Hawaiian Antiquities (Mo‘olelo Hawai‘i)
Hawaiian Antiquities is a singular account of Hawaiian culture and society in pre-Christian times. David Malo's engrossing work, completed in 1839, tells of the material world, and activities of his people, as well as their origins, myths and beliefs. David Malo stands with Samuel Kamakau and John Papa ‘I‘i as one of the three most significant native Hawaiian historians of the nineteenth century. Malo's Hawaiian Antiquities is considered a classic and deserves a place in the library of any serious student of Hawaiiana.
Born in 1795 and raised among chiefs, priests, artisans and scholars in the court of Kamehameha I, David Malo provides one of the few authentic sources of information on the ancient beliefs and practices of Hawaiians. Malo was among the first Hawaiians to study reading and writing with the missionaries. Although he was influenced by the Christian teachings, he had been brought up under the traditional Hawaiian kapu system and his writings embody Hawaiian patterns of thought.
Translated by Nathaniel B. Emerson
$19.95
isbn 978-0-910240-15-4
softcover, 6x9, 302pp.
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, David Malo, Hawaiian culture, Hawaiian Traditions
