EMERSON] UNWRITTEN LITERATURE OF HAWAII 29 



kumu-hula to have given instruction in the meaning of a song would 

 have been a superfluity, as if one at the present day Avere to inform 

 a group of well-educated actors and actresses who was Pompey or 

 Julius Csesar. 



"Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trip- 

 pingly on the tongue." Hamlet's words to the players were, it may 

 be suj^posed, the substance of the kumu's instructions to the pupils 

 in his halau. 



The organization of a hula company was largely democratic. The 

 kumu — in modern sense, the teacher — was the leader and conductor, 

 responsible for the training and discipline of the company. He was 

 the business manager of the enterprise ; the priest, kahuna,, the leader 

 in the religious exercises, the one who interpreted the will of heaven, 

 especially of the gods whose favor determined success. He might 

 be called to his position by the choice of the company, appointed by 

 the command of the alii who promoted the enterprise, or self -elected 

 in case the enterprise was his own. He had under him a kokua kumu^ 

 a deputy, who took charge during his absence. 



The pfPo-jiaaa was an officer chosen by the pupils to be their spe- 

 cial agent and mouthpiece. He saw to the execution of the kumu's 

 judgments and commands, collected the fines, and exacted the penal- 

 ties imposed by the kumu. It fell to him to convey to the altar the 

 presents of garlands, awa, and the like that were contributed to the 

 halau. 



The pae'pae^ also chosen by the pupils, subject to confirmation by 

 the kumu, acted as an assistant of the po'o-puaa. During the con- 

 struction of the kuahu the po'o-puaa stood to the right, the paepae 

 at his left. They were in a general sense guardians of the kuahu. 



The lio'o-ulu was the guard stationed at the door. He sprinkled 

 with sea-water mixed with turmeric everyone who entered the halau. 

 He also acted as sergeant-at-arms to keep order and remove anyone 

 who made a disturbance. It was his duty each day to place a fresh 

 bowl of awa on the altar of the goddess {hanai kuahu) ^ literally to 

 feed the altar. 



In addition to these officials, a hula company naturally required 

 the services of a miscellaneous retinue of stewards, cooks, fishermen, 

 hewers of wood, and drawers of water. 



Rules of Conduct and Ta3us 



Without a body of rules, a strict penal code, and a firm hand to 

 hold in check the hot bloods of both sexes, it would have been impos- 

 sible to keep order and to accomplish the business purpose of the or- 

 ganization. The explosive force of passion would have made the 

 gathering a signal for the breaking loose of pandemonium. That it 

 did not always so result is a compliment alike to the self-restraint of 



