The Following Is From
Daniel I. Kikawa's Book
PERPETUATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
With the permission of the author
the following consists of excerpts
from Mr. Kikawa's book. For brevity, we have omitted
the references as cited in his book.
THE MAKAHIKI SYMBOL
The tradition of the ships with white wings may have been the progenitor
of the Hawaiians' symbol for Lono during the Makahiki. The Makahiki heralded
the time of Lono, the God of Peace. The Makahiki symbol carried during this
time was called Father Lono and looked like a square sail. The Polynesians'
canoes did not use square sails but triangular sails.
When Captain Cook arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, his ship was resplendent
with the symbol of Lono. Cook's ship had sailed around the islands in a clockwise
direction, the same direction the symbol of Lono was carried through the
islands during the Makahiki. Cook then sailed into Kealakekua (short for
Keala ke Akua, meaning The Way of God ) Bay, an area considered sacred to
Lono. No wonder the Hawaiians believed him to be Lono! They had always expected
Lono, The God of Peace, to arrive during the Makahiki season as the stars
had foretold. When the Hawaiians eventually realized that Cook was not Lono,
he was killed.
Forty years later, after the death of Kamehameha the Great, Hewahewa, the
highest kahuna in Hawai'i and a direct descendent of Pa'ao, became the first
to set torch to a heiau and destroy it. When the old evil system was overthrown
on the first kapu day announcing the coming Makahiki, Hewahewa, being the
high priest, knew the Prince of Peace was on his way.
Hewahewa knew the prophesy given by Kalaikuahulu a generation before. This
prophesy said that a communication would be made from heaven (the residence
of Ke Akua Mooli, the God of the Hawaiians) by the real God. This communication
would be entirely different from anything they had known. The prophecy also
said that the kapus of the country would be overthrown. Hewahewa also knew
the prophesy of the prophet Kapihe, who announced near the end of Kamehameha's
conquests, "The islands will be united, the kapu of the gods will be brought
low, and those of the earth (the common people) will be raised up." Kamehameha
had already unified the islands, therefore, when the kapus were overthrown,
Hewahewa knew a communication from God was imminent.
After the overthrow of the kapu system, Hewahewa retired to Kawaihae, to
wait confidently for the coming of a "new and greater God."
With so many ships with white sails coming to Hawaii at that time, how would
he know which ship would bring the knowledge of the true God of Peace? He
could not have known that, although the missionaries set sail on October
23rd, one day before the Makahiki began, they would take six months to arrive.
Therefore, it was quite prophetic that, when he saw the missionaries' ship
off in the distance, he announced "The new God is coming." One must wonder
how Hewahewa knew that this was the ship.
Hewahewa departed for Kailua Bay (formally Kaiakeakua—Seaside of God)
ahead of the missionaries to await their arrival with the King. After Hewahewa's
departure, the missionaries' ship entered Kawaihae. Hewahewa's household
told the Hawaiians accompanying the missionaries the astounding news that
the kapus had been overthrown! The missionaries ship was then directed to
Kailua Bay were the King was in residence.
At Kailua, Hewahewa gave an even more astounding prophecy, he pointed to
a rock on the shore and said to the new king, "O king, here the true God
will come." When the missionaries arrived at Kailua, they landed their skiff
on that very rock! This rock is commonly known as the "Plymouth Rock of Hawai'i.
Hewahewa later retired to Waimea, O'ahu and became one of the first members
of the church established there. This church is now located in Haleiwa and
is called the Lili'uokalani Protestant Church.
Another prophecy was fulfilled by the coming of the missionaries. At the
close of one symbolic Makahiki ceremonies, as the god Lono was placed in
a canoe and sent back to Kahiki, a prophecy was given. The Hawaiians had
a tradition that one day the real Lono, of whom this was a symbol, would
return. The prophecy was that the real Lono god would depart but would return
in a small black box. It also said that the people would not know him or
recognize the language he spoke. When the missionaries were allowed to land
at the "Plymouth Rock of Hawai'i", the first thing they brought ashore was
a black bible box. Upon opening the box, no Hawaiian could understand the
writing. The Hawaiian priests declared that the prophecy had been fulfilled.
Lono, the God of Peace, had finally returned in his new form.
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