20 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 38 



the Hawaiians as Mawi's paddle; to which must be added the com- 

 moner leaves and lemon-colored flowers of the native hibiscus, the 

 haii^ the breadfruit, the native banana and the dracsena {ti) ^ plate v; 

 and lastly, richest of all, in the color that became Hawaii's favorite, 

 the royal yellow ilima (pi. vi), a flower familiar to the eyes of the 

 tourist to Honolulu. 



While deft hands are building and weaving the light framework 

 of the kuahu, binding its parts with strong vines and decorating it 

 with nature's sumptuous embroidery, the A'wmw, or teacher, under 

 the inspiration of the deity, for whose residence he has prepared 

 himself by long vigil and fasting with fleshly abstinence, having 

 spent the previous night alone in the halau, is chanting or cantillating 

 his adulatory prayers, kanaenae — songs of praise they seem to be — 

 to the glorification of the gods and goddesses who are invited to 

 bless the occasion with their presence and inspiration, but especially 

 of that one, Laka, whose bodily presence is symbolized by a rude 

 block of wood arrayed in yellow tapa that is set up on the altar itself. 

 Thus does the kumu sing : 



Fulv Kuahu 

 Ei' au. e Laka mai uka, 

 E Laka niai kai ; 

 O hooulu 



O ka ilio 'J uana e bae, 

 5 O ka uiaile bihi i ka wao, 

 O ka lau-ki ^ lei o ke akua, 

 O ua ku'i bauoli 

 O Ha'i-ka-manawa.'' 

 O Laka oe. 

 10 O ke akua i ke kuahu iiei, la ; 



E ho"i, Iio'i mai a noho i kou kuahu ! 



[Translation] 



Altor-Fraiirr (to Laka) 



Here am I, oh Laka from the mountains, 



Oh Laka from the sliore ; 



Protect us 



Against the dog that barks; 



" Ilio nana e hae. The barking of a dog, the crowing of a coclc, the grunting of a pig, 

 the hooting of an owl, or any Auch sound occurring at the time of a religious solemnitj', 

 aha, broke the spell of the incantation and vitiated the cei-emony. Such an untimely 

 accident was as much deprecated as were the Turk, the Comet, and the Devil by pious 

 Christian souls during the Middle Ages. 



'> Lau-ki. The leaf of the ti plant — the same as the hi — (Dracaena terminalis). much 

 used as an emblem of divine power, a charm or defense against malign spiritual influences. 

 The kahuna often wore about his neck a fillet of this leaf. The 1i leaf was a special 

 emblem of Ha'i-wahine, or of Li"a-wahine. It was much used as a decoration about the 

 halau. 



' Ha'i-ka-manaica. It is conjectured that this is the same as Ha'i-wahiiic. She wa« a 

 mythological character, about whom there is a long and tragic story. 



