Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 2, 1 February 1990 — Makaku [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Makaku

By Rocky Ka'iouliokahihikolo 'Ehu Jensen ©

Ka maka ipu o Ku — the gourd face of Ku

Excerpt from "Lord of the Forest," by Lueia Tarallo-Jensen All rights reserved The gourd mask is an 18th century artifact that was wom sole)y by the priesthood of the god Kunuiakea. The priesthood of Kanalu, led by the warrior priest Palea, was the first to greet Captain James Cook when he sailed into Kealakekua Bay on the island of Hawai'i. Starting from the 15th century onwards, this group of warrior/priests beeame the dominant power behind the socio-reli-gious scene on all of the islands. Ku was the god or patron of the emohonal side of man, that included positive and also negative powers. We cannot use Western logic to understand the purpose and functions of this deity. To the Polynesians, power was power! It was neither good nor bad; it was how the power was manipulated that defined the category into whieh it was finally catalogued. During the four months of the Makahiki, a winter solstice ritual that was celebrated from October to January, the priesthood of Ku wasconfined by a very restrictive taboo. All warfare ended and all things that had to do with the aggressive side of nature was made kapu. During this time, Lono, the god of all growing things was brought out of the temple (shared with Ku, god of war) and taken around the island, accompanied by all-male statuary, in a grand procession. The Lono priests then became the dominating force and the Ku priests subservient to them In order to keep their psychic mana or power intact and undefiled, the gourd masks were used by all Ku priests while involved in ritual or affairs of state. They donned the helmet/mask to deceive or confuse the gods — a very eommon spiritual de pendence throughout Polynesia. Of course, the priests were well aware that the gods could never really be deceived — it was like offering a token of "respect," a consenting attitude towards the priesthood and the deities of the Lono contingency. The deception was purely physical, allowing the Ku priests to travel freely during the time of the winter solstice, when their power was dormant. Another time mqsks were used was when Ku priests involved themselves with ritual sacrifice *and in this case it was used as a "mask of confrontation." The ilamuku nui, or marshall of the high

chief prosecuted wrong-doers. The 'aihamu executed them and the priests of Ku dedicated their souls to the god Kunuiakea. The mask was again used as protection, allowing the mana to remain undefiled and the identity of the wearer hidden. These priests were considered part of the kahuna body called Kakapa'ulu'a. Ka Maka Ipu O Ku literally translates into "The Gourd Face of the God Ku". Unfortunately, none of the original artifacts have survived the last 200 years of transition. Bishop Museum has an old repliea whieh is in a very fragile condition.

Recently, Ku masks have become a popular item with the ethnic Hawaiian hula groups and others. The majority are made and used improperly. First of all, dancers never used the mask or any other article of a priest's attire. Secondly, women, who sometimes use this masculine object in dance, were "kept away" from things that were not of their essence. The onlv way that one could safely justify using the gourd helmet mask would be to create a dance surroundīng the traditional and spiritual identity of the mo'o Ku and/or perhaps a dance that mimics that first greeting between Captain James Cook and those ancient priests . . . and nothing more. The mask was made from the fruit of a gourd plant. In Hawai'i these are ralled ipu. The gourds grew profusely throughout the island ehain and was used for many types of receptacles, one of them being the mask-helmet of the Ku priests. When the fruit was chosen for the masks, they were carefully attended by the agriculturisf , put on props so that the bottom would grow round instead of flat. They then were dried carved and were ready for the accessories. There are several designs of the mask; the open face was used by the leader The others were covered with kapa shields, some with ho!es and some with strips covering the opening. The tassels in front of the mask were also made of kapa cloth and were used to gather the surrounding energy to fill the gourd for protection against defilement. Only eight strips were used, eight being a sacred number of Polynesia , signif ying two elements from eaeh of the four essences of man They were placed at the bottom of the front of the mask called the lo, the Io being the front part of the brain that absorbed knowledge. The crest was made of fern leaves called palapalai. The secret of the mask lies in the meaning of the word palai: "To eoneeal, to turn away. to hide one's feelings." The ferns were placed like the crest of the bird atop and down the back of the hel-met-mask, again symbolizing the crescent of protection for the knowledge whieh was stored in the gourd. It a!so contributed to the visualization of the hawk whieh was also the shadow essence of the god Kunuiakea. To owners of all of those tiny befeathered Ku helmets that are dangling from rear-view mirrors throughout the state, this article is dedicated. Mai ka po mai, 'o'ia'i'o!

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