Lehulehu nō nā ānuenue e ʻōʻili i ka lewa o Hawaiʻi.  Ma ke kuanaʻike haole, ʻo ka moku ʻāina ānuenue kō Hawaiʻi inoa.  I ka wā kahiko i hoʻomaopopo iho ai ka Hawaiʻi i nā manaʻo, nā ʻōuli, a me nā hōʻailona o nā ʻano ānuenue.  Ua mākaukau loa nō ka mea kilo Hawaiʻi o ke ao kūlohelohe a ʻike ʻia kekahi mau ʻano ānuenue he iwakālua i ka moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi.  ʻO kekahi ʻano ka hunahuna ānuenue a ʻo kekahi ʻano ka piʻo ānuenue piha.  Hiki ke loaʻa kēia mau ʻano ānuenue ma loko o kekahi mau moʻolelo kaʻao a me kekahi mau ʻoli.

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Aia kekahi mau hōʻike ʻano o kēia mau ʻano ānuenue ma loko o nā puke wehewehe, a ʻike ʻia paha kēia mau ʻano e kekahi mau kūpuna, akā naʻe, ʻaʻole hiki ke loaʻa kekahi palapala kumu e hōʻike ʻano i nā kiʻi a me nā manaʻo o kēia mau ʻano ānuenue.  He mea nui no ka ʻike Hawaiʻi ka palapala ʻana a me ka mālama ʻana i nā kiʻi a me nā manaʻo o kēia mau ʻano ānuenue.

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No laila, ʻo nā pahuhopu nui no kēia papahana ke hopu ʻana a me ka hoʻopalapala ʻana i kekahi kiʻi, kekahi hōʻike ʻano, a me kekahi ʻōuli/hōʻailona o kekahi mau ʻano ānuenue i ʻike ʻia e nā poʻe Hawaiʻi i ka wā kahiko.  I kēia manawa, ke nānā i ka lewa a ʻike i kekahi hunahuna ānuenue, kekahi mahele piʻo, a iʻole kekahi ānuenue pālua, ʻaʻole hiki ke loaʻa kekahi kumu no ka maopopo ʻana i ka inoa, a me ka ʻōuli o ia ānuenue i ke kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi.  No Laila, eia nā pahuhopu:

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            E hōʻoia a hoʻokū ʻia nā kiʻi ānuenue i kōna inoa Hawaiʻi

            E maopopo nā manaʻo a me nā hōʻailona o nā ʻano ānuenue

            E hōʻoia ʻia nā manawa kikoʻī i ka ʻōʻili ʻana o nā ʻano ānuenue

            E maopopo ke ʻano o ke ānuenue i ulana ʻia ai i loko o ka moʻolelo a me ke mele

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There are so many rainbows formed in the skies of Hawaiʻi that the state is referred to as the “Rainbow State”.  Long ago Hawaiians recognized the significance of rainbows as signs of important events and omens.  Hawaiians are such keen observers of the environment that approximately 20 distinct types of rainbows are identified in Hawaiian culture .  These types range from various rainbow fragments to full blown double rainbows.   The various types are referred to in many chants and songs. 

 

While there are some descriptions of these types of rainbows, and there are perhaps some kupuna that are able to identify them, there is no known documented source that provides both descriptions and photographs of the various types.  Detailed descriptions along with photographic evidence would document and contribute to preserving the meanings of the various types of rainbows.

 

Therefore, the primary goals for this project are to capture and document images, descriptions, and meanings of the some of the various types of rainbows that Hawaiians identified long ago.  Today, when looking into the sky and observing a rainbow fragment, partial arch, or double rainbow, there is no resource that is readily available for one to identify the Hawaiian name and meaning of the that rainbow from a Hawaiian worldview.  Therefore, here are the goals:

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            To identify and match rainbow photographs to their Hawaiian names

            To understand the meanings and signs of the rainbow types

            To identify specific times in which they appear 

            To understand how they were used in stories and songs

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