Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-01
SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS FOLLOWING
QUEENS BURIAL REVIVE FOLKLORE
!. BELIEFS OF PRIMITIVE RAWAIIANS
lightning Accompanied BY Thunder Following the Demise Of
Huhborn REGARDED as Sign of Gods That Deceased Was
Assured of High Place in Kingdom of Ghoss-LegeHdS of
Spirit World

ences and hair-breadth escapes, &C
COmpanied him back to the grass hui
Where his body lay. went with him
through a hole in the wall and pushed
, him into the sole OF the left foot and
by her power. forced him to work his
way back into his proper habltation
| in the body, whcreupon Ka-ilio-hae,
The Vito Dog. again became living
man and remained many years on
earth to tell of his strange adventures
in the kingdom of Eiilu.
Mr.. Westervelt SAYS this story Is al
ways told as an actual occurrence. his
explanation being that ka-iliO-hae
went into a trance, during which time
he dreamed strange happenings-but
about these things, who can tell?
Roads leading to the spot where
spirits left the land of the living were
called Leina-a. ka-uhane, paths by
which the spirit leaped. They were
nearly always on bold bluffs, looking
westward over the ocean," said Mr..
Westervelt. The ulu-o-lei-walo, the
quietly calling or breadfruit tree of the
spirits, stood near. and afforded a
friendly gathering place for those who
were not quite ready to take the leap
alone"
Two of these quietly calling bread.
fruit trees" stood for long time aft
er the coming Of the haole on this
island. one at Kaena point and the 9TH
er in Nuuanu valley.
Mists, Shields for Lapus
Wandering or rowing ghosts were
also called lapus.- When the mists
used TO veil Manoa valley, as they do
so often In these days, the Hawaiians
believed that the gods had sent a
curtain to shield the lapus, who were
preparing feasts for the gods and their
attendants in the valley.
The strange night professions which
were a part of, the obsequies of the
late queen, made necessary by the re-
moval of the body from Washington
Place to the church, and from Kawaia-
hao church to the palace, had another
meaning aside from the esoteric rites
connected with the sacred torch of
the House of Kalakaua. In the days
of the old gods, all bodies of the
high-born were disposed of at night
GtAN IL oOSIOt, oO IIldI HO Su0Iny ullSHL
find their bones and make them into
f1sh-hooks, or E otherwise dishonor
them.
Any mistreatment of the bones OF
the dead meant that the spirits of
the departed, themselves in torment
because of the dissertation, would re-
thrn-sto torment those who had al
lowed such dishonor. The hills that
wall Nuuanu valley are filled with
secret graves, many of them holding
the bones of the dead bound together
in a bundle, as it was not an unusual
thing for the dead mans friends or
followers to5strfp the, flesh from the
bones, throw it into the sea to be-
come q part of the family of ancestor.
ghosts who had their home in the
ocean, while the barred bones were
tied together in the shape of grass.
hopper and buried. Sometimes, as in
tie case of the House of Kalakaua,
some OF the bones of higl. chiefs were
put into the standards to which were
fastened the royal kahilis. H.. -
Out of these secret burials, made
necessary by ancient beliefs, arose the
Hawaiian custom Of removing the re.
mains of royalty only at night, except
when making the final journey to the
tomb. -. -s. /