The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-04
DEADLY PRAYERS.
HYPNOTIC FASCINATION EXERCISED
BY HAWAIIAN WITCH WOMEN.


With Living Burial.
LiIluokalani, an untranslatable word,
signifying ono belonging to heaven and of
chiefly rank, or Lydia, as she was famil-
iarly called in childhood, was taught her
letters at the Young Chiefs school. Sho
was very amiable and rather backward,
In strange yet not inexplicablo contrast
with nor conduct in after years.
hndo queen, she rewarded by dismissal
every effort on tho part of her coupselors
to uphold good fnith and wise and roa-
sonabie conduct OF public affairs. In one
week Liliuokalani dissolved three cabinets
opposed to her.
Deposed by her indignant subjects, whom
false to her coronation oath, and attompt-
Ing coup d'etat (the whites hor chosen
teachers and supporters. had, as property
holders and voters, at least equal rights
with tho nativee), tho ex-queon, whonever
generously treated, was found secreting
arms, conoootiDg rebellion and conniving
with u fllibustering raid from the Pacific
coast.
1t may not BIO amiss, in an ago over
ready, for political reasons to extol lie,
and whom q certain sort of poesy Is discoy-
ored in the maudlin tragedy OF LilIuoka-
lani, to present tho briefest possible annly-
Sis OF belief and practice not popularity
known and creating an environment tcem-
ing with disturbing factors for the OK
queen.
Lacking serpents, the fair islands of the
Hawaiian group possess a snake life, with
ratio (kakoke), hypnotic fascination, Sc
creted poison, and tho power of dealing
death, which may Justly claim study from
the standpoint of psychology, with curl
GUS bearing upon the unwritten history Of
1iIinnLn1nni'c nhnrrottny1 nd foIt
If we except tho atrocious details of child
murder, whore u native father has been
known to break his child's back for tho
sake OF annoying tho mother, there Is no
darker outgrowth of savagery thnn tho
anaana. This power of praying" any per-
son to death, oven his chief or tho king,
gives to the native kahuna or sorcerer an
influence fur transccnding the forco of
arms among all tho tribes Of Polynesia
The board Of health of Honolulu seldom
fails to mako q monthly report of ten or
moro deaths of the ordinary natives from
the deadly prayers. Death is almost cor
tain to follow the machinations of u ka-
huna, unless the Intervention of kahunn
of creator ago can be secured Tho victim
sits quietly before his antagonist takes no
food and but little drink, and dies in a few
days.
"All the divinity that doth hedge q
king" must prove of small avail If o nail
pairing, hair, or spcck of the royal So
Iva fall into the possession of any sorcerer
ready for regcdc. Tho kahuna seems to
defy this material, which ho addresses as
an idol or fetch, praying it to destroy tho
life of tho victim.
"In many instances, Mr.. Bishop says.
death is duo to superstitious belief In
demon whom the native feels working in
his vitals and whom it is hopeless to re-
sist
"A conspicuous triumph of tho sorcerers
occurs in the career of three members of
Liliuokalani's Immediate family, and fin
ally in her loss of right to rule her little
kingdom of Hawaii. Letters from roliablo
sources in 1898 represent the queen to have
been long in kahuna tolls and vacilIating
pitifully between good and evil counscls
Sacrifices were offered in tho ancient way
and by tho kahunas, In tho palace prem
Uses. Yet next day we find her calling In
tho Protestant clergy for their prayers to
Jehovah. Once moro she explained to a
deputation of ladies her desire to do right
finally, however, yielding gladly to the
bladder end
"Thc queen reasoned with Parker, her
primo minister, who opposed her conduct
She seemed beside herself with terror con-
corning the aumakaas, who arc threaten
ing to bury her.
"Tho queen Is acting under tho sugges-
tions of tho kahunas. a witch woman,
Pulclo Of Lanai, has announced herself q
goddess, threatening tho queen, at behest
of tho doitios, in case she fails to restore
the ancient privileges Of the sorcorers,
even to re-establishment of the rites of
heathendom and repossession of lands, to
be taken back from tho foreigners.
Clearly coDSpiracv Of l-nhupnc with ovo
ricious politicians.
I'm case she, tho queen, fails in all this,
vengeance will follow promptly, and she
will be buried alive with anaana.''
A native addressing the mob urged the
people to seize and bury her, tho kakunas
assisting. Whenever tho snake life hos
opportunity, 1t becomes dangerous to all
who would avoid q return to the anarchy
and license of tho native life. Pitied and
pardoned again and again, Liliuokalani
returns to courses alike destructive to her
self and subjects.
At the time it seemed incredible, yet the
history Of her brothers and sister point to
the especially superstitious and yielding
nature of this family. Leleiohoku, brother
and heir apparent of Kalakaua, is known
TO have been prayed TO death The writer
well remembers Likelike, bright and
charming princess, well educated and
speaking French and English. An erup-
ton Of the volcano kilaue0 had persisted
nearly nine months, when tho aku an
nounoed that & royal victim must be sacri-
feed to stay the progress of the advancing
lava. Likelike Immediately offered herself
as @ sacrifice for her people. She slowly
sank in spite Of medical treatment, which
her husband insisted on and died In Feb
ruary, 1887.
Ynln In& IL.
sible attack from anaana by his conces-
SiOnS In fact he yyns daifnd and rrnr