ʻŌʻili Ke Ao Akua
The Rainbow Appears
Aloha pūmehana mai kākou. Welina i kēia kaha pūnaewele e pili ana i nā inoa a me nā ʻōuli o ke ānuenue ma loko o ka ʻikena Hawaiʻi. Mahalo a nui iā ʻoe no kou kipa ʻana mai a me kou hoihoi i ke ānuenue Hawaiʻi.
Aloha everyone. Welcome to this website about the names and meanings of rainbows in Hawaiian knowledge. Thank you for visiting, and for your interest in Hawaiian rainbows.
Kiʻekiʻe nō ke kūlana o ke ānuenue ma loko o nā moʻolelo kaʻao Hawaiʻi, a ma kēlā me kēia lā i ke ola o Hawaiʻi kahiko nō hoʻi. Aia ma kahi o ʻiwakālua inoa no nā ʻano ānuenue ma Hawaiʻi nei. I loko o kēia papahana, ua kālailai ʻia ʻehā moʻolelo kaʻao no nā hōʻailona o nā ʻano ānuenue like ʻole. ʻO kekahi mau laʻana o nā hōʻailona: he hōʻailona no ke kū mai o kekahi aliʻi /akua, ka hiki/haʻalele auaneʻi o kekahi aliʻi/akua, he ala ānuenue ma waena o kekahi mau ao, he ʻōuli no kekahi mau mea ma hope. Ua hoʻohana ʻia ke ala ānuenue ma waeno o kekahi mau ao e nā akua. Hiki ke ola ia mea i akua a noho pū nō hoʻi me nā kānaka ma ka honua. ʻO kēia mau ao, e laʻa me kēia: ʻo ka mokupuni kupaianaha ʻo Kuaihelani ʻoe, ka ʻaina laʻa ʻo Nuʻumealani ʻoe, ka lā ʻoe, ka mahina ʻoe, a pēlā aku.
"Ua lehulehu a manomano ka ʻikena a ka Hawaiʻi"
Rainbows play a significant role in Hawaiian mythology and also everyday life in ancient Hawaiʻi. There are roughly 20 names for types of rainbows in Hawaiʻi. In this study, 4 stories/legends were analyzed for the symbolism of the various types of rainbows. Examples of this symbolism include: indicating the presence of an aliʻi/akua, the impending arrival/departure of an aliʻi, a pathway between realms, an omen of things to come. The rainbow pathway between realms is utilized by gods who can exist as gods and also live among humans on earth. These realms include the fantastical island of Kuaihelani, the sacred land of Nuʻumealani, the sun, and the moon, etc.
Great and numerous is the knowledge of the Hawaiians.
ʻO ka ʻikepili ma loko o kēia kaha punāewele ka hopena o kekahi papahana kau ma UH Mānoa. Nui ʻino nō kēia kumuhana noiʻi, a no laila, ua ʻōpiopio a hapapū ia ʻikepili ma loko iho. Lehulehu nō ka hana e hoʻopau ʻia, a no laila, e Hoʻomau ʻia akula kēia noiʻi ʻana ma waho o ka palena o kēia papahana.
Na ka "Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program o UH Mānoa" i hoʻowaihona kālā i kēia papahana a me kēia kaha pūnaewele.
The information contained in this website is the result of a 1 semester project at UH Mānoa. This is a very large area of research and therefore the data herein is very preliminary in nature, that is, It is not comprehensive and exhaustive. There is much more to be done on this topic and the research will be continued beyond the scope of this short project.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program of UH Mānoa funded this project and website.
Photo by: Julianufer | Dreamstime.com