The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-11-05
HAWAIIAN BURlALS,
prev,utiLns to Preserve the Bones OF en'ei'
After Death

PfeS1uIlLUS ~
After Death
Some students of Hawaiian CUSTOMS
declare that the people of the lslanus
rovnr were cannibals. The popuiaf
idea that these new Americans Ha's
noon nourisbed on their friends anu
rol,tlves arose probably in m!sap-
nra7,cnsion of what happened 10 Cap'
IT,, C-ool, after he was killed at Aea-
| lakekua. ,--,od
Thn honorable sepulchre reserved
for chiefs and men OF note may na
c,used the first voyagers ABOUT Tue
islands to think that they had 1ounu
nroof of the practice, which really tne
Tow,iians are said to have viewed
vith as much horror as more cl'liiAeu
races. When a~chief died 1t Decane
lhe duty Of his trusty kahus, connoen-
1i,l advisers in life and sworn 10 tue
nnrformance OF the last rites, 10 re-
move the body and bury it decenuy'
That which the Hawaiians honored III
burial was the permanent part OF the
body; the flesh was regarded as 1ranst
tory and perishable, and therefore noI
worthy of sepulchre. The flesh OF cne
cornse was cut off from the bones anu
burned: the bones themselves were
carefully cleaned, soaked IN OIL anu
FURNISHED red with turmeric. Tied up
together in a snug parcei, they "eie
denosited in some secret cave where IL
would be impossible for an enemy 10
find them. and thus have the cnance
of bringing dishonor upon the oeau.
Two centuries ago the great cnlel
Eualii was the moi or King over tne
island of Oahu. In the ninety years
of his life he fought with so many
: chiefs on his own and the other lsianos
: fiat he was sure that his enemies
. would make great efforts to get pos
, session of his bones and on tnem
4 wreak some Of the revenge which they
E had not been able to take on him Wnen
e alive. TO make sure that nothing OIL
e this sort should happen, he laid strlct
5 commands on his most faithful kanu
S that he should carry his bones pevonu
y, the reach of any marauder who might
T. seek to diShonor them.
C As soon as the breath had lett tne
IS body Of the aged chieftaln the kahu
Il hurried his precious reasure<wa9'ln I'm
y 10 Z secret place in the Oahu Noun
J. tains to fulfil his solemn promise. Re
n turning. he sent invitations to all fne
II neirbbors and tributary chiefs to at
TO tend a feast in honor OF the dead
- From all the lands Of Oahu they gath
= cred and from surrounding islands
II from Molokai up the wind, and IRON
he Kar,i down the wind. When th'
20. Games had been performed with Al
the ceremonies with which the Poly
fesians turn the days Of mourning
on was spread for tie, chiefs and CON
IS mon people. After the last food ha,
er been eaten and the. calabashes .wer
ps empty the chiefs asked the kallu If b,
L had carried out the dying wishes c
Il his master; if the bones were buried
=, where there was no chance that the,
le might be desecrated in any hoomau
1e hala, the Hawaiian vendetta which
jr was Waged against the dead as vel
lc as the living. With the grim assur
y ance that his duty had been faithfully
d performed the kahu swept his hand
Y in a comprehensive gesture about the
u circle of hundred chiefs and said:
l. There are the graves of Kualii; no
5 one can disturb his bones while they
d, rest"
II He had not only cleaned the bones
h Of his master, but he had beaten and
= rubbed them into a fine meal. The
night before the feast he had secret
L. visited the house in which were
stored the great calabashes Of poi pro-
4 vided for the refreshment Of the
Il chiefs. Into this poi he stirred the
Y meal to which the aged king had beel
reduced. The next morning the re-
!. mains of Kualii found their resting
place in the bodies Of those who had
, gathered to do him honor, and We're
r beyond the reach Of hostility and ven,
delta. The chiefs praised the ingenu-
ity Of the kahu and honored his fdelSS
, ity. His story has been handed down
as the type of the devoted servant -
New York Sun.