VII.— AVOESHIP AT THE ALTAR OF THE HALAU 



The first duty of a visitor on being admitted to the halau while 

 the tabu was on — that is, during the conduct of a reguhir huhi — was 

 to do reverence at the kuahu. The obligations of religion took 

 precedence of all social etiquette. He reverently approaches the altar, 

 to which all eyes are turned, and with outstretched hands pours out 

 a supplication that breathes the aroma of ancient prayer: 



Pule Kuahu (no Laka) 



O Laka oe, 



O ke akua i ke a'a-lii « niii. 



E Laka mai uka ! 



E Laka mai kai ! 

 5 O hoo-ulu * Lono, 



O ka ilio nana e baehae ke aha, 



O ka ie-ie ku i ka wao, 



O ka maile hilii i ka nahele, 



O ka lau ki-ele <= ula o ke akua, 

 10 O na ku'i ^ o Hauoli, 



O Ha'i-ka-malama,'' 



Wahine o Kina'u.'' 



Kapo ula o o Kiua'u. 



O Laka oe, 

 15 O ke akua i ke kuahu nei la, e! 



E ho'i, e ho'i a noho i kou kuahu. 



Hoo-ulu ia ! 



[Translation] 



Altur-Prayer (to Laka) 



Thou art Laka, 

 God of the deep-rooted a'a-lii. 

 O Laka from the mountains, 

 O Laka from the ocean ! 



« A'a-lii. A deep-rooted tree, sacred to Laka or to Kapo. 



^ Hoo-ulu. Literally to malte grow ; secondarily, to inspire, to prosper, to bring good 

 luck. This is the meaning most in mind in modern times, since the hula has become 

 a commercial venture. 



•^ Ki-ele. A flowering plant native to the Hawaiian woods, also cultivated, sacred to 

 Laka, and perhaps to Kapo. The leaves are said to be pointed and curved like the 

 beak of the bird i-iwi, and the flower has the gorgeous yellow-red color of that bird. 



<* It has been proposed to amend this verse by substituting alma for ku'i, thus making 

 the idea the gods of the hula. 



« Ha'i-ka-malama. An epithet applied to Laka. 



f Kina'u. Said to mean Hiiaka, the sister of Pele. 



« Kapo ula. Red, ula, was the favorite color of Kapo. The kahuna anaana, high 

 priests of sorcery, of the black art, and of murder, to whom Kapo was at times pro- 

 curess, made themselves known as such by the display of a red flag and the wearing of 

 a red malo. 



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