The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-05-29
HAWAII HAD AN ADAM.
History of Priesthood in These
Islands.
Important Lecture by j. X. Kaulia.
Origin OF Kahuna Ism -DcfinitiOn
OF UnprouoUucubIe Names.

Before the Hawaiian Institute last
night Mr.. J. X Kaulia read his paper
on The Hawaiian Priesthood" in Ha-
waiian He first gave short historical
synopsis OF the origin Of the priests Of
fee in Hawaii nei. He stated that Lii
hauula, who was the third generation
from Welaahilaninui, the first Ha-
waiian Adam, according to one old ira
dition, has been recognized in the an
cient history as the origin Of some OF
the Hawaiian priesthood. He gives an
old tradition as to how Welaahilanui-
nui, the first man, was created by three
gods-Kane, Ku and Lano. These su-
pernatural beings delineated the figure
of a man on the sand Cor DUST, and
then they made him living being by
infusing into him living spirit, or an
gel, Called Ulalele. His wife's name
was owe. Lihauula was the son of Ka-
hikoIunmea and Kupulanakehau, who
was also a brother of Wakea and Ma
kuIu. And that this Kahikoluamea de-
scended from Welaahilaninui.
into four great divisions: % The an
cient belief of the Hawaiians concern
ing the Power of God; (2) That the
power to exercise the functions or Of
fees of a priest must come from God;
% The divisions of the Priesthood;
(4 The various functions in the Priest
hood as practiced by the ancient Ha
Waiians.
He stated that the time when there
was no earth and heavens the old
Hawaiians called it as the "Polikua
PuhohO," or THE Bosom of Space"
That the three gods were called Kane
nui-akea CKane of great vastness), Ku-
nui-akea (Ku of great vastness), and
Lano-nui-akea QOno of great yastness),
and they were called "Kapukuiakua,"
or Group of Gods" And that this
Bosom Of Space" or ''POlikua Pu-
hobo" was looked upon by the old Ha
waiians as a woman, named "KahuIi-
KaheIa-Nui-Akea- o-Konouli-Ohu-PanO
pano-PuhohO,' The great changeable
and ever T-wide-space-
great darkness and emptiness" And
that the Gods reign over this Space"
And that through this space OF eternl-
ty'' that the Gods have created material
intelIigences, and by reason of these
material intelligences being brought
into existence that they (the Gods
were called by numerous names, as
Kane-huli-hOnua (earthquake), Kane
hekiIi CthUndereD, Kane-uOlo-nui great
sound. Kane-i-ka-w ai-ola CKane of the
water of Iife), ETC., etc. AS there are
so many inteIligences occupying this
space OF Eternity" so many are the
powers of these Gods controlling these
intelligences.
The old Hawaiians believed that to
exercise the office of priest rightfully,
and be vested with a supernatural
power, which was a gift in the priest
hood, must come from God himself;
and those who are vested with this
power are called priests, and this priest
hood is subdivided into two great di-
visions: % Papa Kahuna Wela (AhD,
or Papa Kahuna Kiekie-TabOOd
Priesthood or High Priesthood; (2) Pa
pa Kahuna Noanoa, or Papa Kahuna
Hoahoa-Free Priesthood or Lesser
Priesthood.
In the first Priesthood are the offices
of a Prophet, Seer and Counsellor. They
are those priests whose adVices are
often sought by Aliis in the affairs of
their governments. These priests are
consulted. spread before them a board,
very much alike the Konane board,
and upon it they placed 800 small stone
pebbles GliilD of three colors, white,
red and black, each group consisting of
100 iliili The white iliii belonged to
Kane. the red ones to KamOhOalii, and
the black ones to other gods or angels.
Mr. Kaulia went into all the details of
Kahunaism, citing a prayer here and a
rule there, and giving many valuable
quotations from various old Hawaiian
histories, which made his lecture a
good one.