An article I wrote for a forthcoming driving tour on CD for Kaua'i. Visit www.kauaidrivetours.com for more information.
Turning onto Kuamo‘o Road (Highway 580), you are now entering Wailua Nui Honoa, the Great Sacred Wailua river basin, one of the two most sacred sites in all of the Hawaiian Islands. Less than a quarter mile on your left is a small turnout at the Holoholoku Heiau, the oldest place of worship on Kauai. Here the Hawaiians honored the beginning and end of life.
The low stone wall you see, measuring 24 by 40 feet, marks the original foundation of the heiau. This heiau honored all of the Hawaiian gods, giving particular recognition to Ku. Ku literally means “rising upright,” as in the rising sun over the ocean nearby, and often the Hawaiians worshipped Ku for good fortune and prosperity in their endeavors. Archeologists believe animal or possibly human sacrifices were part of the worship here.
The low stone wall you see, measuring 24 by 40 feet, marks the original foundation of the heiau. This heiau honored all of the Hawaiian gods, giving particular recognition to Ku. Ku literally means “rising upright,” as in the rising sun over the ocean nearby, and often the Hawaiians worshipped Ku for good fortune and prosperity in their endeavors. Archeologists believe animal or possibly human sacrifices were part of the worship here.
Just as life ends, so does it begin. Walk a few meters beyond the heiau to a small cliff face and another sacred site called the Birthstone, where the last king of Kaua‘i, King Kaumualii, was born. The flat sandstone in front of the small stone foundation marks the remains of a sacrificed dog, making the area kapu or forbidden to commoners.
Inside the stone wall was a hut for the expectant mother. When the time came, she leaned on the birthstone, Pohaku Hoohanau, to your left, and placed her feet on the umbilical stone, Pohaku Piko. The umbilical cord, representing past connection, was wrapped in kapa leaves and wedged in the large crack in the cliff to protect it from rats. A rat eating the cord meant the child would become a thief. No matter one’s lineage, a future chief had to be born on this stone in order to be chief and absorb the sacred mana or energy of this place. Here, place matters.
The modern staircase leads to a Japanese cemetery dating from the 1890s. Return to your car to continue up Kuamo‘o Road, built on an ancient path called “The Way of the Kings.” Many chiefs would travel along the Kuamo‘o or “Spine of the Lizard” on their annual pilgrimage, stopping at one of seven sacred sites, including Holoholoku, until they reached Mount Waialeale.
The modern staircase leads to a Japanese cemetery dating from the 1890s. Return to your car to continue up Kuamo‘o Road, built on an ancient path called “The Way of the Kings.” Many chiefs would travel along the Kuamo‘o or “Spine of the Lizard” on their annual pilgrimage, stopping at one of seven sacred sites, including Holoholoku, until they reached Mount Waialeale.
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