Kalikomõhala

Hey everybody. Just one more post, for now. I keep a blog for Ramona too, and I wrote this post for her today.

Here in Hawaii we live next door to a Kahuna. His name is Shane. The neighborhood we live in here is really interesting and a great deal of its intrigue has to do with Shane and his very extended family. 

First of all, the neighborhood has been inhabited for well over a thousand years (how many of those first inhabitants are directly related to Shane, I have no idea). Second of all, smack across from where we live is the monument to Captain Cook's death. The short version of the story goes like this. Cook arrived into Kealakekua Bay, the bay on which I live (which is also the subject of this song (not this song), one I've incidentally loved since high school) during Makahiki, the time each year when the Hawaiians were forbidden from warring or engaging in business. According to accounts of his men, he was greeted in the bay by over 10,000 Hawaiians and showered with adoration. 

Painting by Herb Kawainui Kane, CC Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Many say the Hawaiians thought he was the god Lono and when he left, he was convinced of the Hawaiian's good-will and his secure status amongst them. At sea his mast broke, so he had to turn around and head back to the islands. During his absence, Makahiki had ended; furthermore, the natives were no longer convinced that he was a god because his mast had broken. Needless to say, tensions escalated quickly, Cook grabbed the king Kalaniopu'u to hold hostage in exchange for  a boat the Hawaiians had taken, and in return they stabbed and clubbed him before he could return to his ship. This all happened in my neighborhood.

Painting by Herb Kawainui Kane, CC Image courtesy of American Gallery

Thirdly, basically the entire population of the area down where we are living is three families, all of whom are related to Shane. Fourthly, there is a Hawaiian heiau, or temple, right up the street from our house. This is significant because each heiau on the island has its own purpose, and this one is the one they used to train Kahuna. Shane is the caretaker of this heiau. He's a fascinating person, and I'm really happy to have met him. He works in community building at a non-profit, his mother used to be a pre-school principal in town before she retired to care for her mother, who now has dimentia. It's been really neat getting to know them. They're also giving us their internet, which is nice.

Anyway, Shane (at the beckoning of his older brother) decided to choose a Hawaiian name for Ramona. He called on his ancestors and wrote a really neat description for three names that came to him. We, as the parents, were to choose our favorite. Here's his description of the one we chose:

Kalikomõhala - unfolding new beginnings

Ka - The

Liko - bud

Mõhala - bloom, to unfold, to develop, to evolve into fullness

Kaona (poetic meaning) - Ruler or Leader with a clear conscience

Kaliko - A Chiefly child

Mõhala - reveal with clarity

A chiefly child who develops and reveals (things, concepts, perceptions, etc.) with clarity.

It is believed that there are those who can foresee future outcome. A great ruler or leader has foresight, compassion, and determination for an outcome for the greater good for the population. These leaders come with the pretense of New Beginnings. New Beginnings mean, change is at hand, and sometimes change is hard to embrace, but a "Revealer" is one wh effortlessly manifests visions eloquently and with style. This person is a great organizer, one who can put pieces of the puzzle together and present it beautifully like the most beautiful fill-bloomed flower. This is a person who is able to "paint a beautiful picture", and all will admire it.

Summary: "The Revealer of New Beginnings" (Precise Developer, a conscious ruler)

Literal Meaning: The blossoming bud

CC Image courtesy of Frank Hamm on Flickr

These are the liko (buds) of the 'ohia lehua (lehua tree), the first tree that grew on newly formed land in Polynesia. A very sturdy and sacred wood and the flowers are delicate and precious. It is likened to a powerful woman. In Hawaii, the woman's rank is determined by the rank of her child(ren).