A heiau is a Hawaiian temple, and Pu'ukoholā Heiau near us here on the Kohala peninsula is considered a particularly important one – so much so that we tourists aren't allowed to step onto it. It was built by Kamehameha I and dedicated to his family war god Kūkā'ilimoku (Kū to his friends) as a means of ensuring his ascendency to king. A prophet oversaw construction following ritually specified building practices, including the use of water-worn lava rocks. These rocks are said to have come from the Pololū Valley and transported hand to hand by a human chain at least 20 miles long. (That seems apocryphal to me but, hey, I wasn't there).
Apparently the war god Kū was pleased because after the heiau was completed in 1791, Kamehameha invited his cousin and chief rival Keōua to the dedication ceremony, which is an invitation Keōua probably should have declined – no matter how good the kalua pig was – because he and almost all of his companions were slain, and Keōua's body was carried up to the heiau and offered up as the principal sacrifice. So much for being the guest of honor. By 1810 Kamehameha had, through both conquest and treaties, united all the Hawaiian Islands under his rule.
Note to self: ask parents if we too have a family war god.
Pu'ukoholā Heiau
Artist's rendering of the heiau, which measures 224 by 100 feet with 16- to 20-foot-high walls on the landward side and ends, terraced along the seaward side. Also shown are thatched houses and an altar for the ruling chief and his priests - commoners (and tourists) not allowed.
View from the temple
Black tip reef sharks ply the waters below
No mortar was used in the wall construction.
Scenic spot below the heiau
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