Kapu (Hawaiian Culture)
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''Kapu'' is the ancient
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the 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 stat ...
an
code of conduct A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. Companies' codes of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is commonly writt ...
of laws and regulations. The ''kapu'' system was universal in lifestyle, gender roles, politics and religion. An offense that was ''kapu'' was often a capital offense, but also often denoted a threat to spiritual power, or theft of ''
mana According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being a ...
''. ''Kapus'' were strictly enforced. Breaking one, even unintentionally, often meant immediate death, ''Koʻo kapu''. The concept is related to
taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
and the '' tapu'' or ''tabu'' found in other
Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
n cultures. The Hawaiian word ''kapu'' is usually translated to English as "forbidden", though it also carries the meanings of "keep out", "no trespassing", "sacred", "consecrated", or "holy". The opposite of kapu is ''noa'', meaning "common" or "free".


Kahili

The ''Kahili'' were restrictions placed upon contact with chiefs (kings), but these also apply to all people of known spiritual power. ''Kapu Kū mamao'' means prohibited from a place of the chief, while ''Kalu noho'' was to assemble before the chief. It was ''kapu'' when entering a chief's personal area, to come in contact with his hair or fingernail clippings, to look directly at him, and to be in sight of him with a head higher than his. Wearing red and yellow feathers (a sign of royalty) was ''kapu'', unless an individual was of the highest rank. Places that are ''kapu'' are often symbolized by ''Pahu Kapu'', two crossed staffs, each with a white ball atop.


ʻAi Kapu

The ''ʻAi kapu'' was the ''kapu'' system governing contact between men and women. Many ''aliʻi'' obtained their power through this system, and then would give thanks to the god of politics . ''ʻAi'' means "to eat" and ''Kapu'' means sacred. Therefore, it is translated to "sacred eating". In this particular practice, men and women could not eat meals together. Furthermore, certain foods such as
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
(the body form of the god
Lono In Hawaiian religion, the god Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. In one of the many Hawaiian stories of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. In agricultu ...
), most types (67 of the 70 varieties) of
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
s (body form of the god
Kanaloa In the traditions of ancient Hawaii, Kanaloa is a god symbolized by the squid or by the octopus, and is typically associated with Kāne. It is also an alternative name for the island of Kahoolawe. In legends and chants, Kāne and Kanaloa are por ...
), and
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
s (body form of the god ) were considered ''kapu'' to women. This not only prohibited women from eating these, but also their contact in contexts such as the manufacture of coconut rope.
Taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
(body form of the god
Kāne In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne is considered the highest of the three major Hawaiian deities, along with Kū and Lono. He represented the god of procreation and was worshipped as ancestor of chiefs and commoners. Kāne is the creator and gives ...
) was kapu for women to cook and prepare. Some large fish were also kapu for women to eat. Isabella Abbott, a leading
ethnobotanist Ethnobotany is the study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. An ethnobotanist thus strives to document the local customs involving the practical uses of local flora for m ...
of Hawaii, theorizes that because of the limited "noa" (free) diet for Hawaiian women, seaweeds were relied upon more heavily for Hawaiians than other Pacific islands. The ''kapu'' system was used in Hawaii until 1819, when King
Kamehameha II Kamehameha II (November 1797 – July 14, 1824) was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu ʻIolani. It was lengthened to Kalani Kaleiʻaimoku o Kaiwikapu o Laʻ ...
, acting with his mother Queen
Keōpūolani Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo (1778–1823) was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I. Early life Keōpuolani was born around 1778 at an area known as ...
, his father's other queen
Kaʻahumanu Kaahumanu (March 17, 1768 – June 5, 1832) (''"the feathered mantle"'') was queen consort and acted as regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii as Kuhina Nui. She was the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I and also the most politically powerfu ...
, and ''Kahuna-nui''
Hewahewa Hewahewa ( – February 16, 1837) was a Hawaiian religious leader who served as '' kahuna nui'' (high priest) of King Kamehameha I and his successor Kamehameha II. Hewahewa was a powerful figure in the royal court of Hawaii and played a major rol ...
, abolished it by the symbolic act of sharing a meal of forbidden foods with the women of his court. Abolishing the ''ʻai kapu'' assured political power to the line of Kamehameha rulers as monarchs because it limited the power of the rulers below them. Originally, it was from this political system that the rulers throughout the island would gain rank, power, and prestige.Kāwika Tengan, Ty P. ''Native Men Remade: Gender and Nation in Contemporary Hawai'i'' (North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2008), 36


Modern usage

The ambiguities in the Polynesian concept (from the English point of view) are reflected in the different senses of the word in different national Englishes: in modern usage in Hawaii, "kapu" is often substituted for the phrase "No Trespassing" on private property signage. Although kapu can be taken to mean "keep out", kapu has a larger meaning to most residents of Hawaii. By contrast, in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, the comparable word "tapu" is almost always applied in English as meaning "sacred".


Terms

Some terms using 'kapu': *ʻaha kapu: the
sennit Sennit is a type of cordage made by plaiting strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of ''macramé'', or to make straw hats. Sennit is an important material in the cultures of Oceania, where it is use ...
cord put across the portal of a house to signify a ban on entering the house. *ʻai kapu: the protocol regarding food. *Hei kapu: The place where priests await messages from the gods. *Huʻa kapu: the borders of an off-limits place. *Kapuhili: inherited privileges of chiefs or privileges from the gods *Kapu ʻili: the crime of wearing someone else's clothing. *Kapu kai: the
ritual purification Ritual purification is the ritual prescribed by a religion by which a person is considered to be free of ''uncleanliness'', especially prior to the worship of a deity, and ritual purity is a state of ritual cleanliness. Ritual purification may ...
of bathing in the sea. *Kapukapu: to be decorous. *Kapukapu kai: the ritual of lifting a ban by sprinkling sea water. *Kapu kū mamao: the law on commoners to be separate from the chiefs. *Kapu loa: To be strictly forbidden. *Kapu moe: protocol of
prostration Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especially t ...
. *Kapu noho: assemblage before the chief. *Kapuō: the announcement that a
procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
is approaching. *Kapo ʻōhi'a ko: the ritual performed before an ohia tree can be logged. *Kapu puhi kanaka: the rules regarding the killing of people. *Kapu wohi: protocol exempting from prostration. *Koʻo kapu: a prohibition enforced by death. *Pahu Kapu: two crossed staffs, each with a white ball atop.


See also

*
Hawaiian religion Hawaiian religion refers to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of native Hawaiians, also known as the kapu system. Hawaiian religion is based largely on the tapu religion common in Polynesia and likely originated among the Tahitian ...
*
ʻAi Noa The Ai Noa ( Hawaiian: literally ''free eating''), was a period of taboo-breaking which convulsed the Hawaiian Islands in October 1819. Women were allowed to eat forbidden food and to eat with men; the priests were no longer to offer human sacrifi ...
*
Treif (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
, a similar concept in Judaism *
Haram ''Haram'' (; ar, حَرَام, , ) is an Arabic term meaning 'Forbidden'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowle ...
, a similar concept in Islam *
Seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...
* Tapu, a synonym in Samoan, origin of the word "taboo" brought back form south pacific seafarers


References

{{Reflist *Ulukau Hawaiian Language Websit
"Kapu" Definitition
Hawaiian mythology Hawaiian religion Religion-based diets Food law Cultural anthropology Hawaiian words and phrases de:Tapu