[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 38 PLATE I FEMALE DANCING IN HULA COSTUME] [Page 1] SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 38 UNWRITTEN LITERATURE OF HAWAII THE SACRED SONGS OF THE HULA COLLECTED AND TRANSLATED, WITH NOTES AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE HULA BY NATHANIEL B. EMERSON, A.M., M.D. WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1909 [Page 2][Blank] [Page 3] PREFATORY NOTE Previous to the year 1906 the researches of the Bureau were restricted to the American Indians, but by act of Congress approved June 30 of that year the scope of its operations was extended to include the natives of the Hawaiian islands. Funds were not specifically provided, however, for prosecuting investigations among these people, and in the absence of an appropriation for this purpose it was considered inadvisable to restrict the systematic investigations among the Indian tribes in order that the new field might be entered. Fortunately the publication of valuable data pertaining to Hawaii is already provided for, and the present memoir by Doctor Emerson is the first of the Bureau’s Hawaiian series. It is expected that this Bulletin will be followed shortly by one comprising an extended list of works relating to Hawaii, compiled by Prof. H.M. Ballou and Dr. Cyrus Thomas. W.H. HOLMES, _Chief._ [Page 4] [Blank] [Page 5] CONTENTS Page Introduction 7 I. The hula 11 II. The halau; the kuahu—their decoration and consecration 14 III. The gods of the hula 23 IV. Support and organization of the hula 26 V. Ceremonies of graduation; debut of a hula dancer 31 VI. The password—the song of admission 38 VII. Worship at the altar of the halau 42 VIII. Costume of the hula dancer 49 IX. The hula alá’a-papa 57 X. The hula pa-ipu, or kuolo 73 XI. The hula ki’i 91 XII. The hula pahu 103 XIII. The hula úliulí 107