Recently, my wife and I traveled to the island of Maui and visited the high subalpine cinderlands of Haleakalā. The name of the place, which literally means "house of the sun" gives some indication of its significance in the Hawaiian world view, for the sun was a manifestation of the god Kāne, one of the four principal Hawaiian deities. One of the peaks of Haleakalā, named Hanakauhi, is associated with the feat of the slowing of the sun's travels across the sky. According to tradition, the sun in ancient times sped across the sky, and anything left out to dry (such as kapa) would remain wet, and rot instead. At Hanakauhi, tells kupuna (elder) Inez Ashdown, the demigod Maui awaited the rising of the sun, and using his net, snared the great blazing god. In the ensuing struggle, Maui breaks the legs of the sun, but spares his life when he agrees to move more slowly across the sky.That the highest peaks of our islands, Haleakalā (10,023 ft), Hualalai (8,271 ft), Mauna Loa (13,677 ft), and Mauna Kea (13,796 ft) should be considered sacred, homes of gods, and the sites of the great exploits of Hawaiian mythology is in keeping with the idea that there is a basic dichotomy, a division between the realm of people (wao kanaka) and the realm of gods (wao akua).
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k72/ohukaniohia/cinder_snow_sm.jpgMauna Kea is famous as the home of Poliahu, goddess of the snows, while Mauna Loa is one of the wahi of Pele, goddess of volcanic fires. But one does not have to go to the summits to enter the wao akua. The wao kanaka of old was along the coast, and in the arable, mild lowlands where humans can thrive. Above the cultivated lands were typically native forest, and there was the boundary to the wao akua, for the forest was the realm of Kū, god of war, governance, and upright growth (such as trees). The common person did not visit the wao akua without good reason, and when there was cause, as to gather a tree for canoe-making, the kahuna kālai waʻa (kahuna of canoe-making) would spend days preparing spiritually, and the party would be chosen to enter the place with appropriate ceremony and offerings, for example, as Malo recorded, "e lawe nō lākou me ka puaʻa, me ka niu, a me ka iʻa ʻula, a me ka ʻawa [they had to take pigs, coconuts, red fish, and 'awa]."
If infrequent visitations to the wao akua was the rule, then any kind of more permanent sign of human presence should be rare in the uplands of Hawai'i, and such indeed is the case. One might come across a trail in the barren lands, where smooth water-worn boulders might be laid across a rough ʻaʻā lava field. Temporary shelters marked by low, C-shaped crescents of rocks (to turn aside the cold night winds) marked where travelers were forced to spend the night. Lava tubes in the subalpine regions yield their clues as well, bits of marine shellfish or other transported foods, or the remains of a water gourd placed strategically under a seep of fresh water dripping from a section of cave roof to collect the precious commodity for use outside, in the dusty, sun-baked setting. Some of these ancient travelers and campers may have been using the high trails to go on important errands across the island. Other reasons included gathering the fat chicks of the 'ua'u (a Hawaiian seabird that seasonally nests in burrows in the cinder highlands), a delicacy reserved for the ali'i (chiefs).
Indeed, some unlikely sites very far from the wao kanaka were regularly visited. Perhaps the most famous (and highest in elevation) of the ancient Hawaiian upland sites is the adz quarry Keanakākoʻi. It is an old site (apparently in full production by the 15th century), and indicates how far Hawaiians would go if there was a good enough reason. It is generally acknowledged that the Keanakākoʻi site provided some of the finest quality basalt for the making of Hawaiian stone adzes (koʻi). The fact that it was located in the alpine zone, on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea, at up to 12,400 feet elevation meant that Hawaiians braved a multi-day excursion into a barren land, and dealt with freezing temperatures at night, while working to quarry and process the adz precursors (called "blanks") before returning to the warm lowlands and home. Tons of sharps flakes of basalt material lie on the ground at the site, which covers 7½ square miles, making it the largest adz-quarry in the Pacific. An equal or greater tonnage of blanks must have been created and taken from the site, showing up ultimately at sites in all of the districts on the Island of Hawaii, and even on other islands.
The adz sites were considered sacred, and as Malo notes, "ʻO ka poʻe kā koʻi, kekahi poʻe i manaʻo nui ʻia i ka wā kahiko ma Hawai'i nei [adz-makers were an extremely esteemed class in ancient Hawai'i nei]." Thus, the entrance of people into the wao akua was by esteemed kahuna dedicated to the selection and creation of adzes, and not for the common person.
Numerous small shrines occur at Keanakākoʻi, thought to be dedicated to the gods of adz-making. Other small shrines have been described from various locations in Haleakalā. However, the massive rock-walled structures of heiau (temples) typically found in the lowlands or on the coast are all but lacking in the uplands of Hawai'i.
One of the major exceptions is the 15th century structure called Ahu a ʻUmi, which lies in the remote high saddle between Hualālai and Mauna Loa volcanoes, at about 5,200 feet elevation. At the site, no oceans are visible, only the major mountains of the Island of Hawaiʻi: Kohala, Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Mauna Kea. When I stood at the site, I also noticed that each of the mountains seemed equal in size, giving the strong impression that here was the center of the island. It is an awe-inspiring spot, one from which the high chief ʻUmi consolidated his rule over the wayward districts of his huge island realm.So, when you next visit the highlands of Maui or Hawaiʻi, surrounded by the cold, full silence of the alpine air and the vistas of our highest peaks, realize that you are in the realm of the gods of ancient Hawaiʻi. It is a realm not wandered through lightly by the common person, but one that still inspires awe and respect from us today.
Indeed e'ohukani'ohi'a, you did a phenmonenal job at giving us a wonderful depiction of the relams of wao akua and wao kanaka. The wahi pana that you described are very spiritually enlightening like you mentioned. If you are able to humbly soak up the elements of these places, hear the mo'olelo and know the history of our 'Aina you will have similar revelations like you so eloquantly described and that I have also had the privilege to see and experience. Let thier stories be told and heard through generations and this 'aina forever hold its mana. Through the sharing of your 'ike, I have hope that we as the next generation is in good hands. Mahalo Nui.
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