Pa'ao
Encyclopedia
Paao is either a figure from a Hawaii
an legend
or a historical character. He is said to have been a high priest from Kahiki, specifically "Wawau" and "'Upolu." In Hawaiian prose and chant, the term "Kahiki" is applied in reference to any land outside of Hawai'i, although the linguistic root is conclusively derived from Tahiti
. "Wawau" and "'Upolu" point to actual places in the Society Islands
, Samoa
, and/or Tonga
, although Hawaiian scholars and royal commentators consistently claim Pa'ao came from either Samoa
or Tahiti
, or even that he was a Tahitian resident of Samoan origin. King Kalakaua, in his "Legends and Myths of Hawai'i," clearly defined the lineage of "Tahitian" chiefs and those aristocrats and priests descended from "Samoa" (i.e. Pa'ao and Pili). Accounts recorded by Mary Kawena Puku'i, David Malo, Abraham Fornander, Kanuikaikaina, and other custodians of Hawaiian lore support the notion that Pili and Pa'ao came from the islands known today as Samoa
. Legends suggest that Pa'ao introduced certain customs (such as human sacrifice and veneration of the bonito fish) to Hawaii. He is also said to have brought a "pure" chief to rule over the Hawaiians.
. This collection was the basis of Sheldon Dibble
's 1838 history of Hawaii. David Malo
was one of the Lahainaluna students active in collecting oral traditions. He continued collecting legends and when he died in 1854, he had completed an unpublished manuscript that was finally translated to English and published in 1898.
Martha Beckwith, in her Hawaiian Mythology (1940, as republished in 1970), notes these historical sources:
The Paao story also survives in various oral traditions passed down through Native Hawaiian families. Some Hawaiians insist on the purity and reliability of these traditions, but academic scholars believe that much from these traditions has been shaped by easily-available published versions of the narrative.
However, there is no reason to doubt that the Paao story was widespread in pre-contact times. A lineage of Hawaiian high priests claimed descent from Paao, and Hawaiian high chiefs traced their genealogies to Pili-kaaiea
(Pili), the "pure" chief brought by Paao. Paao is said to have introduced human sacrifice
, the walled heiau
, the red feather girdle, the puloulou kapu
sign, the prostrating kapu, the veneration of aku
fish, and the feather god Tairi
. The Paao narrative justified and sanctioned the social order as it then existed.
Paao is said to have been a priest and a master navigator. He lived on a distant island called Kahiki in the oldest versions, and identified as either Tahiti
or Samoa
by believers in the historicity of the narrative.
His older brother, Lonopele, was the chief priest in some versions of the story, or the ruler of the island in others. Lonopele accused Paao's son of removing some kapu
fish from the royal fishpond, or with stealing fruit. Paao was angry at his brother's persecution and in his anger, he killed his own son and ripped open the corpse's stomach, showing that there were no remnants of kapu fish or of fruit, in another version these partially digested foods were found.
Paao brooded over his misfortunes and decided to migrate to a distant land, far from his brother. He readied three large canoes for the voyage. He placed a kapu over the boats; no one was to touch the canoes without his permission. One evening, Paao discovered his nephew, the son of Lonopele, touching one of the sacred canoes. Paao killed his nephew and buried him in the sand under one of the canoes, which was elevated on blocks. Flies buzzed around the decomposing corpse, so the canoe was named Ka-nalo-a-muia, "the buzzing of flies."
Paao hurriedly assembled his retainers, launched the voyaging canoes, and departed. He left in such a hurry that one of his followers, an aged priest or prophet named Makuakaumana, was left behind. Makuakaumana climbed a cliff and called out to Paao; Paao refused to stop, saying that the canoes were full, all save the projection of the stern. Makuakaumana leapt from the cliff and gained his position in the canoe.
Paao sailed by the stars until they reached the Big Island of Hawaii. They landed in Puna
, where Paao built the stone temple platform, or heiau
, of Aha-ula, or Red Mouth. This was the first luakini
heiau in Hawaii, the first heiau where human sacrifices were offered. He is also said to have landed in Kohala
, on the opposite side of the island, and built the famous heiau of Mo'okini
.
Paao believed that the chiefs of Hawaii had become hewa, or degraded, by indiscriminate intermarriage with lesser chiefs and commoners. He is said to have returned to his home island to fetch a chief of impeccable ancestry. He asked Lono-ka-eho, or Lono
, who refused, and then recruited Pili-kaaiea
, or Pili. Paao and Pili, along with Pili's chiefs and warriors, and their families, returned to Hawaii, where Pili became the new high chief.
(specifically, Marquesans) settled the Hawaiian islands. In the second migration, Tahitians came north, conquered the original settlers, and established stratified chiefdoms. More contemporary research indicates that waves of settlers from Samoa
and Tonga
also arrived on Hawaiian shores, contributing to the cultural, linguistic, and genetic composition of the Hawaiians.
Hawaiian archaeology then came into its own and sought material evidence for two migrations. If the two migrations theory were correct, one would expect a sharp discontinuity in some features of material culture, such as heiau plans, house and settlement patterns, fishhook styles, etc. But archaeologists found no evidence whatsoever for a second migration. Rather, they found evidence for a gradual but relentless increase in settlement size and stratification. The Hawaiian polity seems to have evolved without any discernible outside stimulus.
Academic historians and archaeologists have now abandoned the two migrations theory. The Paao story is considered nothing more than a myth to some. In this mythical interpretation, the Kahiki from which Paao was said to have sailed was not the actual geographical Tahiti
or Samoa
, but the divine realm, past the horizon (see Hawaiki
). In this sense, the Paao story bestows a divine origin for the high chiefs and the practices with which they were associated (such as human sacrifice, prostrating kapus, and the like). There are many other Hawaiian and Polynesian myths with the same elements as the Paao narrative, which may subsequently be viewed as assembled from "stock parts."
However, many Native Hawaiians and scholars who have studied the narratives believe the Paao narrative contains elements of actual history, and reflects a literal wave of migration from the south. The Polynesian Voyaging Society
's undertakings, such as Hawaiiloa
canoe's voyages, indicate the feasibility of long voyages in ancient Polynesian canoes and the reliability of celestial navigation; these demonstrations show that the types of voyaging mentioned in the Pa'ao stories were indeed feasible, but the recreated voyages do little to prove the authenticity of the Pa'ao legends.
Hawaiian attitudes towards the high chiefs have changed; the ancient high chiefs are often seen today as oppressors, invaders who descended upon a peaceful and egalitarian Hawaiian population. Activists praise these pre-Paao days as the real Hawaiian past, to be revived and reenacted in the present, and vilify Paao as a source of Hawaiian problems. In this version, all the problems faced by Native Hawaiians can be traced to foreign interference.
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...
an legend
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
or a historical character. He is said to have been a high priest from Kahiki, specifically "Wawau" and "'Upolu." In Hawaiian prose and chant, the term "Kahiki" is applied in reference to any land outside of Hawai'i, although the linguistic root is conclusively derived from Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. "Wawau" and "'Upolu" point to actual places in the Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, and/or Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, although Hawaiian scholars and royal commentators consistently claim Pa'ao came from either Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
or Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, or even that he was a Tahitian resident of Samoan origin. King Kalakaua, in his "Legends and Myths of Hawai'i," clearly defined the lineage of "Tahitian" chiefs and those aristocrats and priests descended from "Samoa" (i.e. Pa'ao and Pili). Accounts recorded by Mary Kawena Puku'i, David Malo, Abraham Fornander, Kanuikaikaina, and other custodians of Hawaiian lore support the notion that Pili and Pa'ao came from the islands known today as Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. Legends suggest that Pa'ao introduced certain customs (such as human sacrifice and veneration of the bonito fish) to Hawaii. He is also said to have brought a "pure" chief to rule over the Hawaiians.
Documented history of the story of Paao
The Paao story makes its first documented historical appearance in 1835–1836, in a collection of Hawaiian traditions called Moolelo Hawaii assembled by Hawaiian students of Lahainaluna School, on the Hawaiian island of MauiMaui
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,...
. This collection was the basis of Sheldon Dibble
Sheldon Dibble
Sheldon Dibble was a missionary to Hawaii who organized one of the first books on Hawaiian history, and inspired students to write more.-Early life:...
's 1838 history of Hawaii. David Malo
David Malo
David Malo or Davida Malo was a leading Native Hawaiian historian of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He became a Christian minister and founded a church.-Life:...
was one of the Lahainaluna students active in collecting oral traditions. He continued collecting legends and when he died in 1854, he had completed an unpublished manuscript that was finally translated to English and published in 1898.
Martha Beckwith, in her Hawaiian Mythology (1940, as republished in 1970), notes these historical sources:
- Emerson, Nathaniel – "The Long Voyages of the Ancient Hawaiians," Hawaiian Historical Society Papers Vol. 5, 1893, pp. 5–13
- Malo, David – Hawaiian Antiquities, as translated by Emerson, 1951 edition, pp. 6–7
- Green, Laura – Folktales from Hawaii, Honolulu, 1928, pp. 120–124
- Kamakau, Samuel M. – article in the Hawaiian newspaper Kuokoa, December 29, 1866
- Thrum, Thomas G. – More Hawaiian Folk Tales, Chicago, 1923, pp. 46–52
- Remy, Jules M. as translated by Brigham – Contributions of a Venerable Savage to the Ancient History of the Hawaiian Islands, Boston, 1868, pp. 10–11
- Westervelt, William D. – Hawaiian Historical Legends, New York, 1923, pp. 65–78
- Kalakaua, David – The Legends and Myths of Hawai'i, New York, 1888, pp. 47–48
- Stokes, John – "Whence Paao?" Hawaiian Historical Society Papers Vol. 15, Honolulu 1928, pp. 40–45
The Paao story also survives in various oral traditions passed down through Native Hawaiian families. Some Hawaiians insist on the purity and reliability of these traditions, but academic scholars believe that much from these traditions has been shaped by easily-available published versions of the narrative.
However, there is no reason to doubt that the Paao story was widespread in pre-contact times. A lineage of Hawaiian high priests claimed descent from Paao, and Hawaiian high chiefs traced their genealogies to Pili-kaaiea
Pili-kaaiea
In Hawaiian mythology, Pili-kaaiea was the 1st Alii Aimoku of Hawaii Island. He was sovereign king or chief,He was called a 'grandchild' of Lana-ka-wai on the Ulu line, but born and brought up in Kahiki...
(Pili), the "pure" chief brought by Paao. Paao is said to have introduced human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
, the walled 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...
, the red feather girdle, the puloulou 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...
sign, the prostrating kapu, the veneration of aku
Skipjack tuna
The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish...
fish, and the feather god Tairi
Tairi
In the mythology of Mangareva , Tairi is the god of thunder.-References:*R.D. Craig, Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology , 253;...
. The Paao narrative justified and sanctioned the social order as it then existed.
Narrative as found in Malo
- We are informed (by historical tradition) that two men named Paao and Makua-kaumana, with a company of others, voyaged hither, observing the stars as a compass; and that Paao remained in Kohala, while Makua-Kaumana returned to Tahiti. Paao arrived at Hawaii during the reign of Lono-ka-wai, the king of Hawaii. He (Lono-ka-wai) was the sixteenth in that line of kings, succeeding Kapawa. Paao continued to live in Kohala until the kings of Hawaii became degraded and corrupted (hewa); then he sailed away to Tahiti to fetch a king from thence. Pili (Kaaiea) was that king and he became one in Hawaii's line of kings (papa alii).
- –David Malo, Hawaiian Antiquities, 1951 edition, p. 6.
Narrative in greater detail
The main outlines of the story follow. Many details vary from version to version. In one version told by British missionary William Ellis in 1826 Paao was a Caucasian chief.Paao is said to have been a priest and a master navigator. He lived on a distant island called Kahiki in the oldest versions, and identified as either Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
or Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
by believers in the historicity of the narrative.
His older brother, Lonopele, was the chief priest in some versions of the story, or the ruler of the island in others. Lonopele accused Paao's son of removing some 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...
fish from the royal fishpond, or with stealing fruit. Paao was angry at his brother's persecution and in his anger, he killed his own son and ripped open the corpse's stomach, showing that there were no remnants of kapu fish or of fruit, in another version these partially digested foods were found.
Paao brooded over his misfortunes and decided to migrate to a distant land, far from his brother. He readied three large canoes for the voyage. He placed a kapu over the boats; no one was to touch the canoes without his permission. One evening, Paao discovered his nephew, the son of Lonopele, touching one of the sacred canoes. Paao killed his nephew and buried him in the sand under one of the canoes, which was elevated on blocks. Flies buzzed around the decomposing corpse, so the canoe was named Ka-nalo-a-muia, "the buzzing of flies."
Paao hurriedly assembled his retainers, launched the voyaging canoes, and departed. He left in such a hurry that one of his followers, an aged priest or prophet named Makuakaumana, was left behind. Makuakaumana climbed a cliff and called out to Paao; Paao refused to stop, saying that the canoes were full, all save the projection of the stern. Makuakaumana leapt from the cliff and gained his position in the canoe.
Paao sailed by the stars until they reached the Big Island of Hawaii. They landed in Puna
Puna, Hawaii
Puna is one of the nine districts in Hawaii County, Big Island, Hawaii. The District of Puna is located on the easternmost portion of the island and shares borders to the north with the District of South Hilo and a border to the west with the District of Kaū...
, where Paao built the stone temple platform, or 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...
, of Aha-ula, or Red Mouth. This was the first luakini
Luakini
In ancient Hawai'i, a luakini temple, or luakini heiau, was a Native Hawaiian sacred place where human and animal blood sacrifices were offered....
heiau in Hawaii, the first heiau where human sacrifices were offered. He is also said to have landed in Kohala
Kohala, Hawaii
thumb|right|300px|The districts of the [[Hawaii |Big Island]]. From Northernmost, clockwise; Kohala , [[Hamakua|Hāmākua]], [[Hilo, Hawaii|Hilo]], [[Puna, Hawaii|Puna]], [[Kau, Hawaii|Kaū]], [[Kona District, Hawaii|Kona]]...
, on the opposite side of the island, and built the famous heiau of Mo'okini
Mo'okini
Kohala Historical Sites State Monument includes the National Historic Landmark Mookini Heiau and the birthplace of Kamehameha I.It is located in remote North Kohala on the Island of Hawaii.-History:...
.
Paao believed that the chiefs of Hawaii had become hewa, or degraded, by indiscriminate intermarriage with lesser chiefs and commoners. He is said to have returned to his home island to fetch a chief of impeccable ancestry. He asked Lono-ka-eho, or Lono
Lono
In Hawaiian mythology, the deity Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, and music. In one of the many Hawaiian legends of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. In agricultural and planting traditions, Lono was identified with...
, who refused, and then recruited Pili-kaaiea
Pili-kaaiea
In Hawaiian mythology, Pili-kaaiea was the 1st Alii Aimoku of Hawaii Island. He was sovereign king or chief,He was called a 'grandchild' of Lana-ka-wai on the Ulu line, but born and brought up in Kahiki...
, or Pili. Paao and Pili, along with Pili's chiefs and warriors, and their families, returned to Hawaii, where Pili became the new high chief.
Lineages of Paao and Pili
All the succeeding chiefs of the island claimed descent from the legendary Pili. Paao's descendants became priests, and their line or order, called Holae, continued into historical times. The last high priest, Hewahewa, who acquiesced to Christianity and the breaking of the kapus or Ai Noa in 1819, claimed descent from Paao.Historicity
Until fairly recently, Hawaiian historians relied primarily on recorded oral history and comparative linguistics and ethnology. The "two migrations" theory was widely accepted. That is, in a first migration, PolynesiansPolynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
(specifically, Marquesans) settled the Hawaiian islands. In the second migration, Tahitians came north, conquered the original settlers, and established stratified chiefdoms. More contemporary research indicates that waves of settlers from Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
also arrived on Hawaiian shores, contributing to the cultural, linguistic, and genetic composition of the Hawaiians.
Hawaiian archaeology then came into its own and sought material evidence for two migrations. If the two migrations theory were correct, one would expect a sharp discontinuity in some features of material culture, such as heiau plans, house and settlement patterns, fishhook styles, etc. But archaeologists found no evidence whatsoever for a second migration. Rather, they found evidence for a gradual but relentless increase in settlement size and stratification. The Hawaiian polity seems to have evolved without any discernible outside stimulus.
Academic historians and archaeologists have now abandoned the two migrations theory. The Paao story is considered nothing more than a myth to some. In this mythical interpretation, the Kahiki from which Paao was said to have sailed was not the actual geographical Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
or Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, but the divine realm, past the horizon (see Hawaiki
Hawaiki
In Māori mythology, Hawaiki is the homeland of the Māori, the original home of the Māori, before they travelled across the sea to New Zealand...
). In this sense, the Paao story bestows a divine origin for the high chiefs and the practices with which they were associated (such as human sacrifice, prostrating kapus, and the like). There are many other Hawaiian and Polynesian myths with the same elements as the Paao narrative, which may subsequently be viewed as assembled from "stock parts."
However, many Native Hawaiians and scholars who have studied the narratives believe the Paao narrative contains elements of actual history, and reflects a literal wave of migration from the south. The Polynesian Voyaging Society
Polynesian Voyaging Society
The Polynesian Voyaging Society is a non-profit research and educational corporation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. PVS was established to research and perpetuate traditional Polynesian voyaging methods...
's undertakings, such as Hawaiiloa
Hawaiiloa
Hawaiiloa is the hero of an ancient Hawaiian legend about the settling of the Hawaiian Islands. After having accidentally stumbled upon the islands, he returned to his homeland which he called Ka āina kai melemele a Kane, "the land of the yellow sea of Kane". He then organized a colonizing...
canoe's voyages, indicate the feasibility of long voyages in ancient Polynesian canoes and the reliability of celestial navigation; these demonstrations show that the types of voyaging mentioned in the Pa'ao stories were indeed feasible, but the recreated voyages do little to prove the authenticity of the Pa'ao legends.
Hawaiian attitudes towards the high chiefs have changed; the ancient high chiefs are often seen today as oppressors, invaders who descended upon a peaceful and egalitarian Hawaiian population. Activists praise these pre-Paao days as the real Hawaiian past, to be revived and reenacted in the present, and vilify Paao as a source of Hawaiian problems. In this version, all the problems faced by Native Hawaiians can be traced to foreign interference.
External links
- A retelling of the story
- Polynesian migration theories
- Pa'ao as corrupter of the Hawaiians
- Pa'ao as invader
- Paao from Samoa
- Paao Pre Cook
- Paao Pili Kamehameha
- Paao Tagaloa
- Paao and Upolu Point
- Paao from Upolu, Samoa
- Alapa History & Paao
- Paao, Hina, Pili
- Kalakaua - Paao and the Migrations
- Kamakau on Paao, Upolu