Na ʻakua
Hawaiian Gods
1. vs., God, goddess, spirit, ghost, devil, image, idol, corpse; divine, supernatural, godly.
ʻakua 1. s., Among Hawaiians, formerly, the name of any supernatural being, the object of fear or worship; a god. The term, on the visit of foreigners, was applied to artificial objects, the nature or properties of which Hawaiians did not understand, as the movement of a watch, a compass, the self-striking of a clock, &c. At present, the word Akua is used for the true God, the Deity, the object of love and obedience as well as fear. 2. The name of the night when the moon was perfectly full; a akaka loa o ia poepoe ana, o Akua ia po; hence it would seem that the ancient idea of an Akua embraced something incomprehensible, powerful, and yet complete, full orbed. The names of the four principal gods of the Hawaiians were Ku, Lono, Kane, and Kanaloa.
While “akua” is commonly translated into English as “deity” , Western and Hawaiian ideas of what constitutes a “deity” differ greatly.
The following fall under the category of “akua”:
a deity, a spirit, mana, strength, knowledge, things without a source, a ruling ali‘i, a corpse, a ghost, a kauā (outcast of the despised class), and a devil.
While “akua” does denote “deity,” it is important to note that not all akua were actively worshipped.
The term has more to do with the more-than-human.
Akua are nature deities, representing the elements, natural phenomena, flora, fauna, and geographic features that characterize our island world: the sun is Kāne, the ocean is Kanaloa, the lava is Pele, the earth is Papa/Haumea, and the sky’s wide expanse is Wākea, and so on. Moreover, while some akua manifest as human, unlike the Christian God, this is not their primary form.
Hawaiian gods
Na ʻaumakua
Ancestor gods
ʻAuhea ʻoe, ē ke kanaka o ke akua, eia kā kāua wahi ʻai, ua loaʻa maila mai ka pō mai ka pō mai; no laila nāu e ʻaumakua mai i ka ʻai a kāua (prayer), hearken, O man who serves the god, here is food for you [literally,., our food], received from the night, so bless our food in the name of the ʻaumakua.
hula
The Hula
1. nvt., The hula, a hula dancer; to dance the hula He hula (For. 5:479), a hula dancer. Kumu hula, hula master or teacher. Hula mai ʻoe (song), come to me dancing the hula. Haihai akula nā wāhine apau mamuli ona, me nā mea kuolokani, a me ka hula (Puk. 15.20), all the women followed after her with timbrels and dancing. 2. nvt., Song or chant used for the hula; to sing or chant for a hula. hoʻohula Caus/sim.; To cause someone to dance; to pretend to hula.
For types of hula see ʻai haʻa, ʻālaʻapapa, ʻami, hapa haole, hue, kiʻelei, kōlani, kuhi, kuʻi, muʻumuʻu, ʻōhelo, ʻōlapa, ʻōniu, pahua, paʻi umauma, ʻūlili, UL 275–6.
For hulas named for instruments see ʻiliʻili, kāʻekeʻeke, kā lāʻau, pahu, pā ipu, papa hehi, pūʻili, ʻulīʻulī.
For hulas named for creatures see honu, ʻīlio, kōlea, manō, peʻepeʻemakawalu, puaʻa.
māna
Devine Power
hoʻomana
Reading Ka Po‘e Mo‘o Akua by Marie Alohalani Brown has profoundly shifted my understanding of the concept of mana. Brown explains that “Ho‘omana” is often glossed as “religion” or “to worship,” and while these definitions aren't technically incorrect, they don't fully capture the essence of the term. Hawaiian religious traditions define “religion” and “worship” differently from Western ideas, which are often Christian-centric. “Ho‘omana” actually means to generate, bestow, or increase mana. The prefix “ho‘o” indicates causation, bringing something into being, while “mana” is broadly related to power, though “power” inadequately conveys the concept's complexity.
Brown describes mana as having other-than-human origins; Pukui terms it as “supernatural,” “spiritual,” “divine,” or simply “power.” Everything in nature comes into existence with some degree of mana, making it an entity in its own right—something with a distinct and independent existence.
Mana represents a capacity, a potential to effect positive or negative change; it can be spiritual, intellectual, or physical. It empowers; it is intangible but has tangible manifestations; it can be embedded in or transferred to something else; it is intrinsic but can be increased or diminished; and it grants authority and defines status.
From Brown’s explanation, worshipping a deity sustains, imparts, or increases the mana of that deity. Kamakau supports this idea in his 1870 series on Hawaiian history, noting that kahuna observed the spirits of the deceased, whose bones were offered to akua, gained mana from this ritual and, in turn, became akua themselves. Brown's work underscores that Ho‘omana is a religious system in its own right, deserving the same respect as other “world religions,” such as Hinduism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Shinto, and Voodoo.
The Papakilo Database newspapers feature 15,459 instances of “hoomana,” with varied capitalization practices among contributors. Some use “hoomana,” others “Hoomana,” alternating between the two based on whether they use it as a verb (to worship) or as a noun. Approaches to capitalization in the body of articles include terms like Hoomana Kalawina (Calvinism), Hoomana (as a collective noun for religion), Hoomana Moremona (Mormonism), and hoomana Kahiko (Ancient religion). It ultimately depends on whether “hoomana” is understood as “religion” in general or as a specific religious tradition of Hawaiians. Brown's emphasize the significance of recognizing and respecting Ho‘omana as a distinct and integral religious tradition.