Hawaii Religion of the Past
While vacationing at a beach hotel Hawaii has plenty of, you might be interested to know a little bit about the Hawaiian religion of the past. Most Hawaiians were, and many still are, polytheistic and animistic, meaning they believe spirits dwell in nature and in objects. The Hawaiians have respect for all living things including natural forces, spirits and deities, which could be both benevolent and evil.
Hawaiians places of worship are called Heiaus , which were sacred locations where prayers, offerings, rituals and even human sacrifices took place. There is still thousands of sacred Ko’a (shrines), and hundreds of Wahi Pana (sacred sites) located throughout all the Islands.
Centuries ago, Hawaiians strictly followed a legal system known as ‘kapus’ (taboos or cursed things), otherwise known as Kapu or ‘forbidden’, but at the same time carries the meaning of ‘sacred’. Some religious items and certain activities were marked as consecrated and to be only used or touched by certain classes. This legal system originated from the Kahunas (priests) , and if anyone violated a Kapu, even unintentionally, would lead to corporal punishment and sometime death.
A few examples of a Kapu, or legal system are: men and women could not eat together; women were separated from society during menses; women were forbidden from eating pork, bananas and coconuts; fishing was restricted by season; and people could not look at or touch an Ali’i (a person with spiritual powers) including their shadow.
So, as you casually enjoy soaking up the Hawaiian sun on the white sandy beaches with your significant other wearing that bikini or Speedo, be thankful that times do change.
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