7 januari 2017
LONOPUHA; OR, ORIGIN OF THE ART OF HEALING IN
HAWAII
_Translated by Thos. G. Thrum_
During the time that Milu was residing at
Waipio, Hawaii, the year of which is unknown, there came to these shores a
number of people, with their wives, from that vague foreign land, Kahiki. But
they were all of godly kind (_ano akua nae_), it is said, and drew attention as
they journeyed from place to place. They arrived first at Niihau, and from
there they travelled through all the islands. At Hawaii they landed at the
south side, thence to Puna, Hilo, and settled at Kukuihaele, Hamakua, just
above Waipio.
On every island they visited there appeared
various diseases, and many deaths resulted, so that it was said this was their
doings, among the chiefs and people. The diseases that followed in their
train were chills, fevers, headache, _pani_,
and so on.
These are the names of some of these people:
Kaalaenuiahina, Kahuilaokalani, Kaneikaulanaula, besides others. They brought death,
but one Kamakanuiahailono followed after them with healing powers. This was
perhaps the origin of sickness and the art of healing with medicines in Hawaii.
As has been said, diseases settled on the
different islands like an epidemic, and the practice of medicine ensued, for
Kamakanuiahailono followed them in their journeyings. He arrived at Kau,
stopping at Kiolakaa, on the west side of Waiohinu, where a great multitude of people
were residing, and Lono was their chief. The stranger sat on a certain hill,
where many of the people visited him, for the reason that he was a newcomer, a
custom that is continued to this day. While there he noticed the redness of
skin of a certain one of them, and remarked, "Oh, the redness of skin of
that man!"
The people replied, "Oh, that is Lono, the
chief of this land, and he is a farmer."
He again spoke, asserting that his sickness was
very great; for through the redness of the skin he knew him to be a sick man.
They again replied that he was a healthy man,
"but you consider him very sick." He then left the residents and set
out on his journey. Some of those who heard his remarks ran and told the chief
the strange words, "that he was a very sick man." On hearing this, Lono
raised up his _oo_ (digger) and said, "Here I am, without any sign of disease,
and yet I am sick." And as he brought down his _oo_ with considerable
force, it struck his foot and pierced it through, causing the blood to flow
freely, so that he fell and fainted away. At this, one of the men seized a pig
and ran after the stranger, who, hearing the pig squealing, looked behind him
and saw the man running with it; and as he neared him he dropped it before him,
and told him of Lono's misfortune, Kamakanuiahailono then returned, gathering
on the way the young popolo seeds and its tender leaves in his garment (_kihei_).
When he arrived at the place where the wounded man was lying he asked for some
salt, which he took and pounded together with the popolo and placed it with a
cocoanut covering on the wound. From then till night the flowing of the blood
ceased. After two or three weeks had elapsed he again took his departure.
While he was leisurely journeying, some one
breathing heavily approached him in the rear, and, turning around, there was
the chief, and he asked him: "What is it, Lono, and where are you
going?"
Lono replied, "You healed me; therefore,
as soon as you had departed I immediately consulted with my successors, and
have resigned my offices to them, so that they will have control over all. As
for myself, I followed after you, that you might teach me the art of
healing."
The _kahuna lapaau_ (medical priest) then said,
"Open your mouth." When Lono opened his mouth, the kahuna spat into
it, [6] by which he would become proficient in the calling he had chosen, and
in which he eventually became, in fact, very skilful.
As they travelled, he instructed Lono (on
account of the accident to his foot he was called Lonopuha) in the various
diseases, and the different medicines for the proper treatment of each. They
journeyed through Kau, Puna, and Hilo, thence onward to Hamakua as far as Kukuihaele.
Prior to their arrival there, Kamakanuiahailono said to Lonopuha, "It is
better that we reside apart, lest your healing practice do not succeed; but you
settle elsewhere, so as to gain recognition from your own skill."
For this reason, Lonopuha went on farther and
located in Waimanu, and there practised the art of healing. On account of his
labors here, he became famous as a skilful healer, which fame Kamakanuiahailono
and others heard of at Kukuihaele; but he never revealed to _Kaalaenuiahina
ma_ (company) of his teaching of Lonopuha,
through which he became celebrated. It so happened that _Kaalaenuiahina ma_
were seeking an occasion to cause Milu's death, and he was becoming sickly
through their evil efforts.
When Milu heard of the fame of Lonopuha as a
skilful healer, because of those who were afflicted with disease and would have
died but for his treatment, he sent his messenger after him. On arriving at
Milu's house, Lonopuha examined and felt of him, and then said, "You will have
no sickness, provided you be obedient to my teachings." He then exercised
his art, and under his medical treatment Milu recovered.
Lonopuha then said to him: "I have treated
you, and you are well of the internal ailments you suffered under, and only
that from without remains. Now, you must build a house of leaves and dwell
therein in quietness for a few weeks, to recuperate." These houses are
called _pipipi_, such being the place to which invalids are moved for convalescent
treatment unless something unforeseen should occur.
Upon Milu's removal thereto, Lonopuha advised
him as follows: "O King! you are to dwell in this house according to the
length of time directed, in perfect quietness; and should the excitement of
sports with attendant loud cheering prevail here, I warn you against these as
omens of evil for your death; and I advise you not to loosen the _ti_ leaves of
your house to peep out to see the cause, for on the very day you do so, that
day you will perish."
Some two weeks had scarcely passed since the
King had been confined in accordance with the kahuna's instructions, when
noises from various directions in proximity to the King's dwelling were heard, but
he regarded the advice of the priest all that day. The cause of the commotion
was the appearance of two birds playing in the air, which so excited the people
that they kept cheering them all that day.
Three weeks had almost passed when loud
cheering was again heard in Waipio, caused by a large bird decorated with very
beautiful feathers, which flew out from the clouds and soared proudly over the
_palis_ (precipices) of Koaekea and Kaholokuaiwa, and poised gracefully over
the people; therefore, they cheered as they pursued it here and there. Milu was
much worried thereby, and became so impatient that he could no longer regard
the priest's caution; so he lifted some of the ti leaves of his house to look
out at the bird, when instantly it made a thrust at him, striking him under the
armpit, whereby his life was taken and he was dead (_lilo ai kona ola a make
iho la_).
The priest saw the bird flying with the liver
of Milu; therefore, he followed after it. When it saw that it was pursued, it
immediately entered into a sunken rock just above the base of the precipice of Koaekea.
As he reached the place, the blood was spattered around where the bird had
entered. Taking a piece of garment (_pahoola_), he soaked it with the blood and
returned and placed it in the opening in the body of the dead King and poured healing
medicine on the wound, whereby Milu recovered. And the place where the bird
entered with Milu's liver has ever since been called Keakeomilu (the liver of
Milu).
A long while afterward, when this death of the
King was as nothing (_i mea ole_), and he recovered as formerly, the priest
refrained not from warning him, saying: "You have escaped from this death;
there remains for you one other."
After Milu became convalescent from his recent
serious experience, a few months perhaps had elapsed, when the surf at Waipio
became very high and was breaking heavily on the beach. This naturally caused much
commotion and excitement among the people, as the numerous surf-riders,
participating in the sport, would land upon the beach on their surf-boards.
Continuous cheering prevailed, and the hilarity rendered Milu so impatient at
the restraint put upon him by the priest that he forsook his wise counsel and
joined in the exhilarating sport.
Seizing a surf-board he swam out some distance
to the selected spot for suitable surfs. Here he let the first and second
combers pass him; but watching his opportunity he started with the momentum of
the heavier third comber, catching the crest just right. Quartering on the rear
of his board, he rode in with majestic swiftness, and landed nicely on the
beach amid the cheers and shouts of the people. He then repeated the venture
and was riding in as successfully, when, in a
moment of careless abandon, at the place where
the surfs finish as they break on the beach, he was thrust under and suddenly
disappeared, while the surf-board flew from under and was thrown violently upon
the shore. The people in amazement beheld the event, and wildly exclaimed:
"Alas! Milu is dead! Milu is dead!"
With sad wonderment they searched and watched in vain for his body. Thus was
seen the result of repeated disobedience.
Terima kasih telah mengunjungi blog @athia00 ikuti terus cerita lainnya..
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