  kÄnÄwai mÄmalahoe, or law of the splintered paddle (also translated law of the splintered oar), is a precept in hawaiian law, originating with king kamehameha i in 1797. the law, "let every elderly person, woman and child lie by the roadside in safety," is enshrined in the state constitution, article 9, section 10, and has become a model for modern human rights law regarding the treatment of civilians and other non-combatants.the law of the splintered paddle: kÄnÄwai mÄmalahoe. (pdf). hawaii.edu it was created when kamehameha was on a military expedition in puna. his party encountered a group of commoners on a beach. while chasing two fishermen who had stayed behind to cover the retreat of a man carrying a child, kamehameha's leg was caught in the reef. one of the fisherman, kaleleiki, hit him mightily on the head with a paddle in defense, which broke into pieces. kamehameha could have been killed at that point but the fisherman spared him. years later, the same fisherman was brought before kamehameha. instead of ordering for him to be killed, kamehameha ruled that the fisherman had only been protecting his land and family, and so the law of the splintered paddle was declared.hawaiian historical legends: xvii. the law of the splintered paddle. sacred-texts.com. retrieved on 17 october 2011. the complete original 1797 law in hawaiian:  english translation:  ==cultural context== it has been noted that kÄnÄwai mÄmalahoe was not an invention of kamehameha i, but rather an articulation of concepts regarding governmental legitimacy that have been held in hawaiÊ»i for many prior generations. countless stories abound in hawaiian folklore of the removal of chiefshawaiian mythology: part three. the chiefs: xxviii. usurping chiefs. sacred-texts.com. retrieved on 17 october 2011. â generally, but not always, through popular execution â as a result of mistreatment of the co
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