The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-11
BY PROF. C. H. TOY
Noted Harvard Instructor Lee
lures on Hawaii.
ORIGIN OF THE NATIVES
Says Their Whence Is a Mystery
Speculation Concerning the
Tabu System.

HdIu, Is reported Dy the New 1Ork |
Times as having said that whence the !
natives originally came has never been |
learned, and probably always will be
unknown. The traditions now exist |
ing point to an immigration from Sa- |
moa, but these traditions are too vague |
to be depended upon. The isolation of
the people of Hawaii has caused an in
dividuality of thought and customs, |
and in many respects they are unlike
any other people. One striking in
stance of this was the former recogni
ton of the "Tabu," and this practice
was a distinct feature of the people of
the Polynesian Islands. This system
of restriction grew out of the religious
conditions, and pervaded the lives Of
all inha bitants.
Often this strange practice led to
serious results Certain food was set
aside for men, other food for women,
and yet a third kind for children. AS
an example of this rule women were
forbidden to eat bananas, and it is
known that one young woman was put
for violating this edict. The regulations
pertaining to the "Tabu,' or taboo
practice, We're enforced by the kings
and chiefs. The custom also often in
terfered with the trade OF fishing,
which is the chief employment of the
people.
The natives were forbidden to look
at their chief or at their priests, or to
allow their animals TO do so. This
caused great inconvenience at times
when the chiefs or priests walked up
| on the streets, and particularly so In
a thickly inhabited section. The inhab-
| itants at these times must bind cloths
| over the eyes of their animals, as we'll
| as their own eyes. Another peculiar
| feature of the strange taboo custom
was a regulation by which a chief was
entitled to lay personal claim TO any
object or piece of property upon which
| he might happen TO set his loot. AS Il
result of this there were often great
EN- barrassment and hardship, for cit
| izen was in danger at any time Of los
ing his boat, his house or his field.
Professor Toy remarked that this pc
culiar system was not altogether I'M
like certain things in our own civIllza-
ton, which while not the same in the
| instinct.
In speaking of the strict way in
which the "Tabu' system was carried
| out and enforced in every particular,
| the lecturer said that many persons
who violated some edict, inadvertently
| or otherwise had been known to die
from fear of the impending penalty.
| Professor Toy said that the 'Tabu"
practice originated in the idea that it
was not lawful to touch certain things.
| The idea may have started, he said,
with the story that a question was
raised regarding the book of Ecclesias-
ties. The rabbis asked if this was de-
| filed by a touch of the hands and the
answer was received that it was. This
resulted in the book being considered
| sacred. From this came the idea that
| there was danger in touching many
| things. Where the system is found
| elaborated, as it is in Hawaii, it ar
CUES a great antiquity of the people,
| said the speaker. The whole system
of prohibition-the thou shalt not
| idea-is similar to the decalogue, and,
| he declares, belongs to an early sys-
| TEN Of vilization-althOug it is
practiced even now in relation to the
bringing up of children.
| The morals of the HawaiianS at the
4
peans in the eighteenth century were
not good, according to Professor Toy,
and there has been no improvement as
| a result of the contact with civilization
| that has followed. This, he remarked,
was a strong reflection on the condi-
ton of our own moral system. Our in
| fluence had not been good for the rea-
son that our people evidently are lack
ing in common sense, charity and JUS
| tice.
The "Tabu" system, the lecturer con-
| tinued, gave rise to the Sabbath day.
Our idea of the day, he said. was
doubtless derived from the Hebrew
conception of the seventh day. and the
Hebrews had probably derived the idea
originally from the belief that one day
in the week had been taboOed and
made sacred. The ancient races, he
said, all had some tabOoed period of
time. In Hawaii four days in the lunar
month have been tabooed. the people
during these times being forbidden to
make any fire or do any work what
ever, and the king spent these days in
meditation. This same practice. he
pointed out. prevailed in old Babylon
1t was unlawful there for the King
even 10 take medicine on tabooed days.
The Puritan Sabbath and system of
Ohibition-Sunday. the speaker said.
was only another term of the same
conception.
| Professor Toy said that ancient Ha-
wall had an elaborate system of wor-
ship. with different grades of priests
and a ritual, many evidences pointing
to the fact that long time had been
taken to develop the system. The folk
lore of the country, he said. had the
'Tabu' system as its central idea,
while the folk-tales evidently had real
lv grown out of the religious ceremony
and the meaning of them had been for
gotten. They had been observed at one