36 



BRIGHAM ON HAWAIIAN FEATHER WORK. 



hair crowned the head, in others the niahiole or crest. The CA-es were of pearl shell, 

 and in those in the Bishop Museum are attached in two wa3-s by carved knobs of dark 

 wood representing pupils. Fig. 29. In one ( A ) the stem of the knob is perforated bj' 

 conical holes whose apices meet, and through the hole thus formed a cord of coconut fibre 

 makes fast the whole pseudo optical device. In the other ( B ) the end of the stem is 

 left somewhat larger than the rest to hold in a cord of sinnet. One or the other of these 

 methods prevail, I believe in all cases, except the one called \'ancouver's. Fig. 24, where 

 there is no pupil. The teeth were those of dogs saved from the priestly feasts. Ears 

 were represented b^• small patches of black or yellow, sometimes b}- both colors united. 



These gods were carried in battle on kauila 

 poles, most of them having no other sufficient sup- 

 port, and being also too small to be placed over the 

 head of a priest, as has been suggested."'' An inspec- 

 \ tion of the illustrations will make this plain. 



The details of the worship, so far as they are 

 known, need not be entered into here; but it may be 

 stated that human sacrifices 



were a sad adiunct to all im- 



■' 



portant rites. Many hun- 

 dred vi(5lims are reported, 

 ' although the true number 

 cannot now be determined. 

 I am inclined to connect 

 ' with the worship of Kuka- 



ilimokit the two curious mats now in the British 

 ! Museum, and shown in PI. W. I cannot claim any 

 ' satisfadtorv authoritv for the opinion, but I have 

 I endeavored to find some use for these elaborate mat- 

 I like objects, on the supposition that they are of 

 -^ Hawaiian origin, and cannot find that an\- of the 

 suggested uses are allowable, whether dress, orna- 

 ment or armor, standard or insignia. They are flat, stiff, not very solidly bound to- 

 gether, and the patterns quite unlike those used in the feather cloaks: there are, more- 

 over, no signs of attaching cords or braids by Avhich the}- might be joined to other 

 objecfts. Now it was the custom in worship to place the image of a god, unless of too 

 large size, on a mat of pandanus covered with red kapa, and on the same mat the offer- 

 ings were made. This custom has been retained to the present day in the poor rem- 

 nants of heathen worship that appear sporadically among the people. We have in the 



^''In a recent publication on Hawaiian feather work it has been were not such as wonld reciuire masks of any kind, least of all those 

 stated that the feather-covered heads are "dancing masks." I do with repnlsive features. The heads in question could not have been 

 not know anv authority for the statement. The Hawaiian dances used for any such purpose. 



FIG. 29. 



FIG. 28. 



