Chapter I: Front Matter

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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

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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._

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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

XIV. The hula puili 113

XV. The hula ka-laau 116

XVI. The hula ili-ili 120

XVII. The hula kaekeeke 122

XVIII. An intermission 126

XIX. The hula niau-kani 132

XX. The hula ohe 135

XXI. The music and musical instruments of the Hawaiians 138

XXII. Gesture 176

XXIII. The hula pa-hua 183

XXIV. The hula Pele 186

XXV, The hula pa’i-umauma 202

XXVI. The hula ku’i Molokai 207

XXVII. The hula kielei 210

XXVIII. The hula mú’u-mú’u 212

XXIX. The hula kolani 216

XXX. The hula kolea 219

XXXI. The hula manó 221

XXXII. The hula ilio 223

XXXIII. The hula pua’a 228

XXXIV. The hula ohelo 233

XXXV. Thehula kilu 235

XXXVI. The hula hoonaná 244

XXXVII. The hula ulili 246

XXXVIII. The hula o-niu 248

XXXIX. The hula ku’i 250

XL. The oli 254

XLI. The water of Kane 257

XLII. General review 260

Glossary 265

Index 271

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ILLUSTRATIONS

Page
PLATE I. Female dancing in hula costume Frontispiece
II. Íe-íe (Freycinetia arnotti) leaves and fruit 19
III. Hála-pépe (Dracaena aurea) 24
IV. Maile (Alyxia myrtillifolia) wreath 32
V. Ti (Dracaena terminalis) 44
VI. Ilima (Sida fallax), lei and flowers 56
VII. Ipu hula, gourd drum 73
VIII. Marionettes (Maile-pakaha, Nihi-au-moe) 91
IX. Marionette (Maka-kú) 93
X. Pahu hula, hula drum 103
XI. Úli-ulí, a gourd rattle 107
XII. Hawaiian tree-snails (Achatinella) 120
XIII. Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) flowers and
leaves 126
XIV. Hawaiian trumpet, pu (Cassis madagascarensis) 131
XV. Woman playing on the nose-flute (ohe-hano-ihu) 135
XVI. Pu-niu, a drum 142
XVII. Hawaiian musician playing on the uku-lele 164
XVIII. Hala fruit bunch and drupe with a “lei” 170
XIX. Pu (Triton tritonis) 172
XX. Phyllodia and true leaves of the koa
(Acacia koa) 181
XXI. Pala-palai ferns 194
XXII. Awa-puhi, a Hawaiian ginger 210
XXIII. Hinano hala 235
XXIV. Lady dancing the hula ku’i 250
FIGURE 1. Puíli, bamboo rattle 113
2. Ka, drumstick for pu-niu 142
3. Ohe-hano-ihu, nose-flute 145

MUSICAL PIECES

I. Range of the nose-flute—Elsner 146
II. Music from the nose-flute—Elsner 146
III. The _ukeké_ (as played by Keaonaloa)—Eisner 149
IV. Song from the hula pa’i-umauma—Berger 153
V. Song from the hula pa-ipu—Berger 153
VI. Song for the hula Pele—Berger 154
VII. Oli and mele from the hula ala’a-papa—Yarndley 156
VIII. _He Inoa no Kamehameha_—Byington 162
IX. Song, _Poli Anuanu_—Yarndley 164
X. Song, _Hua-hua’i_—Yarndley 166
XI. Song, _Ka Mawae_—Berger 167
XII. Song, _Like no a Like_—Berger 168
XIII. Song, _Pili Aoao_—Berger 169
XIV. _Hawaii Ponoi_—Berger 172

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