Ancient Hawai'i is the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawai'i by Kamehameha the Great. Researchers had based their estimates of first settlement by Polynesian long-distance navigators from French Polynesia, Tahiti, the Tuamotus and the Samoan Islands sporadically between 300 and 800. In 2010, a study was published based on radiocarbon dating of more reliable samples and it suggests that the islands were settled much later, within a short timeframe, in c. 1219 - 1266. The islands in Eastern Polynesia have been characterized by the continuities among their cultures, and the short migration period would be an explanation of this result.

Religion held ancient Hawaiian society together, affecting habits, lifestyles, work methods, social policy and law. The legal system was based on religious kapu, or taboos. There was a correct way to live, to worship, and even to eat. Examples of kapu included the provision that men and women could not eat together ('Aikapu religion). Fishing was limited to specified seasons of the year. The shadow of the ali'i must not be touched as it was stealing his mana. The rigidity of the kapu system might have come from a second wave of migrations in 1000-1300 from which different religions and systems were shared between Hawai'i and the Society Islands. Hawai'i would have been influenced by the Tahitian chiefs, the kapu system would have become stricter, and the social structure would have changed. Human sacrifice would have become a part of their new religious observance, and the ali'i would have gained more power over the counsel of experts on the islands. Kapu was derived from traditions and beliefs from Hawaiian worship of gods, demigods and ancestral mana. The forces of nature were personified as the main gods of Ku (God of War), Kane (God of Light and Life), Kanaloa (God of Death), and Lono (God of peace and growth). Well-known lesser gods include Pele (Goddess of Fire) and her sister Hi'iaka (Goddess of Dance). In a famous creation story, the demigod Maui fished the islands of Hawai'i from the sea after a little mistake he made on a fishing trip. From Haleakala, Maui ensnared the sun in another story, forcing him to slow down so there were equal periods of darkness and light each day. The Hawaiian mystical worldview allows for different gods and spirits to imbue any aspect of the natural world. From this mystical perspective, in addition to his presence in lightning and rainbows, the God of Light and Life, Kane, can be present in rain and clouds and a peaceful breeze (typically the "home" of Lono). Although all food and drink had religious significance to the ancient Hawaiians, special cultural emphasis was placed on 'awa (kava) due to its narcotic properties. This root-based beverage, a psychoactive and a relaxant, was used to consecrate meals and commemorate ceremonies. It is often referred to in Hawaiian chant. Different varieties of the root were used by different castes, and the brew served as an "introduction to mysticism".

How did religion effect their society?
Religion held ancient Hawaiian society together, affecting habits, lifestyles, work methods, social policy and law.