Ka Moolelo O Kauai or The Heritage of Kaua'i

Ka Moolelo O Kauai or The Heritage of Kaua'i. . , The Heritage of Hawai'i , Kuhona is a king from the 15th century of a dynasty that ruled the realm of Kaua'i (including the islands of Kaua'i, Ni'ihau, Lehua and Ka'ula) for five hundred years until the rule of the last king. Kaumuali'i (circa 1778-1824), at which time Kamehameha I of the island of Hawai'i took over the reign, Kukona;s son, Manokalanipo, is praised in Kaua'i society through chants, songs, and proverbs as the one who organized the system of land management and politics in which the island is divided into districts (moku) and subdistricts (ahupua'a), each with their land managers (ail'i) who answered to the ail'i'aimoku(paramount ruler). This system led to a long-lasting peace and advances in economy, engineering, architecture, and culture. , Kukona is the 7th paramount ruler of Kaua'i. In the early 15th century, King Kalaunulohua, the ambitious chief of Hawai'i Island, tried to seize Kaua'i. He was accompanied into battle by the combined armies and chiefs of Maui, Moloka'i, and O'ahu, and they came here in Po'ipu. The war is known as Ke Kaua 'o Kawelewele or "The War of the Clearing." The much smaller forces defending Kaua'i, led by Kukona and is son Manokalanipo, soundly defeated the invaders after leading them inland and then surrounding them, thus capturing all four chiefs. The peace that lasted was called Ka La'i Loa La Kamaluohua or "The Long Peace of Kamaluahua.", Sacred Sites and Spiritual Centers - Heiau, Surveyors and researchers from the 1800s have estimated that, in the area of Koloa alone, there are 23 heiau (complexes built of rock wall enclosures for religious gatherings and rituals). As within other Polynesian societies in the Pacific, such as in Tahiti, Te Henua 'Enana (Marquesas) and Kuki'Airani (the Cook Islands), the spiritual order of Kanaka Maoli(Native Hawaiians) from the Hawaiian Islands was a polytheistic system. These Polynesian cultures developed heiau as an integral part of society., Among the many heiau that once existed, the three below are the most consistently found in archaeological and historic research. Mapele is a type of heiau devoted to the worship of gods associated with agriculture. Lukini is a type of heiau devoted to the worship of gods associated with governance, politics, and war. Pu'uhonua is a type of heiau dedicated to the protection of the populace in times of war or mediation with regards to the breaking of laws. , A Growing Society, Kanaka Maoli(Native Hawaiians) have lived in the area surrounding Kanei'olouma for several centuries. Upon settling the area, Kanaka Maoli organized and interwove their systems of governance, economy, and technology. Accounts tell of the activities of the island's people in the area of Kanei'olouma, including battles fought between great armies, the activities of powerful holders of mana (a spirtual power or endowment of divie authority), the birth of hereos who became deified as gods, the establishment of the area as a powerful spiritual center honoring the land, the ocean, and all the elements of nature. In addition, tales recount the development of agricultural innovations as an extraordinary scale with extensive above-ground aqueducts and irrigated taro fields and fishponds, whcih made feeding large populations possible and consistent., After Western contact in the late 1700s, the area of Po'ipu became a seaport, facilitating the development of the first sugar plantation in the Hawaiian Islands in Koloa in 1835 just two miles inland of Kanei'olouma. , The Realm of the Gods, The name, Kanei'olouma (Kane-i-'olo-uma), can be understood to be Kane, the god of fresh water and 'awa (kava) inside a 'awa serving bowl. 'Olo (or kanoa) is a serving bowl for 'awa, a traditional ceremonial drink that causes intoxication. Uma is concave like the floor of the arena of heiau. Therefore, Kaeni'olouma can be understood as "Kane who dwells in the water of the 'awa serving bowl.", The four principle gods within Hawaiian tradition are Kane (god of creation and freshwater), Kanaloa (god of the ocean and the underworld), Lono(god of agriculture and fertility), and Ku 9god of the forests and war). These gods can be represented as wooden or stone figures, among many their intricate and significant ways. , Many other lesser gods exist throughout Hawaiian traditions and tales, and many of them represent various aspects of the four primary deities. Certain plants and animals and even natural elements such as cloud formation, water springs, and stones can be embodiments of spiritual beings. Hawaiian gods can even interact with people through the various kinolau or bodily forms., The Bounty of the Land, In addition to the spiritual centers described above, 19th century observers also described 20 ko'a (designated spots offshore for fishing), as well as numerours lo'i kalo (water fields for cultivating taro, one of th emost important crops in Hawaiian society), punawai (fresh water springs), house sites, lo'i pa'akao (salt beds for cultivation of sea salt), paena wa's (canoe landings), and ala hele (walking highways).