I previously noted that when Captain Cook first visited the Hawaiian
Islands, Hawaiian was a spoken language but not a written language. Historical
accounts were passed down orally, through chants and songs.
This doesn’t suggest however, that the Hawaiians did not communicate
through “written” symbols – Hawaiians also communicated through na ki‘i
pōhaku, petroglyphs.
Petroglyph is a word that comes from the Greek words “petros,” for
rock, and “gypheian,” to carve. Thus,
petroglyphs are rock carvings.
Petroglyphs occur throughout the world.
Certain shapes and forms appear to be universal. A petroglyph of a man or dog in Sweden looks
just like a petroglyph of a man or dog in Hawai‘i.
It is probable that the first settlers to Hawai‘i started carving in
the rocks after they arrived here. With
no other writing, the ancient Hawaiians used petroglyphs as forms of
communication, with the gods, spirits and others who viewed them.
Hawaiian petroglyphs are more often found near or at junctions of
trails, or areas when ‘mana’ (cosmic power or force) was found.
It was this mana that was supposed to be absorbed by the petroglyphs to
insure the efficacy of the spiritual rite or act of magic that affirmed the
petroglyph’s intent.
Petroglyphs are not the result of trifling doodle or pastime. Many petroglyphs were made in connection with
religious/magical rites or acts.
Despite appearances, the making of a petroglyph was a purposeful and
deliberate act with the given expectation of result and/or consequence.
Hawaiian petroglyphs evolved into different forms and styles over time.
Many times in clusters of petroglyphs, in the center of a cluster tend
to be of the earliest type, the “stick man” – this is the oldest universal form
around the world.
Another form appears to have a wider body format, sometimes referred to
as the ‘columnar’ form. A more recent
form has the triangular body.
Animals were also drawn; many animals were their guardian spirits
(aumakua.) Animal figures also
represented spirits that inhabited the areas where the petroglyphs were made.
Canoes, paddles, fishhooks, fans and feather capes were also
drawn. These sometimes represent the
mode of travel to reach the petroglyphs, i.e. canoe, on foot, etc.
The majority of petroglyphs is on the ground with carving into the
smooth pāhoehoe lava. Other surfaces include boulders, cliff faces and
smooth-walled interiors of lava tubes and caves.
Hard surface petroglyph carving was done with a stone, repeatedly
smashing the stone against the surface.
Designs on smoother walls in caves can be scraped with a pointed rock.
I want to extend a special thanks to “Ski” Kwiatkowski for his
assistance and information on petroglyphs provided in his book “Na Ki‘i
Pohaku”.
The petroglyph fields I am most familiar with are the clusters at
Puakō, South Kohala.
In fact, years ago – decades before I was involved with DLNR - when I
was an appraiser, I was given an assignment to value the state land where the
petroglyphs are located. The State was
leasing the land and was going to require the tenant to farm the property.
In doing so, it meant the lessee would have to grade and plant the
entire site. I called attention to the
fact that there are numerous petroglyphs in this area and grading (and farming)
should be voided. I recommended that
they amend the lease requirements to protect the petroglyphs.
Fortunately they did; but it also meant my appraisal assignment was
cancelled (which was fine with me.)
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