said that all the varieties of trees then found in
the islands had been gathered by the priests--the descendants of Paao. To
this day the grave stands by the temple walls, an object of
superstitious awe among the natives. Many of the varieties of trees
there planted have died, leaving only those which were more hardy and
needed less priestly care than they received a hundred years or more
ago.
The temple is built near the coast on the rough, sharp, broken rocks of
an ancient lava flow. In many places in and around the temple the lava
was dug out, making holes three or four feet across and from one to two
feet deep. These in the days of the priesthood had been filled with
earth brought in baskets from the mountains. Here they raised sweet
potatoes and taro and bananas. Now the rains have washed the soil away
and to the unknowing there is no sign of previous agriculture. Near
these depressions and along the paths leading to Wahaula other holes
were sometimes cut out of the hard fine-grained lava. When heavy rains
fell, little grooves carried the drops of water to these holes and they
became small cisterns. Here the thirsty messengers running from one
priestly clan to another, or the traveller or worshippers coming to the
sacred place, could almost always find a few drops of water to quench
their thirst.
Usually these water-holes were covered with a large flat stone under
which the water ran into the cistern. To this day these small water
places border the path across the pahoehoe lava field which lies
adjacent to the broken a-a lava upon which the Wahaula heiau is built.
Many of them are still covered as in the days of the long ago.
It is not strange that legends have developed through the mists of the
centuries around this rude old temple.
Wahaula was a tabu temple of the very highest rank. The native chants
said,
"No keia heiau oia ke kapu enaena."
("Concerning this heiau is the burning tabu.")
"Enaena" means "burning with a red hot rage." The heiau was so
thoroughly "tabu," or "kapu," that the smoke of its fires falling upon
any of the people or even upon any one of the chiefs was sufficient
cause for punishment by death, with the body as a sacrifice to the gods
of the temple.
These gods were of the very highest rank among the Hawaiian deities.
Certain days were tabu to Lono--or Rongo, as he was known in other
island groups of the Pacific Ocean. Other days belonged to Ku--who was
also worshipped from New Zealand to Tahiti. At other times Kane, known
as Tane by many Polynesians, was held supreme. Then again Kanaloa--or
Tanaroa, sometimes worshipped in Samoa and other island groups as the
greatest of all their gods--had his days especially set apart for
sacrifice and chant.
The Mu, or "body-catcher," of this heiau with his assistants seems to
have been continually on the watch for human victims, and woe to the
unfortunate man who carelessly or ignorantly walked where the winds blew
the smoke from the temple fires. No one dared rescue him from the hands
of the hunter of men--for then the wrath of all the gods was sure to
follow him all the days of his life.
The people of the districts around Wahaula always watched the course of
the winds with great anxiety, carefully noting the direction taken by
the smoke. This smoke was the shadow cast by the deity worshipped, and
was far more sacred than the shadow of the highest chief or king in all
the islands.
It was always sufficient cause for death if a common man allowed his
shadow to fall upon any tabu chief, _i.e._, a chief of especially high
rank; but in this "burning tabu," if any man permitted the smoke or
shadow of the god who was being worshipped in this temple to come near
to him or overshadow him, it was a mark of such great disrespect that
the god was supposed to be enaena, or red hot with rage.
Many ages ago a young chief whom we shall know by the name Kahele
determined to take an especial journey around the island visiting all
the noted and sacred places and becoming acquainted with the alii, or
chiefs, of the other districts.
He passed from place to place, taking part with the chiefs
who entertained him sometimes in the use of the papa-hee, or
surf-board, riding the white-capped surf as it majestically swept
shoreward--sometimes spending night after night in the innumerable
gambling contests which passed under the name pili waiwai--and sometimes
riding the narrow sled, or holua, with which Hawaiian chiefs raced down
the steep grassed lanes. Then again, with a deep sense of the solemnity
of sacred things, he visited the most noted of the heiaus and made
contributions to the offerings before the gods. Thus the days passed,
and the slow journey was very pleasant to Kahele.
In time he came to Puna, the district in which was located the temple
Wahaula.
But alas! in the midst of the many stories of the past which he had
heard, and the many pleasures he had enjoyed while on his journey,
Kahele forgot the peculiar power of the tabu of the smoke of Wahaula.
The fierce winds of the south were blowing and changing from point to
point. The young man saw the sacred grove in the edge of which the
temple walls could be discerned. Thin wreaths of smoke were tossed here
and there from the temple fires.
Kahele hastened toward the temple. The Mu was watching his coming and
joyfully marking him as a victim. The altars of the gods were desolate,
and if but a particle of smoke fell upon the young man no one could keep
him from the hands of the executioner.
The perilous moment came. The warm breath of one of the fires touched
the young chief's cheek. Soon a blow from the club of the Mu laid him
senseless on the rough stones of the outer court of the temple. The
smoke of the wrath of the gods had fallen upon him, and it was well that
he should lie as a sacrifice upon their altars.
Soon the body with the life still in it was thrown across the
sacrificial stone. Sharp knives made from the strong wood of the bamboo
let his life-blood flow down the depressions across the face of the
stone. Quickly the body was dismembered and offered as a sacrifice.
For some reason the priests, after the flesh had decayed, set apart the
bones for some special purpose. The legends imply that the bones were to
be treated dishonorably. It may have been that the bones were folded
together in the shape known as unihipili, or "grasshopper" bones,
_i.e._, folded and laid away for purposes of incantation. Such bundles
of bones were put through a process of prayers and charms until at last
it was thought a new spirit was created which dwelt in that bundle and
gave the possessor a peculiar power in deeds of witchcraft.
The spirit of Kahele rebelled against this disposition of all that
remained of his body. He wanted to be back in his native district, that
he might enjoy the pleasures of the Under-world with his own chosen
companions. Restlessly the spirit haunted the dark corners of the
temple, watching the priests as they handled his bones.
Helplessly the ghost fumed and fretted against its condition. It did all
that a disembodied spirit could do to attract the attention of the
priests.
At last the spirit fled by night from this place of torment to the home
which he had so joyfully left a short time before.
Kahele's father was the high chief of Kau. Surrounded by retainers, he
passed his days in quietness and peace waiting for the return of his
son.
One night a strange dream came to him. He heard a voice calling from the
mysterious confines of the spirit-land. As he listened, a spirit form
stood by his side. The ghost was that of his son Kahele.
By means of the dream the ghost revealed to the father that he had been
put to death and that his bones were in great danger of dishonorable
treatment.
The father awoke benumbed with fear, realizing that his son was calling
upon him for immediate help. At once he left his people and journeyed
from place to place secretly, not knowing where or when Kahele had died,
but fully sure that the spirit of his vision was that of his son. It was
not difficult to trace the young man. He had left his footprints openly
all along the way. There was nothing of shame or dishonor--and the
father's heart filled with pride as he hastened on.
From time to time, however, he heard the spirit voice calling him to
save the bones of the body of his dead son. At last he felt that his
journey was nearly done. He had followed the footsteps of Kahele almost
entirely around the island, and had come to Puna--the last district
before his own land of Kau would welcome his return.
The spirit voice could be heard now in the dream which nightly came to
him. Warnings and directions were frequently given.
Then the chief came to the lava fields of Wahaula and lay down to rest.
The ghost came to him again in a dream, telling him that great personal
danger was near at hand. The chief was a very strong man, excelling in
athletic and brave deeds, but in obedience to the spirit voice he rose
early in the morning, secured oily nuts from a kukui-tree, beat out the
oil, and anointed himself thoroughly.
Walking along carelessly as if to avoid suspicion, he drew near to the
lands of the temple Wahaula. Soon a man came out to meet him. This man
was an Olohe, a beardless man belonging to a lawless robber clan which
infested the district, possibly assisting the man-hunters of the temple
in securing victims for the temple altars. This Olohe was very strong
and self-confident, and thought he would have but little difficulty in
destroying this stranger who journeyed alone through Puna.
Almost all day the battle raged between the two men. Back and forth they
forced each other over the lava beds. The chief's well-oiled body was
very difficult for the Olohe to grasp. Bruised and bleeding from
repeated falls on the rough lava, both of the combatants were becoming
very weary. Then the chief made a new attack, forcing the Olohe into a
narrow place from which there was no escape, and at last seizing him,
breaking his bones, and then killing him.
As the shadows of night rested over the temple and its sacred grave the
chief crept closer to the dreaded tabu walls. Concealing himself he
waited for the ghost to reveal to him the best plan for action. The
ghost came, but was compelled to bid the father wait patiently for a fit
time when the secret place in which the bones were hidden could be
safely visited.
For several days and nights the chief hid himself near the temple. He
secretly uttered the prayers and incantations needed to secure the
protection of his family gods.
One night the darkness was very great, and the priests and watchmen of
the temple felt sure that no one would attempt to enter the sacred
precincts. Deep sleep rested upon all the temple-dwellers.
Then the ghost of Kahele hastened to the place where the father was
sleeping and aroused him for the dangerous task before him.
As the father arose he saw this ghost outlined in the darkness,
beckoning him to follow. Step by step he felt his way cautiously over
the rough path and along the temple walls until he saw the ghost
standing near a great rock pointing at a part of the wall.
The father seized a stone which seemed to be the one most directly in
the line of the ghost's pointing. To his surprise it very easily was
removed from the wall. Back of it was a hollow place in which lay a
bundle of folded bones. The ghost urged the chief to take these bones
and depart quickly.
[Illustration: IMAGES OF GODS AT THE HEIAU]
The father obeyed, and followed the spirit guide until safely away from
the temple of the burning wrath of the gods. He carried the bones to Kau
and placed them in his own secret family burial cave.
The ghost of Wahaula went down to the spirit world in great joy. Death
had come. The life of the young chief had been taken for temple service
and yet there had at last been nothing dishonorable connected with the
destruction of the body and the passing away of the spirit.