Essential mo'olelo Hawai'i?
To understand the history and traditions of ancient Hawai'i, what books do you recommend?
To understand the history and traditions of ancient Hawai'i, what books do you recommend?
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September 24th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
As the author of the Bishop Museum book on lomilomi, I have dozens of books on my shelves, but the one I pull out most often is of course the "Hawaiian Dictionary" (on this site by UH Press). The other book I love is the 2 volume set, "Nana i ke Kumu: Look to the Source," by Mary Kawena Pukui and co-authors. The first volume is out of print though rumored to be coming back soon. Don't be intimidated by the title or number of volumes. It is very engagingly written, conversational, and covers the essential basics everyone needs to know. I re-read it every few years.
September 25th, 2009 at 7:09 am
I learn a lot visually as well as through reading, so I really enjoy Herb Kane's books. "Voyagers" and "Ancient Hawaii" are both wonderful books for anyone who wants to get a real feel for the Hawaii of old. Reading Herb's comments about his own paintings gives me chicken skin. A person could spend hours just looking at the detail in Herb Kane's paintings and drawings.
Herb Kane is a real island treasure.