Wakea and Papa
Alapa'i Geneaology chant;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxcQBZayHW0
Beyer/Saffery family video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUi4Uyr5-fU
Beyer family pictures;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb9afU5bDhM
Mele hula a me na 'oli hula Vol1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-WVIC9YCaU
Every family has their own traditions these are the traditions of our 'ohana as passed down through the centuries. This story has its origins in Tahiti and Hawai'i perhaps close to the year 0 a.d. if you calculate 25 years per person as recorded in our geneaology.
Wakea was the youngest child of Kahiko and his wife Kupulanakehau. His oldest brother was Lihau'ula. Lihau'ula was left all the ancestral lands by his father Kahiko, leaving Wakea destitute. After the death of Kahiko, Lihau'ula made war against his younger brother Wakea. Lihau'ula was confident that his larger forces could easily defeat his younger brother and his followers. As fate would have it Wakea killed his brother in battle and assumed control of their ancestral lands.
A rival chief of Tahiti Ku or eastern Tahiti, called Kane-ia-Kumuhonua then attacked Wakea and his forces, defeating them he drove Wakea and his followers into the sea.
Wakea's defeated forces found themselves in dire straits, tired and about to give up Wakea turned to his priest Komo'awa and asked for him for his advice this is what he said, " What shall we do today to save our lives?" Komo'awa answered, "Build a heiau to the ancesral deity." Wakea was puzzled by his answer and replied, "There is no wood here with which to build a heiau, or a pig to make a suitable offering." Komo'awa answered, "There is wood and there is a pig, lift up your hand, hallow the palm of your hand into a cup, and then elevate the fingers. The house is built. Now pinch together the fingers of the left hand into a cone and put the finger tips into the hallow of your right hand. The heiau is now complete, only the prayer is left. Gather together all the people." After the prayer was said Komo'awa asked Wakea "How was the prayer?" Wakea answered "It was good." The ceremony of the 'aha was declared perfect and the followers of Wakea were saved.
Wakea and his forces returned to land, reorganized engaged Kane-ia-Kumuhonua and routed him in battle, thus once again securing their rights to the land. This was the beggining of the government of Wakea.
Wakea wed the beautiful Papa-Nui-Hanaumoku and at this point the story splits into many different versions. One version tells of how Wakea conjured up a plan with his priest Komo'awa to deceive his wife so that he might carry on an affair with his own daughter the beautiful Ho'ohokukalani. The other less known version says that Ho'ohokukalani was the daughter of Komo'awa and his wife Popokolonuha and therefore was not his own daughter. In order to carry off his plans he convinces Papa to agree to several knew restrictions or kapu relating men and woman and establishes religious days for separating away husband and wives, men and woman according to the newly insituted lunar religious cycle. He insitutes 4 kapu periods during the lunar month so that he might covertly separate himself away from his wife and enjoy the company of Ho'ohokukalani.
These are the 4 kapu periods in the month,
1. The first is called Ku, it begins on the evening of the night called Hilo when the new moon appears in the west at evening and ends on the 4th day called Kulua.
2. The second Kapu period is called Hua, it begins on the 12th day called Mohalu and ends on the 14th day Akua.
3. The 3rd Kapu period is called Kanaloa it begins on the 23rd day 'Ole Pau and ends on the 25 Kanaloakulua.
4. The 4th Kapu period is called Kane it begins on the 27th day called Kane and ends on the 29th day Mauli, when the moon rises at daylite. This was the traditional cycle followed for each month except during the 4 months of Makahiki.
On the second night of his plan he accidently falls asleep in the house of Ho'ohokukalani and awakens only when the morning sun had already risen. Komo'awa his priest cleric attempts to awaken him with a chant or mele ho'ala,
E 'ala au aku, e 'ala au mai!
E 'ala o Makia, o Makia a Hano!
A hano ke 'aka, o ke 'aka kuhea,
O ke 'aka ki'i i hikina.
Ku ka hikina 'iluna ka lani.
Ka 'opua 'ulu nui, ka 'opua, makolu na ka ua,
Kahe ka'a wai mukeha,
'O'ili, 'olapa i ka lani poni.
Poni ha'a i ka mea.
Mo ka pawa, lele ka hoku,
Ha'ule ka lani, mo'aka'aka i ke 'ao malamalama.
'Ala mai, ua au e!
I call to you, answer me!
Awake Makia, Makia son of Hano!
Portentuous is the shadow, the shadow of him who calls,
Shadow rising from the east.
Morning climbs the heavens.
The piled up clouds, the gloomy clouds
down pours the rain,
A rush of waters, a flood.
Lightning darts and flashes in the dark heavens,
Bound with a strong covenant to that one.
The curtains of night are lifted, the stars flee away,
The king's honor is dashed, all is visible in the light of day.
Awake! Lo the day is come!
Wakea awakens and hastily attempts to return to his own house hoping to be unnoticed but is caught in the act by Papa. As a chiefess of considerable rank she is furious with her husband and all attempts to appease her fail, either Wakea divorces her or as some versions say she divorces him by spitting in his face. She then returns to eatern Kahiti-ku eastern Tahiti to the island of Ra'i'atea also called Hawaiki.
Papa then takes as her male consort her husbands servant or kauwa Ha'akauilana with whon she has a child named Kekeu. Kekeu marries Lumilani and has Noa who marries Papa the 2nd and has Pu'eoNui-weluwelu who marries Noni and has Makanoni and another child. This is the beggining of the caste of people known as the Kauwa or servant class.
Papa = Ha'akauilana
1. Kekeu = Lumilani
a. Noa = Papa IInd
1. Pu'eoNui Weluwelu = Noni
a. Makanoni
b. (Another child)
Papa hears that Wakea is stil consorting with Ho'ohokulani and her jeaulosy over comes her anger. The simple thought that her husband is still having an affair with another woman drives her back into the arms of her husband. Together they have a second set of children.
The Hawaiian historian Samuel Kamakau states that this was the beggining of the chiefs practice of having more than one wife or husband.
The Wakea-Papa-Ho'ohokukalani-Haloa story is important because it establishes the connections between the social orders the ali'i, kaula, maka'ainana and kauwa castes. It has been said that the parents of of Wakea, Kahiko-lua-mea and Kupulanakehau established the ranks through their children. Lihau'ula the first son becomes the kaula or religious cleric caste under the name Milipomea.
Wakea's line the ali'i or chiefs and Maku'u a younger brother the maka'ainana or commoners.
In the beggining there were few people, each family governed themselves under the leadership of the olderst family member who was called the Haku.
The kaula or religious clerics were separated away from the rest of the family. Over time this separation created an on going power struggle between the chiefs and the religious clerics which resulted in bloody clan warfare over territory and control of the religious marae, heiau or ancestral temple complexes. The chiefs believed there powers were restricted by the cleric religious caste and devised a plan which would unite the two offices under one lineage. Haloa IInd assumed 3 natures, ancestral living deity, kaula or religious cleric, and chief. The fusion of these two castes created a polynesian theocracy through which the religious order and Ali'i class governed and coexsisted to rule over the populace.
The following popular Wakea/Papa chant is of a relativley modern origin composed during the rule of Kamehameha after he instructed his priests to teach the ancient history to some of the chiefs. The composers use metaphor to symbolically exspress the concept of lineage and descent through the birthing figuratively of the Hawaiian islands as children. The chant is meant to celebrate the many descendants Chiefs, Priests and Commoners all who are related spread across every one of the Hawaiian islands.
O Wakea noho ia Papa-hanau-moku,
Hanau o Hawai'i, he moku,
Hanau o Maui, he moku,
Ho'i hou o Wakea noho ia Ho'ohokukalani,
Hanau o Moloka'i, he moku,
Hanau o Lana'i ka 'ula, he moku,
Lili-'opu-punalua o Papa ia Ho'ohokukalani.
Ho'i hou o Papa noho ia Wakea.
Hanau o O'ahu, he moku,
Hanau o Kaua'i, he moku,
Hanau o Ni'ihau, he moku,
He 'ula a o Kaho'olawe.
Here are the original names of the Hawaiian islands
1. Hawai'i = Lono-Nui-'Akea
2. Maui = 'Ihi-kapalau-Ma'ewa
3. Moloka'i = no other name given
4. Kaho'olawe = Kanaloa
5. Lana'i = Nana'i also Lana'i-Kaula
6. O'ahu = Lalo-i-Mehani named after old name of Ra'i'ate in Tahiti, O'ahu was also called Lalo-Waia and Lalo-o-Hoani
7. Kaua'i = Kamawae-Lualani
8. Ni'ihau = no other name given
Some versions of the Wakea story say that he was born on O'ahu at Waolani in Nu'uanu valley and that Papa lived in the district of Ewa, their family resided on the lands that streched from Halawa to Waikiki an area that was once known by the name Lalo-Waia. After her divorce from Wakea one chant says,
" Papa left and returned to Tahiti'
"Went back to Tahiti at Kapukapu'akea"
"Wakea stayed, lived with Kaula as wife."
On Ra'i'atea also called Hawaiki or Lalo-i-Mehani and Lolo-i-Mehani in Hawaiian chants, is the marae, heiau complex of Taputapu'Atea. There were 2 Kapukapu'Akea heiau in Hawai'i one on Moloka'i and the other on O'ahu at the point of land before Hale'iwa harbor.
Second Generation
Haloa IInd suceeded his father Wakea and maried Hina-Mamo-'Ulua'e. Little is known about this time. Their son Waia inherited the government and it was said that he was a corrupt ruler, "absorbed in the pursuit of pleasure, disregarding the instruction of his father to pray to the ancestral deities, to look after the affairs of the chiefdom, and to take good care of the people so that the country might prosper." A very strange story is told about these times regarding the appearance in the sky of a floating, talking head, and a voice that came from it asking the people questions,
"What chief on the earth below lives an honest life?" The head asked as it floated in the sky and the people answered, "Kahiko."
The head then asked, "What good has Kahiko done?" the people replied, "Kahiko is well skilled in all the departments of the government, he is priest and diviner, he looks after the people in his government, Kahiko is patient and forbearing."
The voice then declared, "Then it is Kahiko who is the righteous, the benevolent man." The voice asked again, "What chief on earth lives corruptly?" The people answered with a shout, "Waia is the wicked chief."
"What sin has he committed?" The people answered, "He utters no prayers, he employs no priest, he has no diviner, he knows not how to govern."
The head then said, "Then he is the wicked chief." The floating head then disappeared into the sky.
"What chief on the earth below lives an honest life?" The head asked as it floated in the sky and the people answered, "Kahiko."
The head then asked, "What good has Kahiko done?" the people replied, "Kahiko is well skilled in all the departments of the government, he is priest and diviner, he looks after the people in his government, Kahiko is patient and forbearing."
The voice then declared, "Then it is Kahiko who is the righteous, the benevolent man." The voice asked again, "What chief on earth lives corruptly?" The people answered with a shout, "Waia is the wicked chief."
"What sin has he committed?" The people answered, "He utters no prayers, he employs no priest, he has no diviner, he knows not how to govern."
The head then said, "Then he is the wicked chief." The floating head then disappeared into the sky.