Kepelino's Traditions of Hawaii
Kepelino, like native Hawaiian historians Malo, Kamakau, and Papa 'I'i, worked in the mid-19th century to record Hawaiian historical, cultural, and religious knowledge for future generations. He wrote during a time of great intellectual ferment among Native Hawaiians, creating the bulk of his work between 1860 and 1870. It was in 1868 that Kepelino produced the text, "Mooolelo Hawaii," what we now refer to as Kepelino's Traditions of Hawaii.
This book is divided into five sections. The first section deals with the nature and worship of gods, the peopling of Hawaii, the story of the flood, death and the afterlife, as well as the worship of chiefs. The second section of the text concerns itself with the nature of the Hawaiian people, the chief Hawaii Nui and his arrival in the islands, and connects the stories about the discovery of the islands to the navigators and stars that guide them. The third section deals with a discipline of knowledge concerned with dreams and dream interpretation. The fourths section of the text provides another descriptive listing of the different levels of society and the offices to be found within the circle of the chiefs, including discussion on chiefly kapu, and the personal effects of the ali'i. The final section contains a short discussion of government, and the gifting of h0'okupu, yet deals primarily with methods of farming and the preparation of food.
Originally published in 1932, this new edition of Kepelino's Traditions of Hawaii includes the original Hawaiian and English text edited by Martha Beckwith, along with notes by Mary Kawena Pukui and a new foreword by contemporary Native Hawaiian scholar Noelani Arista.
$24.95, hardcover isbn 978-1-58178-060-4 $16.95, softcover isbn 978-1-58178-062-8 7 x 10, 216 pp.Available at Bishop Museum's Shop Pacifica (phone 808-848-4158, email at shop@bishopmuseum.org) and other fine bookstores throughout the islands.
Tags: Bishop Museum Press, class, culture, daily life, farming, History, navigation, religion, society, tradition
