Ka Uakoko
(The Blood Rain)
"Lei Mahiki i ka ua koko'ula."
"Mahiki wears a wreath of rainbow-hued rain."
Wahi a nā puke wehewehe Hawaiʻi-Pelekane, ʻo kēia ka wehewehe ʻana o kēia ʻano ānuenue:
According to the Hawaiian-English dictionaries, this is the definition o this type of rainbow:
Pukui/Elbert: 1. n., A low-lying rainbow. Literally, blood rain.
3. n., Reflection of rainbow colors in the clouds.
Andrews: s. See KOIULA, Kam., PUNOHU, &c. A cloud standing erect and having different colors, somewhat like the rainbow.
Parker: A cloud reflecting the colors of the rainbow; a rainbow shaft. Syn: Koiula.
Laulā loa nā wehewehe ʻana o nā puke wehewehe no kēia ʻano ānuenue. Hōʻike ka puke wehewehe a Andrews i kekahi kuipapa me nā wehewehe ʻana o ke Koʻiʻula a me ka Pūnohu me ka Uakoko.
The dictionary definitions for this type of rainbow are very broad. The Andrews dictionary indicates overlap with the definitions of the Koʻiʻula and the Pūnohu with the Uakoko.
Photo by: Manuel Balesteri | Dreamstime.com
Kekahi kiʻi i hōʻoia ʻole ʻia: Kuhikuhi kēia mau kiʻi i kēia ʻano ānuenue ma muli o ko ka mea kākau maopopo ʻana i nā wehewehe ʻana o nā puke wehewehe, ka pōʻaiapili ma loko o kekahi mau kaʻao, kekahi ʻatikala nūpepa, a me kekahi hoʻopaʻa leo Hawaiʻi. ʻAʻole panina lākou.
Unverified Photos: These photos demonstrate this type of rainbow based on the authorʻs understanding of the dictionary definitions, context within some Hawaiian legends, newspaper articles, and Hawaiian language recordings. They are not definitive.
Nā hōʻailona a me nā ʻōuli:
(Signs and omens):
ʻIke pinepine ʻia kēia ʻano ānuenue nani ma Hawaiʻi. He hōʻailona a i ʻole he ʻōuli no kekahi mea like ʻole a hōʻike ʻano ʻia i lalo iho:
This type of beautiful rainbow is often seen in Hawaiʻi. It can be a sign or omen for a variety of things as described below:
Wahi a nā kaʻao ʻŌʻili kēia ʻano ānuenue i kekahi manawa he 14 ma loko o nā kaʻao he 4 i kālailai ʻia i kēia papahana. Kuhikuhi ʻo ia i 6 hōʻailona/ʻōuli like ʻole, a hōʻike ʻia i ke kiʻi i ka ʻākau:
According to the legends This type of rainbow appears on 14 different occasions in the 4 legends analyzed in this study. It represents 6 different signs/omens as shown in the table to the right.
Lehulehu nā kaikaina o ke akua wahine ʻo Pele. ʻO Hiʻiakanoholani kekahi kaikaina. ʻO ka ʻonohi ʻula a me ka uakoko kona mau hoāilona.
There are many sisters of the goddess Pele. Hiʻiakanoholani is one of these sisters. The ʻonohi ʻula and the uakoko are her signs.
I ka wā hea ʻo ia e ʻōʻili ai?:
(When does it appear):
Wahi a kekahi ʻōlelo noʻeau:
"Ke kau mai nei ka makole."
Ua ʻōlelo ʻia e pili ana i ke ānuenue nona ka ʻulaʻula kaʻaluna. He hōʻailona no kekahi mau poʻe, ke nānā nei kona ʻaumakua iā lākou.
According to a Hawaiian poetical saying:
"The red-eyed one rests above."
Said of the rainbow with red predominating. A sign to some people that their 'aumakua is watching them. .
ʻIke pū pinepine ʻia ka pūnohu a me ka uakoko i ka manawa like. Hiki ke ʻike ʻia lāua i kekahi ānuenue kaʻawale a i ʻole i hoʻokahi ānuenue ʻula e kokoke i ka honua. Hiki ke maopopo kēia pilina ma o ka mahele o ka ʻatikala o lalo iho:
"He nani ke kulana o kēia punohu ua-koko a ke anuenue e pio iho ana ma luna pono iho ke nana aku".
The pūnohu and the uakoko are often seen at the same time. They can be seen as separate rainbows or as a singular red rainbow lying close to the earth. This relationship can be understood via excerpt of the article below:
The position of this low lying red rainbow and the rainbow that was arching directly above was beautiful when seen.
Wahi a Nāwahī, ua ʻIke pinepine ka uakoko i nā wā kakahiaka a me nā wā ahiahi, e kau ana i loko o nā pōhina ao lahilahi; a i ʻole, ma nā kihi welelau paha o nā ao ua kilihune e kau ana i loko o ka lewa łani i kahi mamao loa (Nāwahī, 1893).
The uakoko often appears in the morning and the evening, posed inside the delicate misty clouds; or perhaps on the extremities of the fine misty rain clouds suspended in the upper atmosphere at a distant location (Nāwahī, 1893).
References:
1. Unknown author. (1894, October 9). Punohu Uakoko. Ka Leo o ka Lāhui, page 1.
2. Iosepa Nawahī. (1893, May 24). Ke Ānuenue a me Ka Luakalailani. Ka Leo o ka Lāhui, pp. 2-3
3. Pukui, M. K. (1983). ʻŌlelo Noʻeau. Honolulu, HI: Bishop Museum Press.
Photo by: Manuel Balesteri | Dreamstime.com