Hula Kahiko emerged as a way to praise the Akua and Hawaiian kings. It utilizes intricate hand and body motions to convey specific ideas and is almost always accompanied by mele. The chants used very few chromatic notes and were usually sung by poets. The mele were passed down through generations to preserve the history of the kings and Akua. The kings could share their entire family history with the other islands through these performances. The most common belief among Hawaiians as to how hula began is the legend of Hi'iakaikapoliopele. The legend states that Pelehonuamea, the Akua of volcanos, was on a war path of destruction after the death of her lover Lohiauipo. Pelehonuamea's youngest sister Hi'iakaikapoliopele had to calm her with
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King David Kalakaua, known as the Merrie Monarch, recognized the importance of hula and sought to revive the dance by improving upon it with new instruments and costumes. He was fluent in both Hawaiian and English and studied law from a young age. "Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people," Kalakaua proclaimed (The Hula Movement, Constance Hale). For this brief time, Hawaii culturally rebelled against the missionaries' teachings. However, in 1887 an organization called the Hawaiian League took control of the government by force. The league was comprised of business elites and sugar growers of missionary decent. They presented Kalakaua with a new constitution called the "Bayonet Constitution" (The Hula Movement, Constance Hale). Kalakaua had no choice but to sign it. The document greatly restricted his powers and essentially ended the monarchy. It enforced an American democracy and appointed a new cabinet consisting of members from the Hawaiian League. Three years later, Kalakaua sailed to California for medical treatment, but died in his hotel in San Francisco. His last words were, "Tell my people I …show more content…
state in 1959. Many of the traditions and practices native to Hawaii were nearly extinct. The reformation of Hawaii was all but complete, until a cultural renaissance caught fire in 1970. The Hawaiians were deeply frustrated with their lack of freedom and it was fueled by their immense respect for their ancestors. They began hosting the Merrie Monarch Festival which is held annually in Hilo to this day. This event was created to honor the memory of King Kalakaua. Last year they had an attendance of over 4,000 people. They also host the Kamehameha Hula Competition in Honolulu. These events started to draw the eyes of U.S. mainlanders. In 1992, the World Invitational Hula Festival began in the Waikiki Shell and opened opportunities for hula
King David Kalakaua, known as the Merrie Monarch, recognized the importance of hula and sought to revive the dance by improving upon it with new instruments and costumes. He was fluent in both Hawaiian and English and studied law from a young age. "Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people," Kalakaua proclaimed (The Hula Movement, Constance Hale). For this brief time, Hawaii culturally rebelled against the missionaries' teachings. However, in 1887 an organization called the Hawaiian League took control of the government by force. The league was comprised of business elites and sugar growers of missionary decent. They presented Kalakaua with a new constitution called the "Bayonet Constitution" (The Hula Movement, Constance Hale). Kalakaua had no choice but to sign it. The document greatly restricted his powers and essentially ended the monarchy. It enforced an American democracy and appointed a new cabinet consisting of members from the Hawaiian League. Three years later, Kalakaua sailed to California for medical treatment, but died in his hotel in San Francisco. His last words were, "Tell my people I …show more content…
state in 1959. Many of the traditions and practices native to Hawaii were nearly extinct. The reformation of Hawaii was all but complete, until a cultural renaissance caught fire in 1970. The Hawaiians were deeply frustrated with their lack of freedom and it was fueled by their immense respect for their ancestors. They began hosting the Merrie Monarch Festival which is held annually in Hilo to this day. This event was created to honor the memory of King Kalakaua. Last year they had an attendance of over 4,000 people. They also host the Kamehameha Hula Competition in Honolulu. These events started to draw the eyes of U.S. mainlanders. In 1992, the World Invitational Hula Festival began in the Waikiki Shell and opened opportunities for hula