The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-06-17
An Essay by DR., c. E.
Nichols.
In Popular Science News.
On Praying to Death at the Hawai-
Ian Islands.

The Board of Health at Honolulu
renders monthly, report of deaths
with causation, throughout the Ha-
waiian Islands. Seldom does this
report lack an item, quite common
place it would see m,-eight, ten Of
more deaths "unattended."
So il might seem and so it is com
mon, and no one wonders at Homo.
lulu, but every body knows that a Ger.
tain proportion, perhaps half, of th-se
people, "unattended" by a regular
physician, are victims of the death
sorcery or incarnation (pule anaana)1
Just so many persons, natives,
have been found "prayed to death"
somewhere in a cave, or IN his own
filthy hut, or fleeing terrified in his
boat or canoe (waa), vainly seeking
asyIum from an old wOman'S prayer;
while missions, and the law, and mo-
dern clothes aud medicines are un
avaiIing, for the mind of a native of
the Sandwich Islands is sits own
place."
1. The words pule and anaana are near
ly synonymous; the Idiom seems form OF
emphasis.
Lacking serpents,2 these fair ISL
ands, "where only man is VILE" pro-
duce the kahuna-anaana,3 with rattle
Ia
GREETED poison, and the power of death.
If we except the atrocious details of
child murder, where q native father
has been known to break his Child'S
back for the sake of annoying the
mother, A there Is no darker outgrowth
of sayagery than the auaana. This
power of "prayingn any person to
death, even his chief or the king,5
gave to the kahuna anaana an in
fiuence outlasting the force of arms
among all the tribes of Polynesia
Originating in part as matter of
jealousy between priest and warrior
chief, there was usually collision
and priests and chiefs were united in
their control of the mass of the ma
tives. Vancouver and Cook found
the anaana to be an ancient establish
ment. When human victims were
needed for priestly sacrifice they were
selected from among the kings enc
mics, and then, one good turn would
deserve another.
2. No snakes are to be found on any
island of the group. Some years since
vessel loaded with dyewoods, from Brazil.
and reported to contain some OF these I'M
desired visitors, was ordered out OF port by
an armed mob.
8. Kahuna-anaana, priest or doctor
practising sorcery. They were thorough
iy detested and the people feared them,
and do to this day. There were. also, doc
tors of ghosts and spirits (Eahuna uhane).
doctors of winds (kshuna makanD. doctors
at ractIng the gods toward the sick (kahu-
ma hoonohonoho akuaJ, doctors OF diseases
of the old (kahuna aumakua) doctors,
priests OF the goddess Pele (kahuna Pele)
-Remy.
4. The mother retorted by the same
nutiIation of her other child the fathers
Dibble'S History.
S. Jarvis says: .'Chiefs came often I'M
Ter the banefnl influence of anaana. Ills
tory Hawaii, p. Il.
a kahuna-anaana believed to be
capable of exerting this power could
have his services secured (like hired
by gifts of white fowls,
brown hogs, woolly dogs, etc., 6.
Death was almost certain to follow
the Vaccinations of kahuna of APP
proved power, unless his dupe could |
secure the Intervention Of a |
Sahuna of higher rank-that is, one |
Of greater age.
See Birds &" Hawaiian Archipelago"
This exercise of murder as the right |
If the strongest is but an outcome of |
he mighty tabu, embo iiment of self
sin tyranny. Tabu, a forbiddiDg, is
If two sorts-what the king or chief
orbids, and what the kahuna forbids.
zingIy tabu it was, and punished by
ieath, to step in the shadow of king
,r chief; to walk in the shadow of the
house of any chief, unless especially
clothed or il the native failed to fall
,rostrate at the name of his chief.
oriestly tabus: For noise during
PRAYER; or if a common native stayed
With his family on sacred (tabu) days,
tc., etc. A man must choose, for his
PERSONAL tabu-idol, some object, such
g a tree, q fish or fru t. TO him
it was tabu (death) to
ouch or partake of this his own labu.
3y chiefs and priests alike, for their
,wn benefit, certain paths, springs
md bathing places were, at intervals,
made tabu. A sudden tabu might, at
nv time, be declared against affairs
lot usually prohibited even an occu-
,ation, privilege or habit, class of
nimals, or a manner OF eating or
might, without warning,
ecome tabu. To women, bananas,
ocoanuts and pork were always for
idden by tabu Yellow was the tabu
oIor of royalty, red of the priest
God; thus flowers and clothing OF
itber color were forbidden the
ative.7
Tin Legends and Myths of Hawaii"
.aIakaua, the late Hawaiian king. says
During a strict tabu every hre anu every
ght was extinguished, no canoe was
Soved from the shore no bathing was per-
lifted the pigs and fowls were muzz'ed or
laced under calabasheS that they might
tier no noise the people conversed IN
hispers, and the priests and their assist
nts alone were to be seen without lner
laces of abode. 1t was season OF oeatn!y
fence, and was thought TO be especially
raieful to the gods
Evidently selfishness was deter,
liIIed to appropriate every coveted
beet, and tabu vas the method.
The writer remembers, with return
liz appetite, tabu feast to which he
Tas invited, as a foreigner There .
Tere gold fish, poi of the breadfruit,
1ibIe flowers of the taro tdrum
cooked as greens dor
hitch acres of the plant had been !
endered unfruitful), roasted dogs and
llted seaweed. On this occasion
oaks made of the tabued feathers
the sacred 90 were worn by the
ueen and others. ..
Yielding subjects indeed have been
ne islanders, whether exposed to the y
reedy strength of tabu or the mallgn i,
lfuence of its corollary, our present |.
leme, the praying anaana. Born !.
mid natures supremest beauty, !.
here grandeur and fragrance ana