626 



Pornaudcr CoUcct'wn of Hawaiian Folk-lore. 



THE MAT. 



The following is what I have gathered through questioning friends and an old 

 woman whose days are nearing the edge of the grave. You will hear chips of shar]) 

 stones which will cause your ideas to expand. 



NAMES OF MATS OF HAWAII NEI. 



Here are the names' of the Maui mats: paivclic^ laithala," iiiakalii,* pitco,^ laii- 

 mii.' piiukaio'' iiiakainti.' Jiiialo'' iic-ki.'^ o/^mi.'' kimmkolu,^" alolua,^^ makoloa,^'- ku- 

 iiiiilna,^" puahala.^'^ Those are the names given by Mauiites to mats. The Hawaii peo- 

 ple have names somewhat similar to those of Maui, except in some cases they are dif- 

 ferent. These are the names: pazveJie, lauhala, makalii, piico, launni, ne-ki, makoloa. 

 What I know about the Oahu mats, they are like those of Hawaii. Kauai's mats are 

 named like those of Maui. These names, however, must be added to the Maui list : 

 anccnec,^* palaticka and pakca. Molokai's list is like Maui's. The same is true of 

 Kahoolawe, it is like Maui's. Lanai's is also like Maui's. Niihau's is like Kauai's. 



PREPARING THE LAUHALA, THE BULRUSH AND THE MAKOLOA. 



\\'hen preparing for the makalii mat the ripe lauhala is not used, for then the 

 mat would be red and coarse ; the leaf shoot of the lauhala must be used, the very ten- 

 der part. The leaves are cut near where it joins the trunk, and are brought home. A 

 fire is lighted and these young leaves are held over the fire until thev are evenly wilted, 

 when they are dried in the sun until fit. Then they are rolled up in bundles accord- 

 ing to the taste of the worker preparing the same. 



PREPARING FOR THE PUUKAIO MAT. 



Any kind of lauhala is used for this mat ; ripe lauhala or young lauhala may 

 be used; any kind that can be secured so long as it is lauhala, for that is what it is 

 made of. The ne-ki is made of the bulrush. But it must be the young rush, because 



'The various named mats here given show eighteen 

 varieties, some of which refer to tlie material of which 

 they are made, others their line or coarse mesli or plait, 

 others again plain or colored pattern, 



"Contrary to the general claim that the pawehe mat 

 was a product of Niihau only, it is here listed among 

 those of Maui and Hawaii. It is a sedge mat of fine 

 C|uality, worked mostly in colored patterns, though some 

 are found plain. 



"This designates a pandanns mat, simply, and may re- 

 fer to the common coarse mesh mat, seeing that most 

 of them are made from tliis same material. 



'This name, makalii, meaning small eye, indicates a 

 line-mesh mat, as makanni (large eye) indicates a large 

 mesh, designated as two-lingers' width. Lannui also 

 helongs to this class, as it is described as of three- 

 lingers' width of mesh. 



'Pueo is a coarse, thick mat of large size. 



'Puukaio is described as a mat of many layers. 



'Hiialo, end of mat ; so called because the end of the 



mat is brought towards one's front when the weaving 

 is done. 



"Xe-ki is made of young bulrushes. 



'Opuu takes this name from the pattern, so called for 

 its rounding edges resembling flower buds. 



'"Kumulua, of two layers, and kumukolu, of three 

 layers. 



"Alolua, as indicated liy the name, is smooth on both 

 sides. 



'"Makoloa takes its name from the sedge of which it 

 is made, its length and fine weave ; those of Niihau 

 being the finest of mat manufacture, some being plain 

 and some in colored pattern. 



"The puahala, or hinano mat is the famed product of 

 Puna ; from the flower of the pandanus. 



"Aneenec, sometimes called apeu, and the palaueka, 

 or palau, are small, portable mats, plain and patterned, 

 for sitting on. The pakea is a round coarse mat for 

 the same purpose. 



