The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-05-29
Veteran Historian, Seventy-five
Years Old Yesterday, Pauses
In Celebration Long Enough To
Denounce Religious cere.
mony" Proposition
LITERARY MONUMENTS FOR
THREE QUARTER CENTURY
Completes Work On @Hawaiian
Mythology and win See His
Edited Edition Of FOrnander's
Works Come of Museum Press

-
In the midst 81 his life work record
ing the ancient culture Of the Hawaiian
race, Thomas g Thnm, publisher, au-
thor and HAWAIIAN historian, yesterday
celebrated his tsseyenty.ffth birthday,
still active in the task to which he has
devoted his life. Several pleasant sur
lprises awaited him yesterday, and he
took pleasure -, none more than in re
membranes Ne received by yesterday
and from Charles II. Ewart in Scot
land.
air. ThruIf has set up two literary
monuments besides his seventy-fftL
milestone, one Of them in the compile
tion Of hB ssHawaiian Mythology,
which reprdss,ts large amount Of Ia
Dor and whlsh Is probably destined &c
become the nat comprehensive and au
thoritafive c@atribution 70 this section
OF efhnology Ito come of the popular
press. The Arse part Of this work l.
now in the hdhds Of the publishers and
he has the sec1nd part still at his Thurs
ton Avenue hdpe,feady for the printer
He has gathe|ed many valuable illus
trations for III but II Is possible thai
the war via Aelaye'the publication Of
the work. A
Editor For rorlandtf
There win alio issue this week, il i,
believed, from TIE Bishop Museum press
the second parf pf.sthe first series OF
Fernandez 3 w6iks W Which Mr.. Thrum
is the editor. This ielhssie, which has
laid in mannsctfkf fsfm since the death
Of the author IN ls81 Is now being pub
Hshed in the original 1angnage with the
translation, aud Mrs. Thfum's selection
AZ the editor whi a,reedgnition Of his
ability Of no small measure.
Miss Helen Aldxanlef's tableaux al
Laniakea Saturday etenihg and Other
recent and worthy attempts to rehabili
tata forgotten Hawaii served yesterday
as the basis Of an Interview in which
Mr.. Thrum appealed against the adop
ton Of the hula As Hfwaii's one con
, tribution TO doubtful culture. ,,i
Spread Of Hula Disguise
*sI did not see Mis- Alexander =
thbleaux, y stated Mr.. Thrum, .sbui
would imagine, If they wsre Historically
correct as no doubt tley were, that
they would serve as a god example OF
what might be done with Hawaiian ma
terial in entertainments. This spread
Of the hula a. typieally Hawaiian dis
gusts; its universal acceptance as such
fills me with annoyance, ffhit seems as
II everything happy am beautiful
which the Hawaiian Possessed has been
overlooked in favor Of Ills atrocity
which has nothing TO do whatever with
the ancient race.
Tabu On Statute Book
~ have memoranda taken some time
ago which seems I'd Indicate that there
- d law against the hula d our sta
fufe books somewhere, but IRON what
can learn il has not beai recalled
for q quarter Of a century. Thus in
The Advertiser Of Deeemberlll, 1886
/ found notice of police court ease
arising over the hula and IN The Ad-
vertiser Of November z, 1874 found Q
reference to a condemnation pf II by
Prince Lileiokoku, the brother OF
David. On trip 10 Hilo in October
Of that year he was offered the services
Of several hula companies towards his
entertainments but he refused then
with the statement that nSthinz woul6
please him better than tosee,the 80
called dances eliminated, As nothing
was more derogatory to the Hawaiian
raee.n $50
Mr. Thrum yesterday recalled many
filings out of his intimate knowledge
for Hawaiian customs which could bs
utilized attractiyely in entertainments
where the Hawaiian note wis desired
and which could replace the hula. HI
referred 10 the entertainments kivef
some time ago at the Young Hotel BY
retired attorney Of Buffalo In which
Il was demonstrated that wholesoms
amusement was possible in 4 fevivifiea
ton of ancient Hawaii. Mr., Parker
the Buffalo man, at that lime, will
the assistance Of Charles III King re
produced many Of the same dances tina
we're utilized in Miss Alexander )
iabIeaux, said Mr.. Thrum.
How Error Arose
HtsI can blame, in many Ways To-
the widespread belief that Che hnli
was q religious dance Of the Hhyaiians
The thesis of q recent book, tThe I'm
wriften Literature OF Hawaii This ut
fempts TO prove il, but 1t ID all rot
The hula never was religious dane
Of the Hawaiians, and never bad any
connection with the Hawaiian religion
beliefs IN the general acceptance o
the term. 0# tM
Erroneous suppositions may have
been gathered from the fact thht Their,
was in the old temple servieeb which
were known as the hula-hula. This wa
not In any sense dance. II was !
I.....Al.. dhanf IN aur,aol a. .aIta h.o1a
The Hawaiian word which desetibel
these services means severe Their,
was no thought or trace Of amSserReni
IN them. fs Ma