The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-12-03
THE OLD HE|AUs
Of HAWA||-NEI

| Editor Advertiser: The information
sought by your Kohala correspondent
relative to the heiau OF Mookini. are
natural queries that arise in the mind
lof intelligent observers in visiting any
OF the prominent temple rsiins of these
islands. but unfortunately nothing
complete Is to be found OF record TO
satisfy, and those who were able TO
explain the purpose OF the various
divisions. lodges. crypts. platforms. or
other characteristic features OF sacrifi-
ciaf heiaus have all passed away
1t seems strange that but fragment
airy accounts are to be found in the
voyages and writings OF early visitors
descriptive of the temples. or temple
services. and none at all by any OF the
early settled missionaries. though We
are indebted to Ellis. in his Tour of
Hawaii" for the fullest description ex-
tant OF the heiau of Puukohola. at
Kawaihae and the city or place Of ref
uge at Honaunau. Kona-
| OF the heiau ceremonial that by King
who accompanied Captain Cook at his
participation in the temple service OF
Hikiau at Kealakekua, given In Cooks
Voyage. furnishes perhaps the best ac-
count to be met with. but how much OF
this service was special for the oc-
casion. or would apply to the regular
service of this or other heiaus. needs
further light. Upon this and kindred
points the experience of Chamisso, who
attended the temple services in one OF
the Honolulu heiaus. and that of VAS
couver-if written-of his visit at the
ceremonies during a period OF ''Tabu
Pule' at one of the Kona heiaus, may
supply important data.
But of Mookini Itself. 1t has had
partial description by several visitors,
no two of whom agree upon its di-
mansions. The result of my search
and enquiry thereon for the second in
the series of Tales from the Tenn
ples,' covering the island of Hawaii
that you refer to, embraces the OBJ
servations of Fernandez and the ac-
count of Rev. E. Bond (not DIR. Bond
as you state). is in brief as follows:
CLOSE to the northern point of the
island. on the land of Puuepa. stand
the ruins of the heiau of Mookini.
credited by Kamakau, and Fernandez.
as the second temple built by the high
priest Paao upon Hawaii. and where
he officiated. 1t was probably one Of
the largest on the island. an irregular
parallelogram in form, with walls even
now measuring 267 feet on the west
wall. $50 feet on the east wall. the
north end being 1876 feet and the south
end 112 feet wide. The height of its
walls have been over 20 feet. with a
width on top of eight feet and 80 feet
at their base.
THE stones of which Ii is built are
said to have come from PoloIu valley.
some ten miles distant, which, accord
ing to tradition were passed by hand
from man to man the entire. distance,
a feat requiring at least 5000 men.
Fernandez Gin 1879, says. when I Wis
tied the place ten years ago. the walls
of the heiau were unimpaired,
and was shown a secret well or crypt
in the south side of the walls, east of
the main entrance. several feet deep.
but now filed up with stones and
boulders like those composing the wall,
which on removal revealed two maika
stones of a fine white grain of ex-
traordinary size, said to have been
brought by Paao from foreign lands,
from 800 to 1000 years before the time
of Kamehameha. Many points of in
terest in it's vicinity are associated
with Paao.'
For details of the heiau of Mookini
not found elvewhere. we quote from
an account given bv Rev. z. Bond, in,
1885. the then resident missionary OF
the district, and the same popular be-
iefs were current during our residence
there in the latter part of the sixties.
My first visit to the heiau (of Moo
kind was made in 1S41. The
population in the vicinity was then
numerous. From an old man
who claimed to have been a priest in
he establishment 1 learned much of
he internal arrangement of the en-
closure. the deposit for the bones Of
not consumed. and that the
dedication of the heiau took place
when he was young man; that ten
human victims were moreover offered
It the dedicatory service. These state
nents were fully corroborated by old
PEOPLE in the vicinity and in other
'arts of the district. many of whom de-
Jared themselves to have been eye
witnesses of the ceremony. The stones
4 the enclosure. thy assured me. were
'rought from Pololu valley: the peo- II
lie having been gathered by the chiefs
rom various parts of the islands.
eoou III HHc rum FOlOlu 10 Puuepa
nd passed the stones from hand to
and
With these statements, so far as
inown uncOntroverted. / had settled
own in the conviction that the Pun
pa heiau was not a very ancient
trueture- 1t is, however. quite pos
IDLE that it may have been begun long
ears in the past, and also that but
part OF the stones were taken from
'ololu valley.
" In 1s43 l made a thorough exam
nation, taking measurements, etc.
On the northeast corner, out
ide, is the large fiat stone on which
ne victims were hOlehoIed when taken
rom the lele, which stood at the right
and OF the entrance
"A cave is said TO have run from the
ca to the heiau. and the lua-pa'u in
ne northeastern corner OF the plat
orm connected with it,
I should be pleased to have been able
meet all the points OF enquiry on
MS subject by Rev. r. A. Buchanan.
ut my research on the heiaus OF an
lent Hawaii proves the study 10 have
ut just begun There are some