6 Pomander Collection of Ilaivaiian folk-lore. 



This was the royal procedure of ancient time, tliat when he was born he was taken before 

 the deity in the presence of the priests. A priest waved the bambu with which the umbil- 

 ical cord was to be cut, and then tied the umbilicus of the child with a string, and after a 

 prayer severed the umbilicus. Blood flowed from the cut of the child," whereat the 

 priest declared. "This is a rich child." 



After the king and all the people heard this the king chose certain suitable persons 

 to rear the young chief, close relatives of his mother, of royal descent. Then the child 

 was placed in strict seclusion — a most sacred place — so sacred that a person who ate pig 

 or coconut, or any unclean or filthy food, or those whose garments were greasy with the 

 oil of the coconut were not allowed there. The child was not to eat out of any old vessel 

 which formerly contained anything filthy; it was strictly forbidden. If a man ate pork 

 he nuist die. If any woman in care of such child should eat offensive food she should 

 die. Thus were the chiefs and the people held in fear by the false gods so that the child 

 might live. As the infant was brought up and grew to childhood, the parents conferred 

 together, the father saying to his wife, "Our child must be circumcised." "Ves, if you 

 think so," she replied. Then the king said, "Some one go tell the priest and see what he 

 has to say." And when the priest arrived in the presence of the king, he (the king) 

 asked him: "What would you advise? Say something regarding the circumcision of my 

 child." The priest replied, "Yes, circvuncise him ; he has grown so that he can slaughter 

 a pig.'"" (Lit., the pig is killed). 



The priest afterward prepared for the services, first seeking the auguries of cir- 

 cumcising the child. He advised the king to procure a great numloer of dogs, of pigs 

 and of fowls, to each of which the king complied. In the evening the priest prepared the 

 bambu; the rains fell; and when the priest saw it raining, he spoke to the child, saying: 

 "Listen, child; the night tells you that you will become a rich man. When you become 

 rich take care of me." 



The next night the priest laid himself at the door-sill," a custom of the priest's on 

 occasions of services rendered for royalty. The next day the child was brought before 

 the priest and in the presence of the deity. He (the child) sat on a certain man who held 

 him firmly. The priest stood up waving the bambu, and ofifered the deity a prayer, say- 

 ing: "O God, look down upon your offspring, whose night auguries are auspicious." 

 After that the priest sat down and continued in supplication to the god. 



After the prayer had ended a certain man circumcised the child, whereupon the 

 lightnings flashed, thunder roared, and the rains fell, the priest exclaiming, "This child 

 will become rich." Then he said to the prince: "Say, listen; when you have become a 

 king, I wish for a division (or district) of land." After these things — performing the 

 great service to the prince — the priest solemnized the supplementary division of his 

 prayer, in fulfillment of the duties of his ofiice. The priest thus sought the good fortune 



"Flowing blood, as shown in other Hawaiian narra- period had passed and, hgnratively speaking the pig 



tions, is lield to indicate a prosperous future for the was killed in recognition of that fact, 



cliild. "Lapauila, door-post, is given erroneously. The oli- 



"The term used here, "The pig is killed," has refer- ject being to observe the auguries of the heavens the 



ence to an ancient expression indicating the infantile natural position would be the doorway or door-sill. 



