Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-29
DEADLY PRAYERS.
HYPNOTIC FASCINATION EXERCISED
az HAWAIIAN WITCH WOMEN.

Powerful Hold Of the superstition Upon
Iiliuokalani and the Result to Herseli
and Her Countryside Was Threatened
with Living Burial.
Liliuokalani, an untranslatable word,
sienifying one 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. She
was yery amiable and rather backward,
in strange yet not inexplicable contrast
with her conduct in after years.
Made queen, she rewarded by dismissal
every effort on the part of her oounselors
to uphold good faith and wise and rea-
sonable conduct Of public affairs. In one
week I,iliuokalani dissolved three cabinets
opposed to her.
Deposed by her indignant subjects, when
false to her coronation oath, and attempt
ing a coup d'etat (the whites, her chosen
teachers and supporters. had, rs property
holders and voters, at least equal rights
with the natives). the ex-queen, whenever
generously treated was found secreting
arms connecting rebellion and conniving
with filibustering raid from the Pacific
coast
1t NAV not be amiss, in an age ever
ready. for political reasons, to extol a lie,
and when u certain sort of poesy Is discov-
cred in the maudlin tragedy of Liliuoka-
lani. to present the briefest possible analy-
sis of a belief and practice not popularity
known and creating an environment tenn
ing with disturbing factors for the ex'
queen.
Lacking serpents, the fair islands OF this
Hawaiian group possess snake life with
rattle (kakeke), hypnotic fascination, Sc
GREETED poison, and the power of dealing
death, which may justly claim study from
the standpoint of psychology, with Curl
Gus bearing upon the unwritten history OF
Liliuokalani's alteration and fall.
II we except theatrocious details Of child
murder. where "a native father has been
known to break his child's back for the
sake of annoying the mother, there is no
darker outgrowth Of savagery than the
anaana This power of praying" any per-
son to death, oven his chief or the king.
gives to the native kahuna or sorcerer an
influence far transcending the force Of
arms among all the tribes of Polynesia.
The board of health of Honolulu seldom
fails to make monthly report of ten or
moro deaths of the ordinary natives from
tho deadly prayers. Death is almost Ger
tain to follow the Vaccinations of ka-
huna, unless the intervention of kahuna
of greater age can be secured. The victim
sits quietly before his antagonist, takes no
food and but little drink, and dies in few
days.
"All the divinity that doth hedge a
king" must prove Of small avail if a mai!
pairing, hair, or speck of the royal sa-
Iva fall into the possession of any sorcerer
ready for regicide. The kahuna seems 20
defy this material, which he addresses as
an idol or fetch, praying it to destroy the
life of the victim.
Gin many instances" Mr.. Bishop says,
"death is due to a superstitious belief In
a demon whom the native feels working In
his vitals and whom it Is hopeless to re-
Eist.
"a conspicuous triumph of the 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 reliable
sources in 1898 represent the queen to have
been long in kahuna tolls and vacillating
pitifully between good and evil ceunsels
IJdCI1uCtS NCEt OuGItu AL lut duClcuU WA.
and by the kahunas, in the palace prem
Uses. Yet next day we find her calling in
the Protestant clergy for their prayers to
Jehovah. Once more she explained to,
deputation of ladies her desire to do right,
finally however, yielding gladly to the
bladder end
"The queen reasoned with Parker, her
prime minister, who opposed her conduct
She seemed beside herself with terror con-
corning the aulnakaas, who are threaten
Ing to bury her.
tThe queen is acting under the sugges-
tions of the kahunas. A witch woman,
Pulcle Of Lanai, has announced herself
goddess, threatening the queen, at behest
of the deities, in case she fails to restore
the ancient privileges Of the sorcerers,
even to establishment of the rites CT
heathendom and repossession of lands, to
be taken back from the foreigners"
Clearly conspiracy of kahunas with ava
rioious politicians.
'In case she. the 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 the snake life has
opportunity, it becomes dangerous to all
who would avoid return to the anarchy
and license of the native life. Pitied and
pardoncd 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 suporstitious 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 md
speaking French and English. An erup-
ton of the volcano Kilauea had persisted
nearly nine months, when the akuas an
bounced that a royal victim must be sacri-
iced to stay the progress of the advancing
lava. Likolike Immediately offered herself
as q sacrifice for her people. She slowly
sank, in spite of medical treatment, which
her husband insisted Oh, and died in Feb
ruary, 1887.
Kalakau7. the late king, escaped all pos
sible attack from anaana by his conces-
sions. In fact, he was deified and wor-
s sos led as q god few days before his death.
6F1e,.;,Wful, indeed, must be our thought
70 revlew Liliuokalani's short career
S, poor quesis gn, provoked as the world
beeN by yoO%basr flunlicity there &c ,,,,,cb