The Valuable Hawaiian Tikis

Tikis are very significant to the people of Hawaii. These are the wooden hand-carved figures that were meant to symbolize the islands’ guardians, chief gods, as well as spirit powers.

The early people of the Hawaiian Islands traveled from Polynesia roughly a thousand years ago and they brought with them several religious and sacred beliefs. The tikis are the representation of the numerous gods of both Polynesia and Hawaii. According to Polynesian mythology, the tiki usually stands for the first human being on the planet.

Oahu wedding photo with tikis

In Hawaii, the tikis were hand-carved in order to symbolize a particular god’s image along with the depiction of the god’s or power. The ancient Hawaiians believed that by means of the beautifully crafted tikis, it is quite possible that the people would strengthen their force in the event of a war, be shielded from any harm, and also be granted with thriving crops.

The leading gods of Hawaii that were exemplified by their tiki representations consist of Ku, which was the war god; Lono, which was the peace and agriculture god; Kane, which was the god of creation, jungles, sunlight, and fresh water; and Kanaloa, which was the god of the underwater world.

King Kamehameha II put an end to the early practice of religion called aikapu during 1819. Most of the ancient temples as well as spiritual images like tikis were ruined. But then, there are still several tiki relics that remain until now in honor of the era when austere religious convictions ran the ancient Hawaii people.

The tikis could take various crafted forms such as the huge sculptures, petroglyphs imprinted into rocks, god-like images engraved into boats or drums, as well as tattoo designs on one’s body. The artistic similarities produced in the tikis reveal such a superior level of workmanship and meticulousness. The most familiar tiki figure has a well-built, sturdy body that has a rectangular head and appears to be sporting a headdress. This mystifying character is somewhat an intimidating figure, complete with huge eyes and a war-like stance.

Ever since the 1930s, a tiki culture that represents the island lifestyle started to form around these unusual sculptures. There was a growth of tiki-themed restaurants that featured tiki torches, tiki carvings, rattan furniture, as well as bamboo or wooden products. Tiki bars were also put up and these bars offered mai tais in addition to other island cocktails. When Hawaii was made a state during 1959, the aloha shirt, the tiki culture, plus all the other island icons became unbelievably a huge hit all over the country. check out this hawaii tiki wedding

These days, one would be able to find some gigantic wooden figures in some key locations around the Aloha State, which includes the Polynesian Cultural Center located at the North Shore of Oahu. At La Marianas on Honolulu’s Sand Island, which is considered as Hawaii’s most renowned tiki bar, guests would be able to take pleasure in some tropical drinks among a great number of tiki memorabilia. Visitors of the state would definitely come across a tiki image wherever they go but these are not just any old figures, for they used to represent the ancient Hawaiian gods.  Article by Oahu wedding and wedding themes

The Secluded Island of Kahoolawe

Not all of the Hawaiian Islands are ideal for some fun tourist sightseeing. Among the 8 major islands of Hawaii namely Big Island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, and Niihau, the Kahoolawe Island is the smallest one of them all. This tiny island only measures around 12 miles in length and its area is approximately 45 square miles. The island’s tallest peak is the Lua Makika’s crater located at Pu’u Moaulanui’s summit, which stands at around 1,477 feet above the sea level. What is fascinating about this island is not only its small size, but also the fact that it is completely deserted.

The island of Kahoolawe, as legend goes, is believed to have been christened after Kanaloa, who was among the 4 major Hawaiian gods. Kanaloa was forbidden from entering heaven by Kane, who was the chief Hawaiian god and from then on, the disgraced god became similar to Lucifer. Kanaloa was then supposed to have been the ruler of the dead as well as every poisonous thing on the planet.

Evidently, it was only until the 13^th century that the island of Kahoolawe was inhabited by native Hawaiians. Because of constant drought, these Kahoolawe residents transferred to the other Hawaiian Islands, which were able to offer them more water. For roughly 600 years, the island of Kahoolawe continued to be desolate. But during the 1830s, a penal colony comparable to the Alcatraz Island was established here but it was also abandoned soon after.

After being utilized as a place for prisoners, the island was later taken over by the United States military and it was used as their training ground. Back in 1994, the U.S. government gave the island back to the Aloha State. However, there was limited access to Kahoolawe until 2003 since the United States Navy had a job to tidy up the island first, owing to the fact that plenty of unexploded ammunitions remained in this isle.

These days, the island is being run and controlled by the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission. It is widely assumed that not every single hazardous explosive from the U.S. Navy has been removed from Kahoolawe yet. There are a few people who believe that the military had only removed around 25 % of their total explosives, so if the allegation is true, there are still 75 % of the entire explosives that still remain on the island.

In the olden times, Kahoolawe was an exquisitely lush island filled with flourishing flora and fauna. However, the goats that were brought to Kahoolawe consumed and spoiled the once thriving vegetation. Moreover, the powerful ocean winds also became a factor to the island’s erosion and Kahoolawe turned arid and rocky. This erosion occurred even before the military had taken over the island.

The Aloha State has already started the restoration of the island of Kahoolawe by getting rid of the grazing animals as well as by planting vegetations. This would really be a lengthy process and it would take numerous years before the island is entirely restored. Until that day comes, visits to Kahoolawe would be very limited and would require a special permit. But still, this historic place welcomes interested visitors. To get more information on possible access to the island of Kahoolawe, guests should get in touch with the Visitors Center located on Honolulu or the island of Maui.