Rulers Of The Hawaiian Islands
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Rulers Of The Hawaiian Islands
The original rulers of the Hawaiian islands (''noho aliʻi o ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻAina'') were a line of native Hawaiians who were independent monarchs of various subdivisions of the land and islands of Hawaii. Their genealogy is traced to Hānalaʻanui and others. The caste system of ancient Hawaiian society was established around 1200 AD and separated the people into 4 distinct ranks that were all below the supreme ruler (''ali‘i nui'') of the island. The ''ali‘i nui'' would distribute the land to the lower ranking chiefs who would run the land and collect offerings and taxes. The ''ali‘i nui'' would also ultimately be responsible for the sacred kapu, a system of rules designed to control social order. The ''noho ali‘i'' were known for their brightly colored and intricately constructed battle regalia of feathered capes and helmets called a mahiole (helmet) and ʻahu ʻula (cloak or cape). History The history of the ancient Polynesians was passed down through oral genealogy ...
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Aliʻi
The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. The word ''aliʻi'' has a similar meaning in the Samoan language and other Polynesian languages, and in Māori it is pronounced "ariki". Background In ancient Hawaiian society, the ''aliʻi'' were hereditary nobles (a social class or caste). The ''aliʻi'' consisted of the higher and lesser chiefs of the various levels on the islands. The ''noho aliʻi'' were the ruling chiefs. The ''aliʻi'' were believed to be descended from the deities. There were eleven classes of ''aliʻi'', of both men and women. These included the ''kahuna'' (priestesses and priests, experts, craftsmen, and canoe makers) as part of four professions practiced by the nobility. Each island had its own aliʻi nui, who governed their individual systems. ''Aliʻi'' continued to play a role in the governance of the Hawaiian islands until 1893, when Queen Liliʻuokalani was overt ...
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Mahiole
Hawaiian feather helmets, known as ''mahiole'' in the Hawaiian language, were worn with feather cloaks (ʻahu ʻula). These were symbols of the highest rank reserved for the men of the ''alii'', the chiefly class of Hawaii. There are examples of this traditional headgear in museums around the world. At least sixteen of these helmets were collected during the voyages of Captain Cook.To attempt some new discoveries in that vast unknown tract
, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington DC Cook’s Pacific Encounters symposium, National Museum of Australia, 28 July 2006
These helmets are made from a woven frame structure ...
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Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadically between 400 and 1100 CE by Polynesian long-distance navigators from the Samoan, Marquesas, and Tahiti islands within what is now French Polynesia. In 2010, a study was published based on radiocarbon dating of more reliable samples which suggests that the islands were settled much later, within a short timeframe, in about 1219 to 1266. The islands in Eastern Polynesia have been characterized by the continuities among their cultures, and the short migration period would be an explanation of this result. Diversified agroforestry and aquaculture provided sustenance for Native Hawaiian cuisine. Tropical materials were adopted for housing. Elaborate temples (called ''heiau'') were constructed from the lava rocks available. The rich natural ...
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Medieval Rulers
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. Population decline, counterurbanisation, the collapse of centralized authority, invasions, and mass migrations of tribes, which had begun in late antiquity, continued into the Early Middle Ages. The large-scale movements of the Migration Period, including various Germanic peoples, formed new kingdoms in what remained of the Western Roman Empire. In the 7th century, North Africa and the Middle East—most recently part of the Eastern R ...
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Hawaii Culture
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state geographically located within the tropics. Hawaii comprises Midway Atoll, nearly the entire Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian archipelago, 137 High island, volcanic islands spanning that are physiography, physiographically and Ethnography, ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. The state's ocean coastline is consequently the list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, fourth-longest in the U.S., at about . The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niihau, Niihau, Kauai, Kauai, Oahu, Oahu, Molokai, Molokai, Lanai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii (island), Hawaii—the last of these, after which the state is named, is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawa ...
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Kāhili
A ''kāhili'' is a symbol of the aliʻi chiefs and families of the Hawaiian Islands. It was taken by the House of Kamehameha, Kamehamehas as a Hawaiian Kingdom, Hawaiian royal standard and used by the Royal Families to indicate their lineage. History The ''kāhili'' has long been a symbol of the Hawaiian aliʻi chiefs and the noble houses of the Hawaiian Islands. A ''kāhili'' bearer (''pa'a-kāhili'') is one who carries or bears the standard for the royal subject. The ''kāhili'' signified power from the divinities. The Aliʻi, Ali'i surrounded themselves with the standard. It was made using the long bones of an enemy king and decorated with the feathers from bird of prey, birds of prey. The Royal Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hawaii depicts the twin :en:Kameʻeiamoku, Kameʻeiamoku holding a feather standard. Among the pieces collected on James Cook, Captain Cook voyages were numerous feathered artifacts including 7 ''kāhili'' of the normal design before European influence. I ...
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Heraldic Flag
In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification. Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, and pinsels. Specifications governing heraldic flags vary from country to country, and have varied over time. Types Pennon The pennon is a small elongated flag, either pointed or swallow-tailed (when swallow-tailed it may be described as a banderole). It was charged with the heraldic badge or some other armorial ensign of the owner, and displayed on his own lance, as a personal ensign. The ''pennoncelle'' was a modification of the pennon. In contemporary Scots usage, the pennon is 120 cm (four feet) in length. It tapers either to a point or to a rounded end as the owner chooses. It is assigned by the Lord Lyon King of Arms to any armiger who wishes to apply for it. Banner The banner of arms (also simply called ''banner'') is sq ...
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Lei Niho Palaoa
A ''lei niho palaoa'' is a Hawaiian neck ornament traditionally worn by ''aliʻi'' (chiefs) of both sexes. The 19th century examples are most commonly made of a whale tooth carved into a hook-shape suspended by plaited human hair. The symbolism is not known; it may represent a tongue that speaks the law, or may represent a vessel for ''mana'' (inherited virtue). Precontact ''lei niho palaoa'' were less than two inches in length, and were not only made of whale ivory, but also of shell, bone, wood, stone, and coral. Sometimes, several of these smaller pendants were strung on twisted human hair. The Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the lar ... has a ''lei niho palaoa'' with a hair bundle having a circumference of 7.5 inches. It is made from a single eight-ply s ...
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Sperm Whale
The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus ''Kogia''. The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding. Females and young males live together in groups, while mature males (bulls) live solitary lives outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and nurse their young. Females give birth every four to twenty years, and care for the calves for more than a decade. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of killer whales (orcas). Mature males average in length, with the head representing up to one-third of the animal's length. Plunging to , it is the third deep ...
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Kalaniʻōpuʻu
Kalaniōpuu-a-Kaiamamao (c. 1729 – April 1782) was the aliʻi nui (supreme monarch) of the island of Hawaiʻi. He was called ''Terreeoboo, King of Owhyhee'' by James Cook and other Europeans. His name has also been written as Kaleiopuu. Biography Kalaniʻōpuʻu was the son of Kalaninuiamamao (k) and his wife Kamākaʻimoku (w), a high ranking aliʻi wahine (female of hereditary nobility) who was also the mother of Keōua (k) with another husband named Kalanikeʻeaumoku (k). This made her the grandmother of Kamehameha I. During his reign, Alapainui had kept the two young princes, Kalaniʻōpuʻu and Keōua, close to him out of either kindness or politics. Kalaniōpuu-a-Kaiamamao was the king of the island during the times Captain James Cook came to Hawaiʻi and went aboard his ship on November 26, 1778. After Cook anchored at Kealakekua Bay in January 1779, Kalaniōpuu-a-Kaiamamao paid a ceremonial visit on January 26, 1779 and exchanged gifts including a ʻahuʻula (fea ...
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James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to New Zealand and Australia in particular. He made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. Cook joined the British merchant navy as a teenager and joined the Royal Navy in 1755. He saw action in the Seven Years' War and subsequently surveyed and mapped much of the entrance to the St. Lawrence River during the siege of Quebec, which brought him to the attention of the Admiralty and the Royal Society. This acclaim came at a crucial moment for the direction of British overseas exploration, and it led to his commission in ...
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ʻAhu ʻula
The ''ʻAhu ʻula'' (feather cloak in the Hawaiian language), and the ''mahiole'' (feather helmet) were symbols of the highest rank of the chiefly ''aliʻi'' class of ancient Hawaii. The feathered cloaks and capes provided physical protection, and were believed to provide spiritual protection for their wearers. There are over 160 examples of this traditional clothing in museums around the world. At least six of these cloaks were collected during the voyages of Captain Cook. These cloaks are made from a woven netting decorated with bird feathers and are examples of fine featherwork techniques. One of these cloaks was included in a painting of Cook's death by Johann Zoffany. Construction The cloaks were constructed using a woven netting decorated with feathers obtained from local birds. The plant used to make the netting is ''Touchardia latifolia'', a member of the nettle family. The coloring was achieved using different types of feathers. Black and yellow came from four specie ...
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