XXXII.— THE HULA TLIO 



The do£r took his j^art and phived his (Mithusiastic rolo in the 

 domestic life of every Hawaiian. He did not starve in a fool's para- 

 dise, a neglected object of man's superstitious regard, as in Constan- 

 tinople; nor did he vie Avith kings and queens in the length and 

 purity of his pedigree, as in England; but in Hawaii he entered with 

 full heart of sympathy into all of man's enterprises, and at his 

 death bequeathed his body a sacrifice to men and gods. It was fit- 

 ting that the Hawaiian poet should celebrate the dog and his alto- 

 gether virtuous and altruistic services to mankind. The hula iVto 

 may be considered as part of Hawaii's tribute to man's most faithful 

 friend, the dog. 



The hula ilio was a classic performance that demanded of the act- 

 ors much physical stir; they shifted their position, now sitting, now 

 standing; they moved from place to place; indulged in many ges- 

 tures, sometimes as if imitating the motions of the dog. This hula 

 has long been out of commission. Like the two animal-hulas pre- 

 viously mentioned, it was performed without the aid of instrumental 

 accompaniment. 



The allusions in this mele are to the mythical story that tells of 

 Kane's drinking revels on the heights about Waipi'o valley; how he 

 and his fellows by the noise of their furious couching disturbed the 

 ])rayers and rituals of King Liloa and his priests, Kane himself be- 

 ing the chief offender by his blowing on the conch-shell Kihapii, 

 stolen from Liloa 's temple of Paka'alana: its recovery by the wit and 

 dramatic action of the gifted dog Puapua-lenalena. (See p. 131.) 



Mdc 



Ku 0, nana e ! 

 Makole " o Ku ! 

 Hoolei ia ka lei.'' 

 I lei no Puapua-lenalena, 

 .5 He lei hinano no Kahili, '^ 

 He webiwehi no Niho-kti.'^ 



" Makole. Red-eyed ; ophthalmic. 



'■The wreath, lei. is not for the scod, hut for the dos Puapua-lenalena. the one who 

 in the story recovered the stolen conch, Kilia-pu (verse 20), with which god Kane 

 made nisht hideous and disturbed the repose of pious Kinj; Liloa (Moc olc ka po o ke alii, 

 verse 10). 



• Kahili. Said to be the foster mother of Puapua-lenalena. 



'' Mlioki'i. Literally an upright tooth, was the name of the hill on which lived the 

 old couple who were the foster parents of the dog. 



223 



