12 Fornatidcr Collection of Hazvaiiau Folk-lore. 



prayer, and he was tlie onl\' one to offer prayer. He then took up a bunch of coconuts 

 and waved it before tlie idol, exclaiming: "() Ku, O Lono, O Kane, O Kanaloa, here is 

 a bunch of coconuts ; safety to your attendant," and ended. He then reached for his staff, 

 and standing up prayed in a loud voice over the people. 



The people and the chiefs listened attentively to catch any errors in his petition 

 that they might condemn him, in case his prayer was imperfect, whereupon the people 

 would murmur because the priest's prayer was faulty. After this the priest spoke to the 

 people thus: "My (younger) brothers, it is well; it is safe; it is accomplished," repeat- 

 ing the words as he stood up eight times and sat down eight times. The people shouted 

 loudly for safety (life), which shouting was repeated continuously. This ended that 

 part of the priest's ceremonies. Then the priest went to make his report to the king, say- 

 ing: "Vour majesty, how was the prayer?" The king answered, "Your prayer wfis 

 wrong; it erred." Had the priest been in the right the king would have sanctioned him. 

 Had his prayers been perfect the priest would have asked the king for land. 



After this all the people and all the chiefs went to their houses, praising the 

 feather gods and all other smaller idols of the people. In the evening, the king and the 

 priests were with the idols, and all the chiefs prostrated themselves, conforming to the 

 ordinance of the temple, the priests and all the chiefs off'ering prayers. From evening to 

 darkness of night they bowed down, earnestly desiring a rainfall during the night,"" and 

 when it did rain, the people gave praise unto the deities. In the morning they all assem- 

 bled — the people, the chiefs and the priests — in the presence of the deities, praying before 

 the temple shrine and the feather idols. After prayers the people arose with the idols in 

 their hands, and also the chiefs and all the priests, and went up to the lord-of-the-ohia's, 

 which was (to furnish) a wooden deity. The king called to his stewards, saying: "Take 

 about ten pigs for the deity and for the people and for myself also." And when they 

 came nigh unto the oliia forests, away up in the mountains; and the ohia tree which 

 stood forward of the others which the priest pronounced to be the idol, saying: "This is 

 the deity which relishes the pig, as it is in advance of the others," the king assented and 

 commanded the priests to oft'er their prayers to the tree, which they did, while it was yet 

 standing in leaf. 



The king with an attendant then came forward carrying a pig, and on coming near 

 the front of the tree, offered prayer there, after which the king off'ered the pig and a man 

 (victim) to the tree, chanting appealingly, the king saying: "O thou standing oliia, here 

 is an off'ering to thee of pig and coconut. Give me life. Give life to the chiefs and all the 

 l)eoi:)le." Then the priest arose, waved an axe in dedication to the deity, and touched the 

 trunk of the ohia tree with the axe. He sat down praying loudly. A man felled the said 

 oliia tree for an idol. A man was then put to death as a sacrifice from the king to the 

 god. After these things, the king commanded that the pigs, ten in number, be roasted. 

 Then the king off"ered the man as a gift to the god. This was a human sacrifice, an out- 

 cast, according to priestly law. And when the pigs were cooked they all sat down to eat, 

 and after they were filled, the king made preparations for going home. The feather 

 deities stood in a row in front of the people, the said ohia tree deity being far in advance 



'"Prayer for rain, and indication of approval of the services. 



