The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-22
ROMANCE OF
SHARK GOD
Idol Stands in Manoa
Valley.
.OACt IT WAS POWERFUL
When Superstition Swayed the Land
Ugly Stone Saw Many
Queer S:anes.

Not far from the road in Manoa valley |
near fields teeming with green-topped taro |
plants and waving rice, there is a relic !
of the early days when Oahu was a petty
kingdom in itself. when a king of oahu
was upon the throne of this Island; when
priestly rule and kahunaism held supreme
sway not only over the natives. but over
the king and all his suite of high and
petty chiefs; when idols of stone
and wood were worshiped with fanatic
zeal; when the gods of heathenism were
lall-powerful in the eyes of every living
being upon the Island: when not only
were the elements of fire and water por-
trayed in carven stone, but even the dead
ly man-eating shark which abounded in
these waters from time immemorial was
a potent factor in the religion of the abo-
riginal inhabitants and a god dedicated
to the sharks was made of stone and fear
Ell as much as superstitious awe could
be inspired by the high priests.
| This relic of the early days which can
be seen from the road leading to the
falls is an almost life-size representation
OF shark carved out of solid block of
store. 1t is an idol dedicated to the shark
god. and even up to two decades ago the
stone image was visited nightly by ma
tives who alleged they possessed the
powers of kahunaism; their weird mean
tations were muttered to the cold idol.
and many strange practices known only
TO kahunas were given sway at the time
graveyards are supposed to yawn and
send their ghosts to walk upon the earth.
Ii is an odd. fantastic idol. The bulg
ing head of the shark is rudely depicted
under a crude chisel of an aboriginal ma
tive sculptor. A broad, gaping mouth is
shown and the head then tapers down to
la small body with a fange-like tail. 1t
rests on a mound in an upright position
and Is surrounded by beds of sweet
scented flowers as If, even in LAS mod
ern day, when images in stone dedicated
TO heather gods are rare and find few
, worshipers it stands triumphant and
Yet worshipped. 1t is old How old mona
seem to know. But old or new the natives
: OF ripe old age who yet reside within easy
walking stages of it are prone to fear its
power and to make offerings to appease
r the anger of the shark-god for grievance:
they fancy they have committed. The
present owner OF the god has utilized tn
oddly carven stone and from the stony
blossoms are as bright as any grown II
a the gardens near by.
There Is a strange story attached to tn
IDOL and its present location. Years ant
years ago, during the time of Kameha
meha III. there lived family tn
place which is called Kaipuu, named afte
the stone god which was found on tn
I. premises. 1t lay in a gully, and at night
crowds of natives came hither accompa
med by the aIl-powerful kahunas to d
honor to the fearsome god They brough
lava root tied I'm II leaves. and other offer
liugs. and deposited them In the ever ope
mouth. Finally the natives were up Il
arms over insult w-.4ch they declare
had been done the god. and they quite
the premises and for years never cam
near the god.
At length the owner of the Kaaip
premises died and the natives declared
was because of the judgment and wrat
= of the shark-gcd. A new occupant of tn
residence came who was beloved by tn
natives To her they appealed to remov
the Idol from the little ravine where
had been grossly abused. They went I
her in large numbers, and the kahuna
lTGde mysterious visits there to ask tha
she restore the god to its former dignit
and honor, so that they could again max
lobeisance to it. This was finally done an
the idol was set up in the grounds nea
the road. Flowers were planted about
and the idol was to the householders onl
an ornament. But each morning as III
suns rays broke over the valley til
mouth of the image was found filled I
the full with ava root, fish. Dreadful
and ii leaves.
n When It was done-at what hour
could not be determined. The native
came stealthily at dead of night and d.
DC sted their offerings. Kahunas wei
krcwn to visit il and mysteriously char
and pray before 1t. For years this col
tinued. But eventually the older native
these of the days of the great Kamehi
meha, died one by one. and little by lit
the heather worship began to cease: Il
flowers grew up in rank abundance; Il
Idol was eventually covered by trailir
wires and today II stands only as a mo-
or ument to a former religion.
1t is said by natives when Il