Hawai`i continues to thrive with its rich traditions, stunning landscapes and delicious food. The Hawai`i traditions derive from the indigenous religion that originated from other Pacific islanders who landed in Hawai`i between 500 and 1300 CE. As time progressed so did the Hawaiian religion that consisted of as many as 40,000 gods, Hawaiians were diligent and disciplined in praying to all Akua to give thanks and other purposes. Even today, as one visits Hawai`i the evidence that the religion is still in practice and held sacred is evident.
The individual Gods/Goddesses were sought out by the people at different times in their lives for different reasons. The word “Akua” is the general name for the Hawaiian Gods/Goddesses, and are often used in prayers and chants to envelop many Gods/Goddesses at once. No matter what Akua the people of Hawai`i were worshiping they were always in tune with nature, plants, trees, animals and each other. They respected all things and took care of all things. A tree that is found throughout Hawai`i is the `ulu, breadfruit, tree, which is appreciated for its fruit and wood. It reaches 85 ft. tall, and often has a trunk 2 to 6 ft in diameter. The wood is yellow-gray with dark speckles of orange, light weight; not very hard, but strong, elastic and termite resistant. It is often used for making furniture as well as surfboard. Throughout the Hawai`i religion the `ulu tree is held sacred and used in many of their story telling.
The `ulu legend can be traced to its origin to a time of famine when Ku, the god of building and war, buried himself in the earth near his home. He later turned into an `ulu tree so that his wife and children would not starve. Ku had told his wife that a fruit shaped like a man’s head would spring from his body. “My body will be the trunk and the braches; my hands will be the leaves; the heart, core, inside the fruit will be my tongue. Roast the fruit, soak it, beat of the skin, eat some yourself, and feed the children.” This legend explains how the `ulu tree became to be on the Islands, while the story of Haumea explains how the fish became so plentiful.
The Hawai`i Goddess Haumea was the daughter to Papa, fertility goddess, and mother to Pele, female goddess for volcanoes, and Hi`aika, goddess of dance; specifically the hula. Besides teaching women how to give birth properly Haumea was considered a very wise woman, and very brave. The story goes on how she “rescued her husband from kidnappers and to escape, leaped, with her husband, into an `ulu tree. When the kidnappers tried to capture them by cutting into the tree with their machetes the splinters of wood and poisonous sap from the tree killed the axmen.” Another set of stories involve Haumea’s magic stick/tree made from an `ulu tree. The wand could create fruit on the tree, or fish. One day she was startled by one of her daughters and as she turns around to rebuke her daughter, Haumea twisted her wrist so that the fish she was invoking were scattered into the surrounding waters, giving them a tree of never-failing food supply. This is the creative story that explains why Hawai`i has so many fish in its waters. These two religious stories explain how Hawai`i not only came to be, but how it thrived with the `ulu tree.
The Hawaiian’s indigenous religion focused on not only how nature can help the people, but how people must also help nature thrive. The `ulu tree not only produced oxygen, fruit, and wood for the people of Hawai`i but it gave them a set of spiritual principles, and that is nature about the aloha. To the Hawaiian’s aloha represents love. All of live was founded on this love, the love of the sea, the love of the sky and the love of the land. The `ulu tree is of great significance to the Hawaiian religion based on their stories it had the importance of protection and nutrition. The `ulu is close to Hawaiian’s hearts. `Ulu’s mythical origins, its fame in history, and its immense usefulness to islanders have made the tree an immortal symbol of Hawai`i Nei (Beloved Hawai`i).
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