Hawaii History:
(from “History of the Catholic Mission in the Hawaiian Islands” by Father Reginald Yzendoorn, SS.CC., Honolulu Star-Bulletin Ltd., Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, 1927)
(continued from May 26th)
According to the legends which were then current among the native Hawaiians, strangers from foreign lands had at different times landed on the shores of the Hawaiian Islands, some of whom had remained in the country, whilst others had left.
Among the former, those who stayed, the most worthy of note was a priest named Paao. Of him was written:
‘In the reign of Kahoukapu, a kahuna (priest) arrived at Hawaii from a foreign country; he was a white man, and brought with him two idols or gods, one large, and the other small; they were adopted by the people and placed among the Hawaiian gods; the temple of Mokini was erected for them, where they were worshiped according to the direction of Paao, who became a powerful man in the nation. The principal event of his life, however, respects a child of Kahoukapu, whose mother was a woman of humble rank, but which was spared at the solicitations of Paao. After his death, his son Opiri, officiated in his temple; and the only particular worthy of note in their account of his life, is his acting as interpreter between the king and a party of white men who arrived at the island . . . . We heard a similar account of this priest at two other places during our tour, at Kairua and at the first place we visited after setting out.’ (Narrative of a Tour through Hawaii, 1828, p. 398 – The first place the missionaries visited after leaving Kailua, was either Luapua or Honuaula, both in North Kona. Pol. Researches IV, 392.)
(to be continued tomorrow)
Blessings, pono & pule!
Fr. Brian Guerrini, ss.cc.
Priest
Molokai