Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a central platform, and the boat was steered by two long paddles. The hull was dyed with
plant juices and charcoal. The entire village helped launch such a canoe.
Carving
Wood was one of the primary materials used by Hawaiian craftspeople. They almost ex-
clusively relied on koa because of its density, strength, and natural luster. It was turned into
canoes, woodware, calabashes, and furniture used by the
ali'i.
Temple idols were another
major product of wood carving. A variety of stone artifacts were also turned out, including
poi pounders, mirrors, fish sinkers, and small idols.
Weaving
Hawaiians became the best basket makers and mat weavers in all of Polynesia.
Ulana
(woven mats) were made from
lau hala
(pandanus) leaves. Once the leaf was split, the
spine was removed and the fibers stored in large rolls. When needed these would be
soaked, pounded, and then fashioned into various floor coverings and sleeping mats. In-
tricate geometrical patterns were woven in, and the edges were rolled and well fashioned.
Coconut palms were not used to make mats in old Hawai'i, but a wide variety of basketry
was fashioned from the aerial root
'ie'ie.
The shapes varied according to use. Some bas-
kets were tall and narrow, some were cones, others were flat like trays, and many were
woven around gourds and calabashes.
Featherwork
This highly refined art was practiced only on the islands of Tahiti, New Zealand, and
Hawai'i, but the fashioning of feather helmets and idols was unique to Hawai'i. Favorite
colors were red and yellow, which came only in a limited supply from a small number
of birds such as the
'o'o, 'i'iwi, mamo,
and
'apapane.
Professional bird hunters in old
Hawai'i paid their taxes to
ali'i
in prized feathers. The feathers were fastened to a woven
net of
olona
cord and made into helmets, idols, and beautiful flowing capes and cloaks.
These resplendent garments were made and worn only by men, especially during battle,
when a fine cloak became a great trophy of war. Featherwork was also employed in the
making of
kahili
and lei, which were highly prized by the
ali'i
women.
Lei Making
Any flower or blossom can be strung into a lei, but the most common are orchids or the
lovely-smelling plumeria. Lei, like babies, are all beautiful, but special lei are highly prized
by those who know what to look for. Of the different stringing styles, the most common
is
kui
—stringing the flower through the middle or side. Most “airport-quality” lei are of
