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| Pi'ilanihale-Hana, Maui |
A rutted road in Hana, Maui leads to the site of Pi’ilanihale,
the largest remaining heiau (temple of worship) in all of Polynesia. You must
cross over a creek to get to the entrance of
Kahanu Garden where the heiau was
hidden from sight until 1999. It is hard to believe that this immense structure
spanning three acres built of basalt rocks could be so overgrown with jungle
foliage that it would go unnoticed until modern times. The side facing the sea
rises steeply in five stepped terraces. Construction of the main terrace dates
back to the 14
th century when remote, water-rich Hana was heavily
populated by Hawaiians.
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| Lono -God of Agriculture |
Our guide, also named Pi’ilani, one of 14 children in a
blended Hawaiian family, explained that Lono, the god of fertility, was worshipped
here for agricultural bounty. She said,
the Hawaiians were so embarrassed about the paganism in their past that they
let the heiau become overgrown. They may have also wanted to spare it from
being demolished like so many of the ancient sites were at the behest of
missionaries who prohibited hula, surfing, and even the language in schools in
the 1800’s. Perhaps, the gods did not want this structure trampled upon by
disrespectful tourists. Regardless of why it was hidden from time, the people
of Hana cut back lush jungle foliage that threatened to swallow the edifice
fifteen years ago, revealing a monument to a race of industrious, ingenious and
loving people.
Kahanu Garden where the Pi’ilanihale is located is a flat
expanse of green overlooking a tempestuous Pacific Ocean crashing on black lava
cliffs. It was a landing place of early Polynesian settlers bringing plants
they would need to survive. It was chosen by the ancients to be the site of the
Makahiki Festival that ran for four months from November to February. Warring was forbidden as this time of peace
that allowed warriors to practice skills with contests and games. Elders played
Konana, a form of checkers, and talked story while children frolicked. The tax
collectors came around at this time collecting the bounty of the common people
to be given to the royal class.
Chief Pi’ilani, who
ruled here in the 16th century was beloved by his people for uniting
the warring tribes of Maui and bringing prosperity in his reign. Under his rule the Pi’ilanihale (House of Pi’ilani)
Heiau that began construction in the 1200’s was completed. Rocks from as far
away as Hana Bay, seven miles away, were used to finish the task.
Wandering the grounds that boasts the largest collection of
breadfruit trees in the world, as well as samplings of all of the indigenous
plants brought by early settlers in double-hulled canoes, you can imagine the
joyous village that thrived here under Chief Pi’ilani’s rule. Our guide, Pi’ilani, talked to us about the
many uses of the kukui nut used to keep the fires burning at night. She said
the day began in the evening when the work was done and people came to share
what they had gathered that day in their fish nets, in their taro gardens, and
fruits from the mountain trees.
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| Linda, Lorraine, and Pi'ilani |
Pi’ilani generously
answered all of my questions about the realities of the people of old. At the
end of our tour she told me she wanted to empower me with the gift of her knowledge.
Instead of correcting or judging my tale of her ancestry in my
novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i,
she told me that she understood that my work was built on what I knew. She said
that she would be happy to add her knowledge, as it was handed down to her, to
my pool of understanding. We held hands while as she invited us to join her in
a chant to the gods who reside at Pi’ilanihale and give thanks for the bounty
of the Kahanu Garden, a gift to all who find their way there.A big mahalo to my friend
Lorraine Brodek, author of Nobody in a Somebody who resides in
Hana, for making this very special tour possible for me.
Linda Ballou is the author of Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawai'i, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales and The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon. www.lindaballouauthor.com
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