XIII.— THE HULA ULI-ULI 



The hula iiU-iili was so called from the rattle which was its sole 

 instrument of accompaniment. This consisted of a small gourd 

 about the size of a large orange, into the. cavity of which were put 

 shot-like seeds, like those of the canna; a handle was then attached 

 (pi. XI). 



The actors who took part in this hula belonged, it is said, to the 

 class termed hoopaa, and went through with the perfornumce while 

 kneeling or squatting, as has been described. Wliile cantillating the 

 mele they held the rattle, uli-uU, in the right hand, shaking it 

 against the palm of the other hand or the thigh, or making excursions 

 in one direction and another. In some performances of this hula 

 which the author has witnessed the olapa also took part, in one case 

 a woman, who stood and cantillated the song with movement and 

 gesture, while the hoopaa devoted themselves exclusively to handling 

 the uli-uli rattles. 



The sacrificial offerings that preceded the old-time performances of 

 this hula are said to have been awa and a roast porkling, in honor of 

 the goddess Laka. 



If the dignity and quality of the meles now used, or reported to 

 have been used, in the hula uli-tdi are to be taken as any criterion 

 of the quality and dignity of this hula, one has to conclude that it 

 must be assigned to' a rank below that of some others, such, for in- 

 stance, as the ala'a-papa,, pa-ipu^ Pele, and others. 



David Malo, the Hawaiian historian, author of Ka Moolelo 

 Hawaii,'^ in the short chapter that he devotes to the hula, mentions 

 only ten hulas by name, the ka-laau^ pci'i-umauma^ pahu^ pahii'a. 

 ala'a-papa^ paH-paH^ pa-ipu^ vlili., kolani^ and the kielei. Ulili is but 

 another form of the word uli-uli. Any utterance of Malo is to be 

 received seriously; but it seems doubtful if he deliberately selected 

 for mention the ten hulas that were really the most important. It 

 seems more probable that he set down the first ten that stood forth 

 prominent in his memory. It was not Malo's habit, nor part of his 

 education, to make an exhaustive list of sports and games, or in fact 

 of anything. He spoke of what occurred to him. It must also be 

 remembered that, being an ardent convert to Christianity, Malo felt 



" Translated by N. B. Emerson, M. D., under the title " Hawaiian Antiquities," and 

 published by the B. P. Bishop Museum. Hawaiian Gazette Company (Limited), Hono- 

 lulu, 1903. 



107 



