Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 130, 16 February 1891 — SUPERSTITION IN HAWAII. [ARTICLE]

SUPERSTITION IN HAWAII.

After seventv years of religio«B teaohing. we rtgret to say, thāt superstition still remains among HawaiiHnp, and Dotonly ainong the eommon people but also among the cducated and wealthy of the naiivt race. The fall and breaking in pieeea of a hanging portrait is beiieved tobe a sure p»hend of death, aad one of the ways in whieh 3ueh a cataBtrojphe oan be avoided, is by of a pig, dog or aome to propiiiate BDine de}fied ancestor whoao

remaiQB kad been throwii into liie sea and become a shark. or thro|wn into one of the cauldrons of fcot lava„ at Kilauea, and becorne dnfe of the gods of the inferna! or by a moek funeral ōr symtol representing a bnnal, after ineantations- and sacrifiees had be«n made. We reineniber a year before she died, the late Princess jjikelike's portrait in the Legislat}ve Hall fell from the wall, whieh aeei- | dent was looked ūpeu. as in- ' dicative tf her near death. Later, "the fall of the picture of a very high goTernaaei}t official, that hanging in the late King's stu4y, I it is said, was the causo of suieh. persistency in having his late Majegty's original casket remov3d, j instead of tne whole being put intO i a new one. as was insisted on ty j the Queen Dowager, and a moek! funeral held from the Palaee to ©he of the vau!t in the Kawaiahao buryiag ground on Saturdy nig|hf at 9:30 pm M was the reeult ;of sorceroue advice, in order to chciat an impeiKliug d«oni. There must have been eoine truth to the reason belieifed bv the natives for the sac- j rilegious act,- —that it was done according to ancient superstition. This act of vandalism was resisted bv the Queen and Queen Dowager, until only t\vo days ago the Queen reluctantiy consented, while the Dowager Queen refused permission, | the act being contrary Hawaiian | etiquette and disrespectful to th« mem«ry of the late Sovereign. The, latter would not be present when the impious act was being done.

Ke hooiieenee ia mai nei na keena oihana o ke Aupuni ma Aliiolam Hale. mamuli o ka hoonee ia ana o na mea hahiko a pau o Hawaii nei mai laila aku, a ka Houio hou; ua nani kela mau hana ana a ka poe e hoomakakaukau nei ia mau mea oia hoi ka hooneenee, ka- hookuene pono ana i kela a mekeia mau mea liilii.