6l2 



Pomander Collection of Hawaiian folk-lore. 



tlio koa selected for hewing into a canoe stands, a fire is kindled in the imu'- for the 

 things already prepared. When the fire is kindled a man gets a chip of the koa and 

 Inirns it in the imu; when all the things are cooked prayers are offered to the canoe- 

 huilding gods: to Kupulupuln,'' Kumokuhalii, Kuolonowao, Kupepeiaoloa, Kuhooholo- 

 pali, Kupaaikee, Kanealuka, and various others; then would he eat of some of these 

 things and throw some away for the gods. And when all these things have been at- 

 tended to, the tree is ready to be cut. 



The axe used for cutting in the olden times was a stone adze ground until 

 sharp, tied to a handle ; when cutting, dig and put away the dirt so that the roots would 

 show, then hew it down. It would take one man almost a week to fell a tree ; if many 

 hands at work it could be felled in two days. Nowadays we have iron axes, and be- 

 cause of their sharpness a tree can easily be cut down. A strong man can cut down a 

 koa tree^ in half an hour. When the tree is felled some more pravers are ofifered to 

 the gods before shaping it into a canoe. After shaping it u])'' and making it light it is 

 hauled down and placed inside of a place prepared for it. After three months or more, 

 the finishing touches are put on and the other parts attached. 



This is the way to build them: the wood for these parts is the ahakeaf' four 

 rims and two rails. These are the names of the rims to be hewn from the wood: ki- 

 al'uapii' rim, hoonohinolu^ rim, oid' rim and ;//;;<"' rim. These rims are hewn so as to 

 conform to the rim of the canoe. These ])ieces are tied on to the canoe with the a/;fl" 

 or sennit. When the canoe is finished then perform the ceremony known as lolo^'- with 

 a pig. Should it be performed without any interruption then it is a solid canoe, but 

 should the ceremony be interrupted the canoe is not solid, or else trouble would come 

 to the owner of the canoe. After this shape and tie on the outrigger — the ama and the 

 iako^^ — the knees'^ and the covering boards. 



Those people who are accustomed to doing this work are called the canoe- 

 building priests."^ This occupation is a hazardous one, often resulting in death. I 

 worked at it from the time I was twelve years of age. It is, however, a profitable in- 

 dustry if one should persevere in following it; because a canoe log four fathoms or 

 more, even though not completed as a canoe, could sell for $40.00. If completed it 

 would bring $80.00 for some, and more for others. 



KOAKANU. 



Supplementary. — When the canoe-making priests prepare to go up to the 

 mountain they sharpen their stone adzes until they are keen-edged; they sleep in the 

 night until they obtain a good dream, then go up. If they do not have a favorable 



"Imu or umu, the uiulcrground oven of heated stones. 



'It will be noticed that all but one of those named 

 deities are characteristics of Ku, of the Hawaiian trinity. 



'This is the generally preferred forest tree for canoes. 



''Trimming off all l)ranches and roughly shaping the 

 log into canoe form. 



"Ahakea, a Bobeii of several varieties. 



'Kicipua/'u, the forward curving portion of llie canoe's 

 rim, generally known as the manu. 



'Houiiolunolii, the straight part of tlie rim. 



"Oio, a between section of the rim, of fine or straight 

 grain. 



"Uiiti, the after curving portion of the rim, known also 

 as the after tiianu. 



'\4ha, cord or sennit. 



'"Lolo, the name of the hog-sacrilice ceremony at the 

 fmishing of a canoe ; its consecration, when the deity is 

 invoked to witness its satisfactory completion. 



".iina and iako, the longitudinal and arched sticks 

 forming the outrigger. 



"The two knees of a canoe, termed ivac, are afli.xed 

 across the canoe near the iako, to stiffen and strengthen 

 tlie sides of the craft. 



" Every occupation had its special priests and deities. 



