Hawaiian islands form the northern tip
of Polynesia. The peoples of Polynesia share similar languages and their
cultures extend into prehistory. Long before Captain Cook claimed to
discover the islands in 1788, Polynesian people had developed complex
systems of social conduct, community development and spiritual evolution ...
all called witchcraft by Christian priests.
- a famous sanctuary of pre-Christian Hawaii - has been
partially restored. It is about 30 km south of Kailua-Kona. This
image shows the Hale o Keawe (built around 1650) at sunset on
Honaunau Bay. It is a wonderful location for
Where did the Polynesians come from? Most anthropologists agree that
Polynesians are related to the Melanesian races of Australia and Malaysia. Some
writers claim that the Polynesians were influenced by Phoenician voyagers from
North Africa, due to correlations between Polynesian and old African languages,
and between Polynesian myths and the Hebrew bible.
A few people contend that
Polynesians are descended from the inhabitants
of a lost continent called Mu, which sank beneath the Pacific Ocean.
Thor Heyerdahl claimed Polynesians were influenced by the South American Maya.
Some people say they were a lost tribe of Israel. Theories are plentiful.
Huna is a name recently given
to the healing and mystical practices of ancient Hawaii. An expert was
called a kahuna, literally kahu-na “a keeper of balance”. Older
names for these shamanic practices included ho'omana and ho'omanamana,
meaning the making and use of mana or power.
developed in isolated communities called 'ohana. The chiefs (ali'i)
controlled communities with the help of kahuna,
who maintained stability by enforcing a strict kapu
(taboo) system, honoring the ancestors (kupuna),
guardian spirits (aumakua and awaiku) and gods (akua).
Most chiefly families were considered to be kalani -
descendents of gods - and their words were law.
Mo'okini Heiau, Kohala, Hawai'i
Remains to be scene
A kahuna was an expert, trained from childhood for many
years. As there was no written language; knowledge was primarily transmitted
verbally. Important information was usually taught in chants. Mistakes in
chanting were believed to insult the gods or ancestors, the chiefs or the
gods, and a forgetful chanter could be severely punished. This encouraged
Unlike the complexity and chaos of our modern Western societies,
life in a Hawaiian ohana was simple and stable, based on common values
of pono (righteousness) and na (harmony). Many of the old Hawaiian
kapu customs and rituals would be inappropriate for Westerners.
For example, it was a crime for a woman to eat most species of
banana and it was generally believed that an offender would die.
Hawaiian spirituality was created and preserved by people living in small
communities, and huna from different parts of Hawaii is different.
The heart of the old teachings, aloha (literally - we breathe together)
offers a basis for creating 'ohana suitable for our own world. As we translated Hawaiian
healing magic into Western intellectual tradition - Soulwork systemic solutions
Unlike the complex mystical systems developed in ancient cultures
such as Egypt, China and India,
Huna is simple to understand and use.
However, even in modern Hawaii there remains much secrecy.
Few native kahuna will teach non-Hawaiians and few native
Hawaiians will admit to knowing much about this ancient wisdom.
As a native Hawaiian friend said, “The haole (white immigrants) stole our
land and they stole our children; now they want to steal our soul!”
Pre-Christian rituals survive on other Polynesian islands.
Old traditions of New Zealand, Tahiti or Easter Island are different, although
the names of many gods and rituals are easily recognizable to Hawaiians.
Hawaiian spirituality includes the Order of Ku, concerned with the power
of emotions and wild places. The Order of Lono was concerned
with the power of the intellect, such as agriculture and house
building, and the Order of Kane
concerned spiritual and community development.
Could this be a step on your path? There are three
keys: t