The Opelousas courier., 1898-11-19
HAWAIIAN BURIALS,
Precautions to Preserve the Bones of Chiefs
After Death

Precautions to Preserve the Bones of Chiefs
After Death
Some students of Hawaiian customs
declare that the people Of the islands
never We're cannibals. The popular
idea that these new Americans have
been nourished on their friends and
relatives arose probably in a misap-
%prehension of what happened to Cap
tain Cook after he was killed at Kea-
lakekua.
The honorable sepulchre reserved
for chiefs and men of note may have.
caused the first voyagers about the
islands to think that they had found
proof of the practice, which really the
Hawaiians are said to have viewed
with as much horror as more civilized
races. When a chief died it became
the duty of his trusty kahus, confiden-
tial advisers in life and sworn to the
performance of the last rites, to re-
move the body and bury it decently.
That which the Hawaiians honored in
burial was the permanent part of the
body; the flesh was regarded as transit
tory and perishable, and therefore not
worthy of sepulchre. The flesh Of the
corpse vas cut off from the bones and
burned; the bones themselves were
carefully cleaned, soaked in oil, and
FURNISHED red with turmeric. Tied up
together in a snug parcel, they were
deposited in some secret cave where it
would be impossible for an enemy to
find them, and thus have the chance
OF bringing dishonor upon the dead.
Two centuries ago the great chief
Kualii was the moi OR King over the
island of Oahu. In the ninety years
of his life he fought with so many
chiefs on his own and the other islands
that he was sure that his enemies
would make great efforts to get pos
session of his bones and on them
Wreak some of the revenge which they
had not been able to take on him when
alive. 10 make sure that nothing Of
this sort should happen, he laid strict
commands OF his most faithful kahu
that he should carry his bones beyond
the reach of any marauder who might
seek to dishonor them.
AS soon as the breath had left the
body of the aged chieftain the kahu
hurried his precious treasure away in
to a secret place in the Oahu Noun
tains to fulfil his solemn promise. Re-
turning, he sent invitations to all the
and tributary chiefs to at
tend a feast in honor of the dead.
From all the lands of Oahu they gath.
and from surrounding islands, |
from Molokai up the wind, and from
Kauai down the wind. When the
games had been performed with all
the ceremonies with which the Poly
turn the days of mourning
into a season of rejoicing, the feast
was spread for the chiefs and COM
mon people. After the last food had
been eaten and the calabashes were
empty the chiefs asked the kahu if he
had carried out the dying wishes of
his MASTER; if the bones were buried
where there was no chance that they |
might be desecrated in any hoomau-
hala, the Hawaiian vendetta which
was waged against the dead as we'll
h living. With the grim assur-
ance that his duty had been faithfully
performed the kahu swept his hand
n a comprehensive gesture about the
circle of a hundred chiefs and said:
There are the graves of Kualii; no
one can disturb his bones while thew
est"
He had not only cleaned the bones
his master, but he had beaten and
dubbed them into a fine meal. The
hight before the feast he had secret
y visited the house in which were
stored the great calabashes Of poi pro-
7ided for the refreshment of the
Into this poi he stirred the
neal to which the aged king had been
'educed. The next morning the re-
Mains Of Kualii found their resting
in the bodies of those who had
to do him honor, and were
beyond the reach of hostility and ven
The chiefs praised the ingenn
ty of the kahu and honored his idel-
ty. His story has been handed down
IS the type of the devoted servant.-
Jew York Sun.