UM
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and nobles: 3. Kouakae or Tanatas, cultivators and artisans*
This division corresponds nearly with those of the Ariis, Raa-
tiras, and Taatas of Tahiti, the Ardus*: Ranga-Tiras, and
Tangatas of New >Zealand, and the Eguis, Mataboulais, and
Touas of Tonga.
The traditions of the Hawaiians are similar to those of
Tahitii*: According to one story the first ? inhabitant of
Hawaii descended from Haumea, a female divinity ; another
fable made them the progeny of Akea> a sort of intermediate
being* between the gods and men. The most generally received
story is that the people came originally in a canoe from
Tahiti, the word Tahiti bearing an indefinite meaning-, and
expressing any remote place abroad: iIn ancient times, according
to this inythos, when the oèean covered the whole
world, “ un gros oiseau s’abattit sur ses-ondes, et y pondit un
çeuf qui devint Hawaii. Peu après, un homme, une-fepapae^
un cochon, un chien, une couples-dé poules, arrivèrent- dans
une pirogue de Taïti, abordèrent sur la côte orientale<A’Hawaii,
et s y établirent. Une version qui avait cours à Oahou
ajoutait que les nouveaux-venus s’arrangèrent 'à Taimâble
avec les dieux et les esprits qui seuls peuplaient alors les îles»
Les memes itraditions ; et d’autres encore mentionnent un
deluge qui submergea tout le- groupe à l’exception d’un piton
laisse al sec ; sur le Mouna Kea. Là des êtres humains se
sauvèrent et servirent de noyau à la population actuelle.;'’? p
The following account is given by my late excellent friend,
M. De Freycinet,- of; 'the religious notions and customs o f the
Hawaiians.
“ Les attributs de. la divinité forment autantede dieux
différens ou. d’esprits particuliers, auxquels a été 1 attribué lé
pouvoir de disperser le bien et- le mal au genre humain,
suivant le mérite de chacun. Leur résidence habituelle est
placée dans les idoles ou dans les corps de certains animaux.
Une hiérarchie immuable soumet, aux dieux les plus puissans
ceux qui exercent le moindre pouvoir. Les âmes des rois,
des héros, de certains prêtres, forment une légion de dieux
* D’Urville, Résumé General des Voyages et Découveiies, vol. i. p. 441.
Ellis, Tour round Hawaii.
inférieurs'; et tutélaires, subordonnés également entre eux,
suivant le rangbqu’ilsi < occupent sur. la terre. De malins
esprits^; ;qùiî n® plaisent qifà nuiré) Sont l’objet de conjurations
e t d’exorciSmesi! Desprêtres^ des sdreiets, des augures,
des offrandes), des sacrifices humains,: les honneurs renduB
aux mdrt&ylës-cerémonies expiatoiies et quelques autres, enfin
l’établissement dés villes de refogejîi tel est d’ensemble du
culte extérieur.”
eEaoh • family had its own divinity : these. of Tamea-mea
were the-god of war,a and. Dele, »the goddess "of volcanos f of
Maui, the god Keoro-Eva.- Swine were offered to dhe latter,
the. priest piercing.-the ears , of tbe;animal, after whieh it was
suffered to ranges over the island: .unmolestedy and regarded
as sacred. Tiha .wast also worshipped at Mauii | At Ranaiy
Rae-Apoua and Eane-Apoua, gods- of the ^sea, were worshipped
by fishermen; Morokafworshippêd iMoho-Arii (king
o f lizards) under , the form of a shark ; and certain fish
were offered to him. E very-promontory „had; its temple and
rites*’ |
Their deities presided; over winds, ; seasons, 4nd : tides, and
received the prayers* and vov^iplimariners.!- f^arai^Eahoa,
Ae »««tvhideQuS i o f all the ddblsjtof -tbe: Arçhipdago, was
worshipped at Morokai ; he was made of a wood so poisonous
as to ^ render* deadly water: which rested] in it. This* idol
was broken uprat theJ death of Tamea^Meay and divided between
the chiefs; ■ = But another-specimen of this deity? existed
at Morokai, am idol to which is attached a singular legend.
A physical difference between the higher and lower classés
is observed in other »groupes- of islandsiëMn the Hawaiian or
Sandwich Islands we find it described by-voyagera ; > and here,
according to the very positive and apparently accurate account
of M; Choris,1 a distinguished artist, and who as a painter may
be supposed very unlikely to have 'given a mistaken testimony
on a subject of this kind, the .'difference between the higher
and lower classes as to complexion and corresponding peculiarities
is ' somewhat different,from 'what is said to exist in
other groupes of island^.
The following is the description of the Hawaiians given by
M. Chous in his own words :—