Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3) : $b The Hawaiians' account of the formation of their islands and origin of their race, with the traditions of their migrations, etc., as gathered from original sources
History
Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3) : $b The Hawaiians' account of the formation of their islands and origin of their race, with the traditions of their migrations, etc., as gathered from original sources
Folklore -- Hawaii; Hawaii -- Social life and customs; Hawaiian language -- Texts; Legends -- Hawaii
When Lonoikamakahiki heard this explanation he replied: “Those things
are worthless and have very little use; the great objection I have
against them is that they are used by men for the purpose of making
wagers, even to the extent of their bones, on the result of their skill
after heated arguments. That is the reason they are worthless.” The
retainers then said: “That is what the pahee spears are used for and
the reason why they are being kept by your father.”
Lonoikamakahiki again looked up and saw a round, flat stone and again
asked: “What is that thing?” The retainers replied: “It is called an
olohu.” [231] Lonoikamakahiki again asked: “What is it used for?” Then
the retainers told him that it was used in the same way and for the
same purpose as the pahee spears. At this Lonoikamakahiki replied:
“Throw it away; it is also worthless.”
Again Lonoikamakahiki looked, and when he saw the sugar-cane top, used
as an arrow, he asked of his retainers: “What is that?” The retainers
replied: “It is an arrow made from the sugar-cane top.” Lonoikamakahiki
again asked: “And what is it used for?” The retainers replied: “It is
also used in games. If two or three fellows wish to play the game with
the arrows [232] they go to the playground and see who could glide his
arrow on the ground the farthest. The one who can send it the farthest
wins. If articles of value have been placed as wagers the winner takes
them. It is used in the same way and for the same purpose as the pahee
spears, and large wagers have been lost and won on the game.”
Lonoikamakahiki then replied: “It, too, is worthless; you had better
break it up and throw it away.”
Again Lonoikamakahiki looked up, and when he saw a wooden club he
asked: “And what is that thing?” The retainers replied: “It is a wooden
club.” [233] Lonoikamakahiki again asked: “And what is its purpose?”
The retainers replied: “It is an implement of war and used to kill
people with. If a battle is being fought with one side opposing the
other then the war club comes in use as an implement of war. When this
club is used in war it can kill as many as forty people, and sometimes
it will kill more people than that.” Lonoikamakahiki then said: “That
thing is also without value. Its only use would be for a stick to turn
over the stones in an umu.” [234]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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