The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-30
WITCH DOCTORS IN HAWAII.
Methods by Which They Work on
the Ignorant OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES |
supcrstftfOus

the Ignorant OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
suDerstitiOns.
| Honolulu Letter to the Chicago Record.
Here in many of the South Pacific is
lands civilization has not yet sufficiently
progressed to place a veto upon witchcraft
for the native element is in sympathy
with the kuhunas, or witch-doctors The
basis of the belief Of the Polynesian race,
of which the natives OF the Hawaiian Is
lands are a branch. is that nearly all
forms of sickness and disease are caused
by evil spirits. with whom communica-
ton can only be held through kahunas, of
whom there are many schools, namely:
kahuna lapaau, or medicine men,
who treat ordinary cases Of sickness
caused by infringement Of tabos or neg
lect of VOWS.
2. Necromancers or mediums, who are
divided into four classes, but whose meth
DDS on the whole are practically the same.
3. Sorcerers, who are termed more like
evil spirits than human beings" and were
sometimes stoned to death by order of a
chief. This class had five principal divis-
ions, but chief deity, vi, was invoked
by them all.
/. Kalaipahoa, the famous poison-god,
whose worship is of comparatively recent
origin. According to the legend, one Kan
eakama, living on West Molokai had a
dream in which his tutelar deity showed
him poison tree on Mauna Loa, and d.
| rected him to cut it down and make an
idol of il, by means of which he could
cause any ones oath. 1t was believed
10 be the only existing tree of its kind,
and to be SO poisonous that the least par
ticle of it mixed with any ones food or
drink and accompanied by the proper in
carnations was sure to cause his death.
5.-kilokilo or OWNERS, who Were di-
vided into these five classes: (a) Kili6ilo
Uhana, the first word meaning fortune
teller, and the latter meaning soul-"for-
tune-teller of the soul'; (b) Poiuhana,
who had the faculty of not only seeing
the souls of the living persons QSakaola),
but of catching them by the hand (poD,
and either squeezing them TO death or i'm
prisoning them in a water calabash; (c)
KilOkilo Hoku (astrologers), who We're
a more respectable class, and helped to
keep alive the knowledge of astronomy
| possessed by the ancient navigators; CD
Nanaul (soothsayers), who predicted not
only changes in the weather, but also fu-
ture events, such as the death of the
chief, wars, etc, from appearances in the
sky, tidal waves and the arrival of GER
tain kinds of fish; (e) Kaula and Makaula
Cprophets), who were comparatively
harmless persons, living solitary lives,
and believing themselves to be a times
inspired by Kane-nui-akea very great
mani. They were often attached to the
high chiefs as councillors.
The red fish called alaaua are consid-
cred a sure indication of the approaching
death of some chief. They appeared in
the harbor of Honolulu the day preceding
the death of the Princess Likelki; like
wise a short time ago in the harbor of
Kahulu Qsland of MAUD, when the story
was dir Ia tod
eX-queen, Liliuokalani was dead A halo,
called luakalai, around the sun or moon
is also a sign of death. a haOle luna
| foreign overseeD on a plantation was
! ordered TO shoot some pigs that We're
! the property of a kanaka, and had be-
| come troublesome on the plantation, and
| in d spirit of revenge the native hired
| a kahuna to pray the haole 10 death. For
| such service the first payment consists
/ generally of ST. a black chicken and ava
| or gin. The kahuna closeted himself in
| a room, and for two days carried on his
! incantations, and at the end of that time
| sent to inquire If the overseer was dead
| A negative answer being brought back,
/ he demanded that a luau mative FEAST
! be prepared and this overseer be among
| the invited guests. In some manner the
! kahuna, unknown to the others present,
| managed to place a preparation made
from a poisonous Seaweed in the over
! hours the victim was taken sick with
! severe cramps, and had it not been for
! the timely arrival of physician he would
| have died. Had this overseer been a ma
! tive instead of white man his friends
| undoubtedly would have let him die,
knowing him to be under the charm, or
else would have sent for another kahuna,
who, to all outward appearances, would
/ have administered an antidote, but more
| than likely would have FASTENED his
death.
An amusing incident which shows that
| the superstition of these wicked doctors
| is fully as great as that of the people
who consult them, is told of a Kanaka
| who was being prayed to death, but
| through the interference of a white man
was saved. The kahuna had been working
| on this poor fellow for some time, and he
| had finally taken to his bed and given up
| all hope when the white man concluded
to try little kahuanism, believing that if
superstition would kill his native friend
the same remedy applied in a different
form would cure him. The white man
/ procured the skull of a bullock and, wrap
ping it up nicely in paper placed it in one
of the many layers of mating that served
| the sick Kanaka as a bed telling him
| that he should wait for a given signal
and that if the room was full Of his friends
and relatives he must tell them that
/ haole had given him remedy that would
cure him and at the same time break the
charm of the kahuna, but that they must
all leave the room.
At the given signal which was withheld
| until a large crowd had assembled, the
sick man did as directed. Being nervous
from the Vaccinations of the kahuna and
Frustrated from lack Of nourishment. his
mind was in a fit condition to conceive al
most anything, and when he united the
/ package and saw the bullock skull he let
| forth a cry that would make a. Sioux In
dian blush. and ran from the house crying:
I THE devil The devilr' In a few days he
appeared as well and hearty as ever
The white mans reputation was estab-
| ushed. but TO more fully ingratate him
| self in the hearts of the people. he an
nounced that he would proceed to pray the
kahuna 10 death. He made n small circle
of pebbles and shells ia front of the sus-
pected sorcerer's house and stood within
| the circle, muttering indistinctly. The ka-
buna quickly pleaded guilty and asked to
be forgiven, but the white man was deter
mined 10 rid the neighborhoOd Of him, so
refused TO parley with him. The kahuna
-