Kalaikuʻahulu (also known as Kaleikuahulu, Kuahulu and Kua) was a ''kānaka maoli'' (Native Hawaiian) ''aliʻi'' (hereditary noble) and '' kahuna nui'' (high priest) of

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; to May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii ...

in pre-Christian Hawaii who was considered a prophet for his prediction of; ''"Ke Akua maoli"'' and a message to Hawaiians never seen before. After the arrival of the Christian missionaries in 1820,

Kaʻahumanu Kaʻahumanu (March 17, 1768 – June 5, 1832) (''"the feathered mantle"'') was queen consort and acted as regent of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi as Kuhina Nui. She was the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I and also the most politically powe ...

and others believed the prophecy to be fulfilled. He was also genealogist for Kamehameha, who placed his wives,

Kekāuluohi Miriam Auhea Kalani Kui Kawakiu o Kekāuluohi Kealiʻiuhiwaihanau o Kalani Makahonua Ahilapalapa Kai Wikapu o Kaleilei a Kalakua also known as Kaahumanu III (July 27, 1794 – June 7, 1845), was Kuhina Nui of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Kingdom of Hawa ...

and Hoapiliwahine, under his tutelage as genealogy students. In 1805, as a skilled genealogist and orator, Kalaikuʻahulu won a match reciting genealogies in

Lahaina, Maui Lahaina (; ) or Lāhainā is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. On the northwest coast of the island of Maui, it encompasses Lahaina town and the Kaanapali and Kapalua beach resorts. At the 2020 census (be ...

over his competitor from

Bora Bora Bora Bora (French language, French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands (Society Islands), Leeward Islands in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific. The Leeward Islands comprise the we ...

Five years later Kamehameha I negotiated the peaceful unification of the islands with

Kauaʻi Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 mi ...

. Kalaikuʻahulu was instrumental in the monarch's decision not to kill Kaumualiʻi, the ruler of that island, when he was the single member of the aliʻi council to agree with Kamehameha's own reluctance to do so. The other aliʻi continued with the plan to poison Kaumualiʻi when Isaac Davis warned him, making the ruler cut his trip short and return to Kauaʻi, leaving Davis to be poisoned by the aliʻi instead.

Birth and ancestry

Kalaikuʻahulu was born in 1725 at Kainalu on

Molokai Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...

as the son and ''keiki aliʻi'' (prince or child of a chief) of of Kumukoa (k), aliʻi nui of Molokai and son of

Kanealai Kaneʻalai (also known as Kane-a-Laʻe) was a Queen regnant of the Hawaiian island of Molokai, who lived in the 18th century. She ruled as Alii nui of Molokai. She was a daughter of Luahiwa II (of the reigning family of Kauai) and Ka-hoʻoia-a-Pe ...

(also known as Kanealiʻi) and

Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku (c. 1660 – c. 1725) was the king of Hawaiʻi Island in the late 17th century. He was the great-grandfather of Kamehameha I, the first King of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a progenitor of the House of Keawe. Bi ...

. The Kapana heiau in Halawa Valley was built by Kalaikuʻahulu in the early part of the 18th century.

Notable works and achievements

One of Kalaikuʻahulu many works was; "A Wakea Creation Chant". While written in a more contemporary period, it is likely based on older traditions.{{cite book, author=Sir Norman Lockyer, title=Nature, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3-4RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA391, year=1921, publisher=Macmillan Journals Limited, page=391

References

Hawaiian Kingdom people Hawaiian nobility Hawaiian religion Religious leaders from Hawaii