Chief Kumuhonua (or Kumu-Honua) was a High Chief in

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 sporadicall ...

, who was ''

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 ...

Nui'' ("king") of

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O� ...

, one of the Hawaiian Islands, and is mentioned in the chants. He was named after the first man in Hawaiian

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

Biography

Kumuhonua was a son of the High Chief Mulielealiʻi of Oahu. Mulielealiʻi was a son of the famous wizard

Maweke According to the Hawaiian chants, Chief Maweke (also spelled Māweke in Hawaiian; Hawaiian pronunciation: ''MAH-WEH-KEH'') was a chief of the highest known rank who lived in the 11th century. He is described in the legends as a wizard (or priest, '' ...

from

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...

. Kumuhonuaʻs mother was called Wehelani, and Kumuhonuaʻs siblings were Chief Moʻikeha of Kauai, Chief ʻOlopana and Princess Hainakolo. ʻOlopana went to Tahiti. It seems that Kumuhonua was the eldest child of his parents. His mother was also married to his paternal uncle

Keaunui Keaunui (Hawaiian for "Keau the Great") was a High Chief of ʻEwa, Waiʻanae and Waialua in ancient Hawaii. He was a member of the Nanaulu line and is also known as Keaunui-a-Maweke. His mother was High Chiefess Naiolaukea, also known as Naiola ...

of ʻEwa, whom she bore Nuʻakea of Molokai. Kumuhonua was related to the Chiefess Mualani of

Koʻolau Range Koolau Range is a name given to the dormant fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972. Geology It is not a mountain range in the normal ...

. Chief Kumuhonua started his own dynasty on Oʻahu. According to the judge

Abraham Fornander Abraham Fornander (November 4, 1812 – November 1, 1887) was a Swedish-born emigrant who became an important journalist, judge, and ethnologist in Hawaii. Early life and education Fornander was born in Öland, Sweden on November 4, 1812, to An ...

, Kumuhonua had four sons; their mother is unknown. Sons of Kumuhonua: * Elepuʻukahonua, Chief of Oʻahu *Molohaia *Kahakuokane *Kukawaieakane

Myth

Some nobles entered into the myths — according to one myth, Kumuhonua was vexed with the goddess

Haumea , discoverer = , discovered = , earliest_precovery_date = March 22, 1955 , mpc_name = (136108) Haumea , pronounced = , adjectives = Haumean , note = yes , alt_names = , named_after = Haumea , mp_category = , orbit_ref = , epoc ...

for snatching

god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

Wākea In the Hawaiian religion, Wākea, the Sky father weds Papahānaumoku, the earth mother. The two are considered the parent couple of the ruling chiefs of Hawaii. ''Wākea'' was the eldest son of Kahiko ("Ancient One"), who lived in Olalowaia. ...

away from his warriors after he had been seized in

Kalihi Kalihi is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, United States. Split by the Likelike Highway (Route 63), it is flanked by downtown Honolulu to the east and Mapunapuna, Moanalua and Salt Lake to the west. Kalihi is the ...

Valley for taking wild bananas.E. S. Handy, E. G. Handy,

Mary Kawena Pukui Mary Abigail Kawenaulaokalaniahiiakaikapoliopele Naleilehuaapele Wiggin Pukui (20 April 1895 – 21 May 1986), known as Kawena, was a Hawaiian scholar, author, composer, hula expert, and educator. Life Pukui was born on April 20, 1895, in her ...

(1972). ''Native Planters in Old Hawaii: Their Life, Lore, and Environment''. Bishop Museum Press.

References

{{Reflist Hawaiian monarchs