In their ancestors' worldview, the divine is everywhere, and everything is divine; this notion is known as Kino Lau. This has greatly affected their rituals as they see all natural phenomena, objects, and creatures, as bodily forms assumed by nature gods or nature spirits. Interacting with the gods is the purpose of most ancient rituals. There were hundreds of rites and ceremonies in Ancient Hawaii. These ceremonies would spiritually unite the people to their most holy deities and ancestral spirits. Hula Dances are commonly performed alongside these rituals along with traditional music/chants.
Aia la o Pele (Aia lā ‘o Pele i Hawai‘i - Ka‘iwakīloumoku - Hawaiian Cultural Center (ksbe.edu))
This is traditionally a chant whose phases would be repeated for hours at a time. The chant itself describes Pele (Goddess of Fire and Volcanoes). It expresses their love for her and for the land that they owe to her. The chant is built with neat, evenly phrased verses of two lines each. The hula, an ancient and sacred form of expression that unites the dancer with the divine, is typically performed alongside a chant and percussion instruments.
Kumulipo (The Kumulipo: The Ancient Hawaiian Creation Legend | Self-Guided Audio Tours (shakaguide.com)
The Kumulipo is a lengthy chant that depicts the ancient Hawaiian's account of creation. It is a record of the Hawaiian world's beginnings. For years, it has been preserved and passed down verbally. The chant can be used for celebrations or to teach young children about their ancestors. This music's purpose is not to dance to or play instruments with, but simply a teaching tool.
In modern times marriage is a major ceremony in Hawaii in which everyone in the community participates.
Marriage Rituals
Hawaiian Wedding Traditions - Ancient Hawaiian Weddings
Several distinctive components of a Hawaiian wedding pay respect to traditional Hawaiian customs and honor the spirit of Aloha. A major part of the wedding ceremony is the
Oli Aloha, a chant meant to prepare the space for blessings and to welcome the happy couple and their guests. (Skip to 6 minutes in)
A popular wedding song is Ke Kali Nei Au, typically played during the first dance. It is typically played using ukuleles and slack-key guitars. This is a more modern piece of music and was adapted from a song written by Charles E. King.
A Dance of the hula is typically performed in the wedding ritual, this hula can be performed in many ways such as in the form of a bride performing for her husband or as a hula dancer's tribute to the pair. The dance is seen as a blessing for aloha pau'ole, (your enduring love). Many pieces of music can be played for this hula, Ke Kali Nei Au being one of them. Typically, the music played involves ukuleles and slack-key guitars with singing in the native language.
more sources
Kino Lau | Hawaiian Lore | Makahiki | Hawaiian Gods (mauimagazine.net)
Aloha Spirit 101: An Intro to Hawaiian Wedding Traditions - mywedding
Hula | Definition, Traditions, Importance, & Facts | Britannica
Very cool to read about Hawaiian music and rituals! I had no idea that these types of ceremonies would spiritually unite the people to their most holy deities and ancestral spirits. I also listened to the wedding song “Ke Kali Nei Au”. I can definitely see how this piece has a more modern piece to it, compared to how it usually is played using ukuleles and slack-key guitars. Lastly I want to say that the dance of the hula was interesting as well! For some reason this was almost exactly how I imagined it would be. Overall, very interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteI found it super cool to read about the Hawaiian culture. I really liked listening to the song that is typically played during the first dance. It was really peaceful and I could definitely see why it is used as a first dance song. I also really enjoyed watching the hula dance at the wedding, super cool to read more about Hawaiian culture!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really cool how there's specific types of music to respect divine beings and dance as well as the contrast of educational music used to teach. I never really considered the culture in Hawaii but it was really interesting to learn about.
ReplyDeleteI loved learning a bit more about Hawaiian culture! The first video of the woman dancing was so beautiful to watch; both the song and her movements were so graceful and fluid. The 2,102 line chant is also very impressive! It's so interesting that a chant that long has been able to be preserved and handed down.
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