Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 8, 1 August 2014 — For Hawaiians of old, beauty stands tall, like a cliff [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

For Hawaiians of old, beauty stands tall, like a cliff

Early Hawaiians had definite standards for physical beauty. Mākua and kūpuna worked diligently to assure these physical standards for their offspring. From infancy through adolescence was the time to mold and perfect the bodies of favorite children, assuring the accepted standard. These are natural periods of growth and change, when features ean be molded. Infants were gently massaged to strengthen limbs. Fingertips were rolled between the thumb and

index finger to make the fingertips taper. If the nose was 'ūpepe, or flat, the bridge of the nose was gently pressed to a sharper ridge. Ears that stood out from the head were pressed against the head, and infant were never laid down with their ears folded forward. Kūpuna reminded new mothers that po'o 'ōpaha, a flat head, was a sign of a lazy mother, one who left her baby in one position for hours. Eyes that were too small were massaged toward the nose to make the eyes grow larger. The buttocks of boys were carefully molded, as the malo hid only a small part of the body, as boys with flat seats were teased by their playmates. Kahuna pā'ao'ao (native pediatricians) diagnosed weaknesses of infants and children. Special diets, herbal tonics massage and other physical therapies were recommended. A diet with plenty of greens for

the expectant and nursing mother was believed to produce strong teeth and bones in her unborn child. Later in development, chunks of dried squid were chewed by growing children to help them develop good jaw muscles and strong teeth. And during the rest of growth and life, the Hawaiian greens assured developmental growth. These were mainly lū'au and palula

(sweet potato leaves) and limu, or seaweed, that are rich sources of ealeium and other minerals such as iron and potassium for healthy bones and teeth. Kalo and poi were major staples in the Hawaiian diet and supplied a large portion of neeessary minerals. Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui believed these foods were responsible for the massive jaws and beautiful teeth of Hawaiians. Anthropologist Dr. Charles Snow verified the characteristics of body molding thorough examination of Hawaiian bones that were removed from Mōkapu, where the Marine base was built. Dr. Snow, who began his study in 195 1, noted among the adult bones a number of male skulls with shapes similar to that of Llloa, a favorite ali'i. These skulls exhibited change by molding techniques and eliminated skepticism regarding the effectiveness of

Hawaiian body molding. A number of cultural sayings praising the characteristics that Hawaiians considered prerequisites of physical beauty and handsome appearance were collected by Kawena Pukui. "Pali ke kua, mahina ke alo" speaks of a straight back and face that reflects the brightness (of the moon) as attributes of a goodlooking person. "Oki kilohana ka pali o Waialoha," means straight and tall is the cliff of Waialoha and reflects admiration held for a tall, well-formed person. Ku mai no, he pali," was said in admiration of a handsome person, who, like a cliff, attracts one's attention. The preferred characteristics were straight backs, good height and faces that reflect vitality. These were the attributes we still greatly admire today. They are not out of reach if we develop good lifestyle and healthy eating habits. ■

Pali ke kua, mahina ke alo. Back straight as a cliff, face bright as the moon. This was said of a handsome person.

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By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.