The Naha Stone is a large volcanic rock located in

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

. The stone was used in the cultural traditions of

Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii ...

, and many legends surround it.

Origin

The Naha Stone originated from

Mount Waialeale Mount Waialeale is a shield volcano and the second highest point on the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Its name literally means "rippling water" or "overflowing water" The mountain, at an elevation of , averages more than of rain a ...

on the Hawaiian island of

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

. It was found on the banks of the

Wailua River The Wailuā River is a major river on the island of Kauai in the U.S. state of Hawaii. long, it is one of the largest river,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 28, 2011 ...

before being moved via a double canoe to Hilo, where it became a symbol of the

Naha Clan is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area ...

. The stone was used to prove the legitimacy of the bloodline of any claiming to be of the Naha Clan. When a boy was born, he was placed on top of the slab of rock. If he remained silent, he was considered to be one of the members of the Naha. If he cried out, he would be cast out. The Naha Stone was considered sacred, and only members of the Naha Clan were permitted to move it. A legend existed that if one were to overturn the stone, that man would be granted the power to unify all of Hawaii. King Kamehameha, the eventual conqueror of the Hawaiian Islands, was said to have been influenced by this legend. Some sources state that he was able to move the stone at the age of 14, after a series of failed attempts. The stone was relocated to the front of the Hilo Public Library in 1952, where it remains today.

Bibliography

* Desha, Stephen; Frazier, Frances N. (2000)
''Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekūhaupiʻo''

Kamehameha Schools Press Kamehameha Schools, formerly called Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KSBE), is a private school system in Hawaii established by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate, under the terms of the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was a formal membe ...

. . .

References

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