Papa & Wakea

333 Words2 Pages
It is the Hawaiian legend that all Hawaiians to believe to be their origin. The two “great” or starting forces that created life was Papa and Wakea. Wakea the sky-father and Papa the earth-mother. With the relationship that the two had, the creation of the Hawaiian Islands, Kalo the main staple of their diet, and creation of man. This story connects some of the fundamental teachings of their own culture and also explains their legend of origin. Some of the teachings that the story explains about why males and females eat in separate places, what their ideas were towards women, and their relationship with their main staple of food. “The ‘Aikapu (sacred eating) is a religion in whichmales and females are separated in the act of eating, males being la’a or “sacred,” and females haumia or “defiling,” by virtue of menstruation” (23). This explains about how women were perceived as being the defiling ones that corrupt the men. …not sure about nowadays. Also under the ‘Aikapu, women weren’t allowed to eat certain foods such as pig, coconuts, bananas and some red fish because of the male symbolism. Also, from the legend of Papa and Wakea, the daughter Ho’ohokukalani was born/created. The first born between Wakea and Ho’ohokukalni was a still-born and they buried it in the earth, and the kalo plant came. Then came mankind after the kalo. The connection is that the Kalo plant is our elder sibling to us, so it is our connection to the land. We must protect and take care of the Kalo through the love of the land and the kalo will feed us. Because it is the reciprocal of the elder sibling to feed the younger one. The Legend of Papa and Wakea, so far is the most important connection that the Hawaiian people have to the land, and explains the significance of taking care of the land so the land will take care of the

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