2. KUMULIPO
• Mele ko`ihonua or
genealogical chant showing
the mo`okū`auhau
(genealogy) of the kanaka
maoli
• Over 2000 lines long
• Echoes the complexities and
details of the Hawaiian
thought process and
perspective
3. KUMULIPO
• Divides ancient Hawaiian history into 16 time
periods or wā
• Divided into 2 sections
– Ka pō: The darkness, the age of spirits (1st
8 time
periods)
– Ua ao: Arrival of light and the gods (last 8 time
periods)
4. WĀ `AKAHI
• Life is formed from darkness
• The first living organism is
the coral polyp
• From this coral polyp is born
sea urchins, sea creatures and
limu
• Sea life is paired with its
forest companion on land
5. WĀ `ALUA
• 73 types of fish are born
in this wā
– ie: nai a, manō, moanoʻ
• Once again, sea life is
paired with its
counterpart on land
– ie: weke and wauke
6. WĀ `AKOLU
• 52 flying creatures are
born
– ie: pueo, pulelehua, noio
• These creatures are
paired with a land or sea
creature
– ie: pe`elua & pulelehua
7. WĀ `AHĀ
• Crawling creatures are
born
– ie: honu, mo`o, `ula
• Each crawling creature
has a relation to a
crawling land plant
– ie: maile
8. WĀ `ALIMA
• Haumea or
Papahānaumoku
(female earth)
becomes fertile
and gives birth to
kalo
11. WĀ `AWALU
• Transition period that
begins in the pō
(darkness) and ends in
the ao (daylight)
12. WĀ `AIWA –
WĀ `UMIKŪMAMĀONO
• After this transition
period, we see the
genealogy of the gods
and the birth of man
• Man is born in the last
wā (16th
)
13. KUMULIPO
• The lineage of Papahānaumoku (also known as
Papa or Haumea) and Wākea are mentioned in the
Kumulipo, the epic chant of creation according to
the Hawaiian people.
• According to the Kumulipo, Papahānaumoku
(Earth Mother) was born in darkness and Wākea
(Sky Father) was created in the light. Their union,
symbolizing male light’s penetration into female’s
darkness, brought forth the birth of the Hawaiian
islands and the Hawaiian people.
14. PAPA
• Dr. Taupōuri Tangarō defines
Papa as “the earth, the crust
upon which floats the oceans,
her ambiotic fluid; the crust
that feeds the growth of coral,
the placenta of ocean life.
Whereas Wākea anchors us to
the universe, Papahānaumoku
anchors us to a geography,
our sacred land base.”
15. WĀKEA
Tangarō defines Wākea as
“the male parent of Premordial
origins, this informs us that
Hawai i’s traditionalʻ
consciousness is not only
land-based, but celestial, not
only anchored in living land
but in the sky, as well.”
The Hawaiian Dictionary
defines Wākea as the mythical
ancestor of all Hawaiians.
16. MELE KUMU HONUA
• According to Mele
Kumu Honua,
Papahānaumoku &
Wākea came together
and brought forth the
birth of the Hawaiian
islands and the
Hawaiian people
17. MELE KUMU HONUA
• Papa and Wākea had a daughter named
Ho ohōkūkalani (the heavenly one who madeʻ
the stars).
• Wākea and Ho ohōkūkalani togetherʻ
conceived a child. Their union resulted in two
births.
18. MELE KUMU HONUA
‘O Wākea noho iā Papahānaumoku
Hānau ‘o Hawai’i, he mokuHānau ‘o
Maui, he moku
Ho i hou ‘o Wākea noho iāʻ
Ho ohōkūkalaniʻ
Hānau ‘o Moloka’i, he mokuHanau
‘o Lāna i, ka ula, he mokuʻ ʻ
Lili ōpū punalua ‘o Papa iāʻ
Ho ohōkūlaniHo i hou ‘o Papaʻ ʻ
noho iā Wākea
Hanau ‘o O ahu, he mokuHanau ‘oʻ
Kaua i, he mokuHanau ‘o Ni ihau,ʻ ʻ
he mokuHe ‘ula a o Kaho olaweʻ ʻ
Wākea lived with Papa, Born was
Hawai’i, an islandBorn was Maui, an
islandWākea made a new departure
And lived with Ho’ohōkūkalaniBorn
was Moloka’i, an islandBorn was
Lana’i, an islandThe womb of Papa
became jealous at Ho’ohōkūkalani
Papa returned and lived with Wākea
Born was O’ahu, an islandBorn was
Kaua’i, an islandBorn was Ni’ihau, an
islandA red rock was Kaho’olawe
19. Noho hou ‘o Wākea iā
Ho ohōkūkalaniʻ
A ua hānau mai kā Wākea keiki mua
He keiki ‘alu alu, ‘O Hāloanaka kaʻ
inoa
A make ua keiki ‘alu alu lāʻ
Kanu ‘ia iho ma waho o ke kala o ka
hale
Ulu mai ua keiki lā kalo nō
Hānau mai he keiki hou
Kapa lākou i kona inoa ma ka hā o
ua kalo lā ‘o Hāloa
Nānā mai ko ke ao nei a pau, oʻ
Hāloa ho i!ʻ
Wākea lived again with
Ho ohōkūkalaniʻ
Born to them was a first child
He was stillborn, Hāloanaka
was his name
He was placed in the earth
outside of the house
Up sprouted the Kalo
Born was another child
They called him Haloa after
the his elder brother
Look at all of us, Hāloa lives!
20. HĀLOA
• The first birth was an unformed
fetus (keiki alu alu), who wasʻ ʻ
born prematurely. He was
named Hāloanakalaukapalili,
meaning the quivering long
stalk.
• Hāloanakalaukapalili was
buried at the eastern corner of
the house and from his burial
grew the first kalo (taro) plant.
21. HĀLOA
• The second birth was a
child named Hāloa in
honor of his elder brother.
Hāloa was born strong and
healthy and is believed to
be the first kanaka maoli,
or Hawaiian man.
• Hāloa means long breath
23. KALO
• The kalo (taro) plant
plays a vital part in the
genealogy of the
Hawaiian people as
their most important
crop and main
sustenance.
24. `OHANA
• It is also important to
note that the term
ohana (family) comesʻ
from the kalo plant
itself. The corm of the
kalo is called the ohā.ʻ
25. SHOWING RESPECT
• In Hawaiian tradition, it
is considered
disrespectful to fight in
front of an elder. One
should not raise the
voice, speak angrily or
make rude comments or
gestures.
26. ŌLELO NO EAUʻ ʻ
He ali i nō ka āina,ʻ ʻ
he kauā nō ke kanaka
The land is the chief, man is the servant
Editor's Notes
The chant reflects sophisticated theories about the origins of the cosmos and life on this planet - providing a concept of world order, reminding everyone about the core relationship people have with earth and how to live harmoniously. Reaffirms the natural procreative process – life is conceived and perpetuated through the mating of male and female elements, species and life forms. Recognize the truth in balance – that there is always a male and a female principle/energy The Kumulipo serves as a wellspring of information about the profound relationship between Hawaiians and nature and their environment. Our ancestors possessed a deep understanding of each creature and the relationships between them. For each creature born of the land, another was born of the sea and their traits and characteristics were reflective of each other. This was part of the symmetry of all nature. Thus, while we are connected biologically to all of the creatures and plants of the earth, we are also spiritually bonded.”
unfolding from the beginning of time to the 18th century. Under the surface meaning lie the hidden meanings, the kaona. Life appears in the Kumulipo as the result of natural forces, male and female Pothe darkness and first stirring of life, the cosmic nighttells of the night world, the birth of sea and land life, of winged life and crawlers. Hawaiian time begins with the darkest night which gives birth to male and female nights. Brother and sister mate to produce the divinity of the universe, which is all life. They give birth to the coral polyp and each creature in its turn gives birth to other creatures, proceeding up the evolutionary chain. Each descendant adds its name, and the mana, the sacred power is thus passed on. Here, the proper relationship between land and sea is established as the kanaka maoli came to understand that the actions of the land would effect the living in the sea Aothe dawn of the day, and the world of human beingsstarts with the eighth chant. It opens with the breaking of light. The first part is a literal story of the development of natural forms on the earth. The latter half of the chant gives the genealogical history of the Hawaiian line of chiefs. Kumulipo tells us that we are the descendants of the earth mother and sky father, our `aumakua, Part of this land with a responsibility to mālama or to love and care for the land, the earth, our akua & `aumakua
Fish are descendants of those that were born in the first wā
These first 7 Wā end in Pō nō (meaning only night), This is the time of darkness and what some believe the time of the ancestors. It is the creatures from these 7 wā that become familial guardians or ʻaumākua.
Man took the longest to evolve and the newest in the universe
Papahānaumoku, the woman who gives birth to the islands mates with the sky father, Wākea to give life to the islands, kalo and the hawaiian people.
Papahānaumoku (Earth Mother) & Wākea (Sky Father) came together and brought forth the birth of the Hawaiian Islands & the Hawaiian people. This is a chant that tells us how the islands were born and how the first man came about.
The sun rises in the east and brings forth new life. The east signifies birth, life, and growth.
The word Hāloa infers to the strength and endurance of the Hawaiian people. Without breath we have no life; without without we have no voice.
It is said that if you take care of your older siblings and your mother, they will nurture and take care of you. This is the relationship that the Hawaiians have to kalo.
It is man’s responsibility to take care of the ʻāina (land) so that the ʻāina will feed the people.
The ʻohā is the main part of the plant that is used to feed one’s ʻohana. As the young shoot grows from the corm, people grow from the family.
As such, when the poi bowl was open, there must be no quarreling or arguing for it was a sign of disrespect to Hāloa because Haloa (Taro) is the elder brother of humans.
This is how we should view our environment for it is our kūpuna (elder) and our ali`I (chiefs).
