by D. F. Sanders
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A Book of daily sayings, born of and inspired by Hawaii
A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS
For each month, three names are given:
The first name is the contemporary
Hawaiian name, which is spelled
phonetically. The second name is the
English name. The third name is an ancient
Hawaiian name for that month. Note that,
since Hawaiian month names varied from
island to island, no list can be
comprehensive. I have also made note of some
of the seasonal observations which the
ancient Hawaiians used to measure their year.
IANUALI
(January)
(Kaelo)
Ancient Hawaiians knew that January was the time of year
when the enuhe, a worm very destructive to vegetation,
appeared, and also when the vines began to put forth fresh
leaves.
1
In the sound of the ocean, I can hear my ancestors calling.
2
A ho'okupu, a gift from the heart, enriches the giver.
3
In the family, ohana, lies the renewal of the past.
4
I am the child of many cultures -- in me grows the hope of
the future.
5
I am a part of the land, ka aina. The soil is my flesh, the
mountains my bones.
6
My voice is the voice of the wind, ka makani; my dance is
the dance of the waves.
7
I am reborn in the image of my fathers and mothers.
8
The spirit of the land guides me in every choice that I must
make.
9
This land is born of fire and ocean and wind. In my mind is
the fire of knowledge; in my blood run the currents of the
ocean; in the wind do I hear the song of my spirit.
10
The rumble of the volcano is like the beating of a great
heart.
11
The gift of knowledge is never diminished.
12
In the neverending cycles of the land is my spirit renewed.
13
This is the place where rainbows are born.
14
The land was created in the joining of fire and water.
15
At the meeting of the land and the sea, that is where all
life begins.
16
Ancient kings walk the mountains at night.
17
In the secret places of the land are found the answers to
life's mysteries.
18
My parents taught me the ways of the future; I teach my
children the ways of the past.
19
I walk the land in perfect innocence, a child of yesterday.
20
Here, every day is a beginning, every night a remembering.
21
The owl, pueo, protects me as I walk the forest at night.
22
The song of my spirit is blessed by the winds.
23
In the heart of the mountain burns the fire of new life.
24
The earth's fire, a wave's caress, the never-ceasing kiss of
the wind -- of these things is my island born.
25
The morning dew baptizes the grass; a thousand glistening
beads reflect the rays of the rising sun.
26
I am the wild spirit that greets the dawning of this day.
27
I see the thread of mana which passes from me to all those I
hold dear -- we are family -- we are ohana.
28
If I feel hunger or thirst, the land will provide; if my
spirit is troubled, the wind and the sea will comfort me; if
I am afraid, Pele will protect me.
29
Each morning is a celebration of beginnings.
30
The stars, na hoku, guide me at night -- they show me the
way to my destiny.
31
The will of my ancestral spirit, my 'aumakua, speaks in all
that I say or do.
PEPELUALI
(February)
(Kau-lua)
February was the time when the anae, the mullet, spawned.
1
If you want to see the stars, you have to look up!
2
In the first golden light of dawn, nothing is impossible!
3
Music is the key to the inner spirit.
4
My feet walk the paths where kings have gone.
5
For every ending, there is always another beginning.
6
We were not the first in this land: the Gods, ke akua, were
here before us.
7
Before you throw a stone, pohaku, ask whose spirit dwells in
it.
8
To care for the land is an act of worship.
9
Our seasons are the cycles of the moon, mahina, and the
stars, na hoku.
10
Ask the Gods before taking from the land; ask not to take
from Pele, for what is hers belongs to no other.
11
To a place of worship, a heiau, always bring a gift of
stone.
12
The wind has learned the secrets of the ages.
13
Mano', the shark god, guides me to a safe harbor.
14
Abundant are the fruits of this land.
15
If you would find the perfect place of your dreams,
moe'uhane, ... look within.
16
In our children lie the blessings of our heritage.
17
When entering the secret valley, knock three times, ... and
see who answers!
18
My hopes are cast, like stars, upon the sky.
19
I am a keiki o ka aina, a true child of the land!
20
My hope lies in the future; my strength lies in the past; my
survival lies in the joining of the two.
21
Look into the eyes of a stranger, ... and find a friend.
22
Trust in the lessons of our heritage.
23
A dream is a wild bird upon the wind!
24
See the world through the eyes of a child.
25
Love is a gift that grows only with the giving.
26
What is once found is never truly lost.
27
I return to the earth to find the place of my beginnings.
28
Within me lie the wellsprings of my own renewal.
29
My heart sees what the eye cannot.
MALAKI
(March)
(Nana)
March was the season when the malolo, the flying fish,
swarmed in the ocean.
1
Everywhere I look, I see beauty.
2
Listen if you would hear the music of the land.
3
Imitate nature in your art.
4
Give one blessing for every two you receive.
5
Never refuse a gift of the land.
6
Heed well the voice of your heart.
7
Give to the land more than you take.
8
The song of the sea is neverending.
9
On any great journey, be guided by the stars, na hoku.
10
Learn of the world around you, and in the learning, ... find
yourself.
11
Honor the memory of your ancestors, your kupuna.
12
Every life is precious; every spirit unique and
irreplaceable.
13
A Journey of the spirit is never truly finished -- its paths
continually unfold before us.
14
A life well spent is like the banyan tree -- anchored to the
land by many roots.
15
The rain is a blessing of renewal upon the earth.
16
Arise, oh Sun, and warm the land with your passage!
17
Though I have no wings, my spirit flies upon the wind!
18
Strength is the warrior within.
19
The land is rich in abundance for those who know where to
look.
20
In the song of the ocean, I find healing.
21
Let me be like the dolphin -- joyous in the knowledge of my
freedom!
22
The sun's light brings new life -- the moon's glow, renewal.
23
In each of us dwells the fountainhead of greatness.
24
The creative source is also the source of life.
25
Each of us must aspire to the heights of our own abilities.
26
Our spirits are reborn in the land.
27
What benefits the Earth, Ke Au Nei, benefits all life.
28
Find the good in every aspect of life.
29
The wind bides for a spell in this place, then it seeks
other lands to explore.
30
Stone remains when all else passes away.
31
Build to preserve, not to destroy.
APELILA
(April)
(Welo)
April was the last of the 6 months in the Hoo-ilo, or
Winter, period of ancient times, which ran from August
through April.
1
The earth's magic is a gift of wonder.
2
Never abandon your dreams.
3
Memories dwell within the soul.
4
Return to the places of childhood -- there is your cycle
renewed.
5
Happiness and fulfillment are found only in our own hearts.
6
Age cannot hinder the joyful spirit.
7
Alone, we are restored; with others, we are fulfilled.
8
This land is the gathering place of the winds.
9
Time lays no claim upon the earth's spell of wonder.
10
Earth's seasons are like the tides of the sea, ke kai, --
timeless and everlasting.
11
When man has come and gone, the land will remain.
12
Pele makes the land which is shaped by the ocean.
13
If you want to hear the secret voice of the wind, ka makani,
you must first learn to listen.
14
In your time upon this earth, remember to walk with dignity.
15
Whale song calls me in my dreams.
16
The luminescence of the ocean at night glows like Pele's
fire upon the sands.
17
The land is perpetuated in life.
18
Whisper to the wind your secret longings.
19
The blossoms of the shower tree form a golden lace upon the
green grass.
20
Cherish the fragile beauty of nature -- it is ours to
borrow, not to keep.
21
Sail the ocean by moonlight, and you may find the secret
island of the ancients.
22
To know true power, capture the wind in your sails and
journey to the place which no one has ever seen before.
23
Three things sustain life -- food, hope, and an abiding
sense of wonder.
24
Give me the beauty of nature to restore my spirit, where the
morning dew glistens in the sunlight, and the wind is the
only sound that I hear.
25
A wave upon the sand takes only a little of the land and
gives the blessings of the sea in return.
26
The family, ohana, goes on from generation to generation:
the seeds of tradition we plant bear fruit in a thousand
different ways.
27
Morning sunlight flees -- how brief my contemplation of
life's mysteries.
28
Be strong when others are weak, and they will support you in
your time of need.
29
The wind and the ocean sing a lullaby at night.
30
Nothing ever truly ends. In the memories we preserve and in
the traditions we perpetuate, there is always something new
beginning somewhere.
MEI
(May)
(Ikiiki)
May was the first month of the Kau season, which ran from
May through October. May was the time when the Na Huihui,
or Pleiades, set at sunrise. The Pleiades are also known as
the Makali'i stars.
1
Be reborn in the beauty of spring.
2
The past teaches; the present motivates; the future
inspires.
3
True peace lives within the wondering heart.
4
There was never a dreamer, never a visionary, who did not
know the virtues of nature.
5
Find the perfect music of the spirit, and know fulfillment.
6
Dance the joy your heart feels.
7
Feel the winds blowing through you, cleansing your spirit of
all sorrow.
8
The joyous heart has as many blessings as the stars in the
sky, na hoku.
9
Give me the wings of a bird, and I will possess all the
world!
10
My heart leaps with the dolphins in the incredible blue of
the ocean.
11
Sing to me a song of beginnings in this land of many
rainbows!
12
Never be content with what is -- always seek to realize what
might be.
13
Never close your mind to possibilities.
14
The fruits of the land sustain me.
15
The sun bathes me in its perfect warmth.
16
All needs draw upon the Source of mana within.
17
A lei of blessings I weave for you.
18
Come to me in the first light of dawning, when all things
are begun anew.
19
The setting sun flashes briefly green upon the surface of
the ocean.
20
The islands rise up from the ocean floor to greet the sky!
21
The wind and the rain join together to create life.
22
Life always reveals new possibilities.
23
Feast upon the riches of the land.
24
Follow the paths of the stars, and you will never be lost.
25
When the wind has come full circle 'round the earth, it
returns to the place of its beginning.
26
The full moon reflected upon the ocean weaves a night of
ancient magic.
27
No act of kindness ever goes unrewarded.
28
I have walked this land before in a child's dream of
freedom.
29
Today's memories will be cherished tomorrow.
30
We are all voyagers in life's ocean.
31
In the tiniest of shells is found the eternal cycle.
IUNE
(June)
(Kaaona)
June was the time when the fishermen got their a-ei nets in
readiness for catching the opelu, procuring in advance the
sticks to use for keeping its mouth open.
1
To walk between the islands is a secret of the ancients.
2
Summer rain is illuminated by the beauty of a rainbow.
3
Time is little more than a kiss of wind upon the land.
4
The lullabies of night creatures sing me to my dreams.
5
To the youthful heart, the whole world is filled with
wonder.
6
The fragrance of summer blossoms pervades my dreams.
7
Waste nothing -- use every gift the land gives you.
8
Swim with the dolphins, and learn the magic of their world.
9
The earth drinks the blessing of the summer rain.
10
Sorrow abides not in this place.
11
Turn every hardship into a triumph.
12
If you would win your heart's desire, you must give your
heart to the task of winning it.
13
Give freely of yourself in all endeavors.
14
In all things, turn anger into industry.
15
Even the clumsiest hand can create a thing of beauty.
16
Acknowledge the duality of life in everything you do.
17
Embrace life with joy, and never let it go!
18
All great schemes were born of dreams.
19
Sing with the voice of the wind.
20
In the hidden places are found the rarest of flowers.
21
Summer's moon is rising now above the mountains.
22
Speak softly of your secret joys.
23
Joy is the visible expression of wonder.
24
True dreams are born of sea spray, of ehukai.
25
Cherish three things above all else: the life of the land,
the well-being of the spirit, and the love of those friends
who are dearest to us.
26
Be one with the winds, and give your spirit wings!
27
The gifted storyteller brings the past to life.
28
In the chant of the ages lies the secret heart of the
people.
29
The mountains stand like sentinels above my valley.
30
All space and time live within me.
IULAI
(July)
(Hinaiaeleele)
July was the month in which the ohia fruit began to ripen.
1
I am the moon's child, born of starlight and dewfall.
2
The beauty of the wilderness renews my spirit.
3
We were all born in the stars.
4
Rejoice with the storms of the earth; shout joy with the
voice of the thunders!
5
The wonder of childhood is preserved within.
6
Choose the path taken by only a few, for it leads to wisdom.
7
Dance joyously in the memory of your ancestors, your kupuna.
8
Life is all around us, ... and within.
9
I weave a lei of maile leaves to celebrate the new day!
10
My flute echoes the cry of the wind.
11
The mantis pauses for a moment in its journey to bless those
it encounters.
12
Night passes a veil of introspection over the land.
13
To welcome the future, you must first release the burdens of
the past.
14
It is in the quiet hours of the evening that we can most
nearly know our true selves.
15
The rainbow, ke anuenue, illuminates the land in beauty.
16
A waterfall plummets down the face of the cliffs, na pali,
to be reborn in mist far below.
17
The mountain slopes have turned green with the blessing of
rain.
18
A dragon kite soars and ripples in the summer breeze.
19
Sculptures are formed of the shifting sand ... and swiftly
erased.
20
Accept what must be ... only if you cannot make it better.
21
With each lesson learned, stand a little taller.
22
No victory is beyond our grasp.
23
Rise with the dawn if you would take full measure of the new
day.
24
The mountains watch over this land, silent sentinels of the
Gods.
25
Here is the place where magic dwells.
26
Let the children lead you to wonder.
27
Laughter is a gift of life.
28
Music is the wind ... captured for a brief moment.
29
My heart's wings give flight to my dreams.
30
The joy of the spirit is everlasting.
31
The clouds lie upon the mountaintops like sleepy children.
AUKAKE
(August)
(Mahoe-mua)
August was the season when the ohia fruit ripened
abundantly.
1
All are strangers when they come here, until the spirit of
this land claims their hearts.
2
Life is the only true magic.
3
The summer sunlight is rich honey poured upon the flowers.
4
To hear the bright laughter of even one child's joy is to
hear the world.
5
Through music, we are most nearly ourselves.
6
Your spirit will lead you to those you were meant to know.
7
Take time to look at clouds and sunsets and the beauty of
nature.
8
Make your mind a quiet place of peace and solitude.
9
No truth is ever absolute.
10
The orchid embodies the perfection of diversity.
11
Never be afraid to experience life.
12
The song of the ocean is captured forever in the tiniest
shell.
13
Wherever I journey, this place of wonder walks by my side.
14
The fullness of each day is made up of both light,
malamalama, and shadow, ke aka.
15
Tiny lights bob in the darkness as paper boats carry them
out to sea on the evening tide -- we are one with our past.
16
The gecko sings inside my home, blessing it.
17
The bird of paradise flower erupts with bright color amidst
the green coolness of the ferns.
18
Arise with joy to greet the day!
19
Accept what cannot be easily explained.
20
Sculpting molten lava is an act of devotion only a few
artists can perform.
21
Nature can provide healing for many ills.
22
Deep forest of the ancient days -- sustain my spirit.
23
There are many diverse traditions in this land.
24
My dreams are shaped in the ever-changing clouds.
25
Love is a golden bird singing in a green valley.
26
For the patient spirit, life holds many rewards.
27
Listen always for the answers to questions you have never
asked.
28
The flower is nature's work of art.
29
Life is a continuous cycle of learning.
30
Curiosity is the seed of knowledge.
31
New ideas can help preserve old traditions.
KEPEKEMAPA
(September)
(Mahoe-hope)
September was the time when the plume of the sugar-cane
began to unsheath itself.
1
If your heart tells you that you can soar with your dreams,
let no one persuade you otherwise!
2
In even the tiniest seeds are found all the secrets of life.
3
The coral reef is a home to many creatures.
4
In our hearts, we are all children.
5
Know all there is to know, ... and cherish what you learn.
6
Never make excuses to avoid doing the things you truly love.
7
Time will not stand still for our convenience -- we must
make the time we need to build our dreams.
8
To walk upon black sands is to feel the touch of Pele.
9
Whenever we think we know all there is to know, ... the
universe changes.
10
Each person sees the world a little differently.
11
You can see your true self reflected in a still pond.
12
Solitude feeds the spirit.
13
Look to the lessons of the past to solve the challenges of the
present.
14
It is in the secluded valleys that the rarest of treasures
are found.
15
See the dance of the rain upon the leaves; hear the laughter
of the waves upon the shore.
16
Be like the mountain stream -- if something blocks your
path, flow around it.
17
In this world, there is time enough for all things.
18
The road I walk is always unfolding before me; what lies
around the next bend is a new adventure.
19
The dolphins leap and play upon the waves at morning; they
are the eternal children of the sea.
20
The world seen from the eye of aeko, the eagle, is a vast
and wondrous place.
21
Our hopes and dreams inter-weave in the intricate patterns
of love, aloha.
22
For every loving soul, life brings beauty and joy.
23
This life is but a brief moment in my existence.
24
Fly with me to the high aerie of dreams.
25
Take time to hear the voices of children.
26
A symphony of birds sings together in the trees just before
sunset.
27
Conquer fear; do not let fear conquer you.
28
If you want to succeed, you must first try.
29
Creativity is the key to success in every endeavor.
30
All changes in life, whether we perceive them to be good or
bad, hold the seeds for a greater good in the future.
OKAKOPA
(October)
(Ikuwa)
October was the last month of the Kau season, which ran from
May through October. The most important holiday of the
Hawaiian year was the Makahiki, which began in late October
or early August, when the Pleiades or Makali'i stars first
appeared in the night sky, and lasted for four months.
During this time there was no fighting, for the Makahiki was
a festival honoring Lono, who was, among other things, a god
of peace and of the harvest. It was celebrated by prayers
and offerings to the gods, followed by feasting, games,
songs and dancing.
1
Lono, grant us the rains to make our crops grow, the
sunlight to make them ripen, and the strength for us to
harvest your bounty.
2
This land was born in fire and cooled by the touch of the
wind and rain.
3
I cast my lei of dreams upon the ocean.
4
Every dawn begins the adventure of a new day.
5
A tiny crab scuttles across the wet sand, searching for
places to hide.
6
Walk in the paths illuminated by the moon.
7
I hear the bright music of the waterfall in my dreams.
8
Know what you want from life, ... and never give up until
you find it.
9
The plover, kolea, rushes from place to place, stopping only
a little while to enjoy his surroundings.
10
All places are here; all time is now.
11
Each person's perception of the world is a little different.
12
In life, there is no end of possibilities.
13
Seek to know all that there is to know -- to experience all
that there is to experience.
14
You speak, ... and I can hear your voice in the very silence
of my soul.
15
How much more interesting is the tapestry woven of many
colors than that woven of only one hue.
16
The wind whispers over the mountains and through the leaves
of the trees below.
17
The land trembles -- Pele is awakening!
18
The ocean is the source of all life.
19
We bless the earth ... and are blessed by it.
20
If you would see all the world, climb to the mountain's
pinnacle.
21
The solitude of the wilderness helps me find myself.
22
Pele builds and re-builds the land until she is satisfied
with her creation.
23
Teach me the magic of the night.
24
Those we love are near to us in spirit.
25
Tread gently upon the dew-pearled grass of morning.
26
It is never too late to change, to learn, to grow.
27
The sunlight weaves dappled patterns of leaves upon the
grass.
28
Only the wind can speak my true name.
29
The leaves sigh with the wind's caress.
30
In knowledge lies the greatest power.
31
The moon is my guardian on this night of nights.
NOWEMAPA
(August)
(Welehu)
August was the first month of the Hoo-ilo season, which
ran from August through April. This month marked the
season when people, for sport, darted arrows made of the
flower stalk of the sugar-cane.
1
Know your own heart as no other can.
2
The reward for all endeavors is self-satisfaction.
3
Give others the praise you would covet for yourself.
4
Time is our enemy only if we make it so.
5
Pele's glory blazes across the night sky.
6
Our joys and our sorrows come from within, not from those
around us.
7
Make your opportunities -- do not wait for them.
8
Wherever you are, let your spirit dwell in the wilderness.
9
Spend each day well -- once gone, it cannot be reclaimed.
10
Take time to enjoy the world around you.
11
The blue of the sky perfectly mirrors the blue of the ocean.
12
The reef fish dart in and out of shadows like restless
dancers.
13
In the sunlit ocean, you can barely see the translucent
beauty of the Portuguese man of war.
14
Children can see a world which we have forgotten.
15
In this land, it is always spring.
16
The path of self-knowledge is different for every person.
17
If I can hear the ocean's song and feel the wind's caress,
then I am at peace.
18
All things return to the ocean at last.
19
Wishes made by starlight are wishes born of the heart.
20
The fairy terns are pale ghosts against the night sky.
21
The pueo's haunting call invokes the spirit of the wind.
22
The full moon is rosy with the glow of the setting sun, and
the clouds surrounding it are royal purple.
23
Heed well the cycles of your life.
24
Let your dreams be a source of inspiration.
25
Be grateful for the ancestors who helped shape your life.
26
In every conversation, it is important to learn to listen.
27
The pearl is a wondrous creation of the sea.
28
We become what we feel.
29
Time is merciful to those who do not worship it.
30
Be as young as you feel in your dreams.
KEKEMAPA
(December)
(Makalii)
December was the time when the trailing plants died down and
the south wind, the Kona, prevailed.
1
May your spirit be filled with song and laughter.
2
The stars shine more brightly at this time of year.
3
Weave the pattern of life into your every creation.
4
In simplicity, we can find the solutions to our most complex
riddles.
5
Lava steams and crackles as it pours into the churning ocean
-- the marriage of fire and water.
6
Let your dreams fly upon the wings of the wind.
7
May I one day sing the song of my being in the land of my
heart's desire.
8
In the mirror pool, you will see reflected your own spirit.
9
Learn all that life has to teach you.
10
Seek love, knowledge, and above all else -- happiness.
11
If we can achieve a meeting of minds, then all our other
differences are meaningless.
12
Welcome new possibilities -- they are the zest of life.
13
Enjoy your dreams, for they come from a very special part of
you.
14
Be creative in every aspect of your life.
15
Expect fulfillment, and you will achieve it.
16
Help others to achieve their goals.
17
Banish winter from your spirit, and spring will fill the
void.
18
Every season of life has its virtues.
19
Our dreams speak to us in the language of the soul.
20
Be still within if you would hear the voice of inspiration.
21
Draw upon the source of life in everything you do.
22
Cherish my hopes and dreams, Beloved, and I will cherish
yours.
23
Pursue happiness; capture it now, and never let it go.
24
Sleep passes a mist of forgetfulness over our sorrows.
25
In peace I go forth to greet each day.
26
Snow clothes the fiery heart of the volcano.
27
Hold fast to friends, for they are the greatest of
treasures.
28
May all your days be remembered in gladness.
29
The stars tonight are bright-etched in magic.
30
Sleep soundly when the year has run its course, for you will
awake to new life.
31
Greet the dawn of the new year with flowers, song, and dance
by the ocean, where all life begins.
OCEAN SONGS
(Images of Hawai'i)
By D. F. Sanders
I have heard your ocean songs at dusk
In the trees that sway with the sighing wind,
And seen, in the soft glimmering of starlight,
The iridescent waves caressing the shore.
Sometimes, a voice calls to me in the silence,
Bringing me memories of the land, ka aina.
It is the voice of the sea that I hear,
The murmur of the surf in a shell,
Or the laughter of children as they play,
All sounds repeating to me, in the vast chant of life,
"Hawai'i, Hawai'i."
You ask much: love of your heritage,
Love of the land, with its sacred places,
Yet you give of your bounty in return,
And your splendor is a feast for all to behold.
You have many moods, from the fiery wrath of a volcano
To the gentle rain that falls, like a blessing, on the land,
Graced by the fragile luminescence of a rainbow.
If I were to ask you, "Where does your heart lie?"
You might answer, "In the children and in the land,
And in the everlasting mele of the wind and the sea."
I have heard the beauty of your ocean songs,
And I know, in the bright rhapsody of the morning,
Hawai'i.
***
Hawaiian Words used in the Book of Days:
A-ei - fine fish nets used for such fish as the opelu and maomao.
held open at the mouth with kuku, or stretching poles.
Aeko - Eagle.
(ka) Aina - the Land, the Earth.
(ke) Aka - shadow, darkness; also mirror image.
(ke) Akua - the Gods.
Aloha - Hello, good-bye, love, thank you
Anae - mullet fish.
(ke) Anuenue - (the) rainbow.
Aumakua - Ancestral Spirit, either ancestor or animal.
Ehukai - Seaspray
Enuhe - a caterpillar, as of hawk or sphinx moths. Very
destructive to the vegetation.
Hinaiaeleele - Ancient month corresponding to July. Also the
name of a star.
Heiau - temple; a sacred place, usually ringed by a wall of lava
rocks
(na) Hoku - the Star(s).
Ho'o-Ilo - Winter, rainy season.
Ho'okupu - a gift, especially a gift of the spirit. Literal
meaning: to sprout or to grow. A gift of the spirit is a
gift which causes the life essence to sprout and grow.
(na) Huihui - The Pleiades (see also Makali'i). Also means
constellation. Literal meaning: mixed, mingled, united,
joined.
Ikiiki - Month name in the ancient calendar corresponding to May,
a hot month. Literal meaning: stifling heat and humidity.
Also the name for the planet Jupiter.
Ikuwa - Month name corresponding to October, when the roar of the
surf was very evident. Literal meaning: noisy; clamorous;
to make a din; voices of the Gods in the elements (as in the
ocean surf).
Kaaona - Ancient Hawai'ian month name corresponding to June.
Also the name of a star.
Kaelo - Ancient name corresponding to January, a wet month.
Literal meaning: saturated, as with water. Also the name
of a star, possibly Betelgeuse.
(ke) Kai - The Sea.
Kau - Summer. Also a name for the Milky Way, and the name of a
star in the northern skies that served as as guide for
mariners.
Kau-lua - Ancient Hawai'ian month roughly corresponding to
February. Also one of many names for the star Sirius.
Ke Ao Nei - The World.
Keiki - Child.
Kolea - the Pacific Golden Plover, a migratory bird.
Kupuna - Elder, grandparent, ancestral spirit.
Lei - a garland of flowers or other materials, strung or woven.
Lono - the God of peace and of the harvest, honored at the
Makahiki festival.
Mahina - the moon.
Mahoe-hope - Ancient Hawaiian month roughly corresponding to
September. Literal meaning: Last twin.
Mahoe-mua - Month in the old calendar corresponding to August.
Literal meaning: First-born of the twins.
Maile - a fragrant leaf from a shrub in the Periwinkle family
used for leis, or garlands. Sacred to Laka, the Goddess of
the Hula.
Makahiki - Ancient festival, beginning about the middle of
October and lasting about four months, with sports and
religious festivities and a taboo on war. All hostilities
were set aside during the Makahiki, which was a festival
dedicated to the God Lono, who was the God of the Harvest.
Makali'i - A month in the old calendar corresponding to December.
December was a time when the Makali'i stars were clearly
visible in the night sky.
Makali'i Stars - the Pleiades (see also na Huihui); also Castor
and Pollux.
(ka) Makani - the Wind(s).
Malamalama - light, shining, clarity.
Malolo - the Hawai'ian flying fish, several varieties.
Mana - Power, especially spiritual power from the Gods.
Mano' - The Shark God.
Mele - A song or chant of any kind; a poem; to sing or chant.
Moe'uhane - Dream; literal meaning: soul sleep.
Nana - The month in the old calendar corresponding to March; also
a star name, a variety of taro plant, and a type of fish.
Meaning: to weave, as in weaving or plaiting mats.
Ohia - One of two kinds of Hawai'ian tree. The Ohia-lehua, with
its lovely red blossoms, is a favorite of the Goddess Pele.
Opelu - a fish -- the Mackeral scad; also a variety of taro
plant.
(na) Pali - (the) cliff(s)
Pele - Goddess of the Volcano.
Pohaku - Stone(s).
Welehu - Ancient Hawai'ian month corresponding to August; also
the name of a deep sea fish. Welehu, traditionally a stormy
month, especially for fishing, was a time for staying home
and resting.
Welo - Name of a month in the old calendar corresponding to
(c) Copyright 1991, 1995
by Debra F. Sanders
Contributed by:
Debra F. Sanders
3626 Crater Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
(808) 735-0482
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