Pūloʻuloʻu, often called "kapu sticks", are symbols denoting the kapu of Hawaiian

aliʻi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. The word ''aliʻi'' has a similar meaning in the Samoan language and other Polynesian languages, and in Māori ...

(chiefs or royals) and symbolizing the deceased ancestors of the

. They are traditional symbols of authority which are used in modern times including the Seal of the State of Hawaii.

History

Pūloʻuloʻu are often called " kapu sticks". They were symbol of the authority and protection of the

(chiefs) of

Ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadical ...

and also represented the

mana According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being ...

(spiritual power) of the aliʻi. It was made by wrapping bundles of

kapa Kapa is a fabric made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales. Description and uses It is similar to ''tapa'' found elsewhere in Polynesia (the Hawaiian phoneme cor ...

cloth on a stick. They were given ancestral names and placed in areas of prominence. They represented the ancestors of an aliʻi who had died and return from Po (heaven). The round shape denoted the shape of stars as seen from the traditional Hawaiian perspective. They often contain the relics of deceased ancestors such as bones, teeth, hair and other important remains. Their use as symbols of the kapu was introduced by

Paʻao Paao is a figure from Hawaii. He is most likely a Hawaiian historical character retold through Hawaiian legend. According to Hawaiian tradition and folklore, he is said to have been a high priest from Kahiki, specifically "Wewaʻu" and "ʻUpolu." ...

, a high priest (kahuna nui) from Kahiki. The pūloʻuloʻu were often placed at the residence of the aliʻi, at a

heiau A ''heiau'' () is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick (''heia ...

(temple) and at the burial sites of the aliʻi. Whaling captain

Alfred N. Tripp Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

gave King

Kalākaua Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), sometimes called The Merrie Monarch, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, ...

a pūloʻuloʻu made of a narwhal tusk on the occasion of the king's 1883 coronation. The tusk, which measured seven feet two inches, was capped with a golden sphere and is currently displayed in the throne room of

ʻIolani Palace The Iolani Palace ( haw, Hale Aliʻi ʻIolani) was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dyn ...

between the two thrones of Kalākaua and Queen Kapiʻolani. The pūloʻuloʻu are also displayed at the

Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

at Mauna ʻAla where they are placed in the chapel and where metal representations are placed outside the chapels and the crypts. The coat of arms of the

Hawaiian Kingdom The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent islan ...

and the seal of the State of Hawaii features the pūloʻuloʻu as a symbol of authority.

Gallery

File:Liliuokalani lying in state at Kawaiahao Church (color) (cropped).jpg, Pūloʻuloʻu used at the funeral of Queen

Liliʻuokalani Liliʻuokalani (; Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha; September 2, 1838 – November 11, 1917) was the only queen regnant and the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ruling from January 29, 1891, until the overthrow of the Haw ...

File:Kamehameha Tomb at Mauna Ala by Cliff.jpg, Metal representation of pūloʻuloʻu outside the Kamehameha Tomb at the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii at Mauna ʻAla File:Hawaiian Thrones (8515155462).jpg, Metal representation of pūloʻuloʻu made with a narwhal tusk at

File:Royal Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hawaii.svg, Coat of arms of Hawaii File:Seal of the State of Hawaii.svg, Seal of Hawaii

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Puloulou Hawaiian Kingdom Hawaiiana Hawaii culture Hawaiian nobility Hawaiian regalia Nobility of the Americas

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links