Kakuhihewa
Encyclopedia
Kakuhihewa was the 15th Alii Aimoku of Oahu
Alii Aimoku of Oahu
The Alii Aimoku was the sovereign king or queen of one of the four main Hawaiian Islands. The monarchs of island Oahu, like those of the other Hawaiian islands, claim descent from Wakea. Nanaulu, a fourteenth generation descendant of Wakea was the ancestor of Kumuhonua, 1st known King of Oahu,...

. He ruled as King or chief of the Hawaiian Island
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...

 of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...

. He was not only one of the great kings of Oahu, but celebrated throughout the eight islands for all the princely qualities of a highborn chief. The legends of him are somewhat fuller, or have been retained better, than those of many of his contemporaries or successors. His birth date estimates are circa 1540-1634 by the 30-year and 20-year count which separate the death of the alii aimoku by 20 years and the deaths by 30 years.

Birth

Kakuhihewa was born at the Kūkaniloko birth site
Kukaniloko Birth Site
Kūkaniloko Birth Site, also known as the Kūkaniloko Birthstones State Monument, near the intersection of Kamehameha Highway and Whitmore Avenue just north of Wahiawā, Hawaii, is one of the most important ancient cultural sites on the island of Oahu...

 consecrated by the kapu of Liloe. He was the son of Kaihikapu-a-Manuia, 14th Alii Aimoku of Oahu, and of his wife Kaunui-a-Kanehoalani, the daughter of Kanehoalani, who was the grandson of Lo-Lale. Kaunui's mother was Kualoakalailai, whose parentages are lost to ages, but was of the Kalehenui
Kalehenui
Kalehenui was a northern Hawaiian chief. The second son of Maweke and brother of Mulielealii and Keaunui. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendant of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent....

 branch of the Maweke line. From thence he was taken to Hoolonopahu by his maternal grandfather, Kanehoalani. Forty-eight chiefs of highest rank, conspicuous among were Makokau, Ihukolo, Kaaumakua, Pakapakauana, were present at the ceremony of cutting the navel-string
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...

 of the new-born chief. The two sacred drums, named "Opuku" and "Hawea," announced the august event to the multitude. Several kahu (attendants) were duly appointed to watch over and bring up the heir-apparent, whose childhood was principally passed between Waipio, Waiawa and Manana
Manana
Mānana Island is an uninhabited islet located off Kaupō Beach, near Makapuu at the eastern end of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. In the Hawaiian language, mānana means "buoyant"...

 in the Ewa district.

During his youth Kakuhihewa was instructed in all the sciences and accomplishments appropriate for his rank. Spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...

 exercises of various kinds, single-stick, stone-throwing, the use of the sling and the javelin, and the knowledge of martial tactics, were taught by a number of masters whose names the legend has preserved, and whose skill is said to have been so great that they could hit the smallest bird or insect at long distances. The use of the bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...

 and arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...

 was taught to him by the famous Mailele. The bow was never used in war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

, but was a fashionable weapon to shoot rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...

s and mice
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...

. There was never any beasts of prey on the islands; the rats were the only fera natura that offered the sports of the chase to the chiefs and their followers, with whom it seems to have been a fascinating amusement and heavy bets were frequently put upon an archer's skill. The arrows were generally tipped with the sharpened bones of birds or of human beings, preferably those of high chiefs whose mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....

 (strength) would assist them in the hunt.

Unification of Oahu

When Kakuhihewa succeeded his father as Moi of Oahu, his first task was reuniting the empire of Oahu. Many of the separate district chiefs had become so independent that they paid no heed to their king. Instead of continuing the war with his cousin Napulanahumahiki, he made peace with him, and married his daughter Kaea-a-Kalona; also known by the name of Kahaiaonuiakauailana. With this marriage, the three districts of Waianae, Waialua and Koolauloa again fell under the sway of the Moi of Oahu, and during the balance of his long reign, no war or rebellion distracted the kingdom or diminished his power.

Peace and Prosperity

Legends speak in glowing terms of the prosperity and glory of Kakuhihewa's long reign. Mild yet efficient in his government, peace prevailed all over the island, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 furnished abundant food for the inhabitants; industry thrived and was remunerated, population and wealth increased amazingly, and the cheerful, liberal, and pleasure-loving temper of Kakuhihewa attracted to his royal court the bravest and wisest, as well as the most brilliant and frivolous among the aristocracy of the other islands. Brave, jovial, luxurious, versed in all the lore of the ancients of his land, a practical statesman, yet passionately fond of the pleasures of the day, wealthy, honoured, and obeyed, Kakuhihewa made his court, on Oahu, the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 of the group. "There was nothing to complain of anywhere on Oahu," according to Samuel Kamakau. "It was fertile in the uplands, fertile in the lowlands. Heaven was above and the earth below — "he lani iluna, he honua ilalo" (it was secured). The Oahu chiefs loved their island; there was no "foreign rubbish" around, aole hua i Kahiki opala wale. The noblest epitaph to his memory is the sobriquet bestowed on his island by the common and spontaneous consensus of posterity —"Oahu-a-Kakuhihewa."

Kukauakahi, The Battle of the Pueo

One legend relates an incident between a man named Kapoi and King Kakuhihewa. It contradicts the peaceful reign and great character of Kakuhihewa, but could be a myth. Kapoi lived at Kahehuna on Oahu. One day, he went to Kewalao, near the beach. He was looking for pili grass to repair his house. The roof and sides of his house were falling apart. While gathering the pili grass, he found the nest of a pueo
Pueo
The Pueo is a subspecies of Short-eared owl that is endemic to Hawaii. The pueo is one of the various nā aumākua in Hawaiian culture....

 (owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...

) that contained eggs. He put the eggs into his eke (bag or basket). He thoughtthe eggs would make a good meal. When he arrived at home, he began to prepare the eggs. He was a going to roast them in a small imu (underground oven). He wrapped them in ki (Ti, Cordyline terminalis) leaves and was about to place them on the hot stones when a pueo flew down and sat on a branch of the kukui tree growing in his yard. "Oh, Kapoi," said the owl, "please let me have those eggs. They belong to me." "How many eggs did you have?" Kapoi asked. "I had seven eggs," replied the owl. "But I am cooking these eggs for my dinner because I have no fish," said Kapoi. The owl pleaded again, "Please, Kapoi, let me have my eggs." Kapoi responded, "But I have already wrapped them and they are ready to cook." Then the owl said, "Kapoi, you are heartless. You have no sorrow for me and you care only about yourself." Kapoi was embarrassed. Feeling sorry for the owl, he said, "Come and get your eggs."

The owl, acknowledging Kapoi's kindness, became Kapoi's aumakua (personal god). There was a long tradition of family and personal gods in Hawaii, and the owl, revered as a powerful protector in battle and danger, is one of the most ancient. The owl commanded Kapoi to build a heiau
Heiau
A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. Many types of heiau existed, including heiau to treat the sick , offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success in war . Only the...

 (a temple) where he could make offerings to his owl god in the Manoa Valley of Oahu, where the king of the owls resided. Kapoi could not refuse. He immediately set out building the temple, observing all the proper ritual and kapu
Kapu
Kapu refers to the ancient Hawaiian code of conduct of laws and regulations. The kapu system was universal in lifestyle, gender roles, politics, religion, etc. An offense that was kapu was often a corporal offense, but also often denoted a threat to spiritual power, or theft of mana. Kapus were...

, dedicating it, and making offerings to the owl as he had promised. Kakuhihewa, at this time, was living at Waikiki, where he was building a great heiau to his own god. He had laid a kapu on all the people of Oahu: While his heiau was being built no one else might build and dedicate another heiau. To have done so would have offended Kakuhihewa's god and would have been an act of treason, punishable by death. When he heard of Kapoi's heiau, Kakuhihewa sent warriors to seize him. He had Kapoi brought to Waikiki and imprisoned near the heiau, intending to use him as the sacrifice for his own temple. Usually there was a small square, stone walled enclosure in which sacrifices were kept until the time came when they should be ceremonially killed and placed on the altar and in such a place Kapoi was placed and guarded. Kapoi's aumakua went to the king of the owls, who lived in Manoa Valley on Owl's Hill, seeking help. The king of the owls beat his drums to summon all the owls from all the islands to make war on the high chief of Oahu. Legend states that within a day, all the owls of the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, Lanai
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....

, Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

 and Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...

 had gathered at Kalapueo near Makapuu, Waimanalo. All the owls from Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...

 and Niihau
Niihau
Niihau or Niihau is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, having an area of . Niihau lies southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian Coot, the Black-winged Stilt, and the...

 gather at Pueohulunui near Moanalua. All the owls of Oahu and Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe is located about seven miles southwest of Maui and also southeast of Lanai, and it is long by wide, with a total land area of . The highest point on Kahoolawe is the crater of Lua Makika at the...

 flocked at Kanoniakapueo in Nuuanu Valley.

Kakuhihewa had set apart the day dedicated to the god Kāne
Kāne
In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne is considered the highest of the four major Hawaiian deities, along with Kanaloa, Kū, and Lono. He represented the god of procreation and was worshipped as ancestor of chiefs and commoners. Kāne is the creator and gives life associated with dawn, sun and sky...

 and given it as the day when Kapoi should be sacrificed. This day was the twenty-seventh of the lunar month. In the morning of that day the kahuna
Kahuna
Kahuna is a Hawaiian word, defined in the as a "Priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession." Forty different types of kahuna are listed in the book, Tales from the Night Rainbow...

 (priests) were to sacrifie Kapoi and place him on the altar of the temple in the presence of the king and his warriors. At daybreak on the day Kakuhihewa had set, the owls rallied around Kakuhihewa's temple. So great were their numbers that they obscured the sun as it rose. The owls were covering the heavens. As Kapoi was about to be sacrificed, the owls attacked. The owls flew down and tore at the eyes and faces of the men of Kākuhihewa. The chief, his warriors, and his priests battled in vain to drive the owls away, but the owls flew at them again and again, scratching their eyes and faces and covering them with dirt and droppings. Kakuhihewa and his forces fled, and Kapoi was set free. The army of the king of the owls had defeated the army of the king of Oahu and saved the poor man's life. When Kakuhihewa saw what happened to his men, he said to Kapoi: "Your god has mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....

, greater than my god. Your god is a true god." From that day on, the owl was worshipped as a god. This also was Ku-kana-kohi. The legends do not clearly state whether this was the name of the owl-god or the name of the battle. The place of that ancient battle was called "Kukaeunahio ka pueo," or "The confused noise of owls rising masses."

Residences

Kakuhihewa's principal royal residences were at Ewa
Ewa
Ewa can refer to:In geography:* Eastern Washington* 'Ewa Beach, Hawaii, unincorporated Census-designated place * Ewa Villages, Hawaii, an unincorporated community in the U.S...

, Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....

 and Kailua. On the latter land, at a place called Alele, he built a magnificent palace. It was known as Pamoa (or Kamoa in other legends), and is said to have been 240 feet long and 90 feet broad. To those missionaries, who remember the large houses of even the inferior chiefs in the latter years of the old regime, when feudal power was completely broken, the above dimensions, as given in legends, will not appear extravagant, and were probably correct. The main purpose of this house was for debating land divisions, claiming ancestors, genealogy registration, practice with war club and spear thrusting, astrology, designing, astronomy, instruction in the royal ancestral chants, royal chants, foot racing, cliff leaping, bowling, sliding and boxing.

Marriages

Kakuhihewa had three or four wives. His first was Kaea-a-Kalona or Kahaiaonuiakauailana, the daughter of Napulanahumahiki, mentioned above. With her he had two sons and one daughter; they were Kanekapu-a-Kakuhihewa, Kaihikapu-a-Kakuhihewa, and Makakaialiilani. His second wife was Kaakaualani, the daughter of Laninui-a-Kaihupee, a descendant of the Kalehenui
Kalehenui
Kalehenui was a northern Hawaiian chief. The second son of Maweke and brother of Mulielealii and Keaunui. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendant of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent....

-a-Maweke
Maweke
Maweke was a northern Hawaiian king. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendent of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent. The northern chiefs of Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau descent from Maweke and Nanaulu...

 branch, and his wife Kauhiiliula-a-Piilani, a daughter of Piilani, the King of Maui. The product of his second marriage was a son name Kauakahinui-a-Kakuhihewa. His third wife was Koaekea, whose pedigree is unknown, and with whom he had a son named Kalehunapaikua
Kalehunapaikua
Kalehunapaikua was the Prince of Oahu. He was the son of Kakuhihewa, brother of Kanekapu, uncle of Kahoowaha. He was the only son of Kakuhihewa not to bear his name....

. The fourth wife mentioned by some legends, though not by all, was Kahamaluihi, a daughter of Kaioe, a descendant of the Kumuhonua
Kumuhonua
Kumuhonua was 1st Alii Aimoku of Oahu. During his reign Oahu was divided among the sons of Maweke, a legendary figure thought to have colonized the northern islands of Oahu, Kauai and Niihau. He was the grandson of Maweke and son of Mulielealii....

-a-Mulielealii
Mulielealii
Mulielealii was a northern Hawaiian chief and King of Western Oahu. The eldest son of Maweke and brother of Kalehenui and Keaunui. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendant of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent. Every monarchs of Oahu after his...

 branch of the Maweke
Maweke
Maweke was a northern Hawaiian king. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendent of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent. The northern chiefs of Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau descent from Maweke and Nanaulu...

 line and Kawelo-Ehu, of the Kauai branch descending from Ahukini-a-Laa, 4th Alii Aimoku of Kauai
Alii Aimoku of Kauai
The Alii Aimoku of Kauai was the sovereign king or queen of the islands of Kauai and Niihau.- Overview :The monarchs of Kauai, like those of the other Hawaiian islands, claim descent from Wakea and Papa. Nanaulu, a descendant in the fourteenth generation from Wakea, was the ancestor of Moikeha, 1st...

. She is said to have become afterwards the wife of her stepson, Kakuhihewa’s son, Kanekapu-a-Kakuhihewa.

When Kakuhihewa died, the office of Moi of Oahu descended to his eldest son Kanekapu, in whose family it remained for five generations. Kanekapu only inherited the titles but not all the territories; the kingdom was divided into three districts between his three eldest sons.

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