Chiefess Kapiolani
Encyclopedia
High Chiefess Kapiolani (c. 1781–1841) was an important member of the Hawaiian nobility at the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii
and the arrival of Christian missionaries. One of the first Hawaiians to read and write and sponsor a church, she made a dramatic display of her new faith which made her the subject of a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
.
, who was both her second cousin and her third cousin through different relationships. Her ancestors included royalty of Kauai
, royalty of Maui and the royalty of Hawaii island
. The name probably comes from ka pi'o lani meaning "heavenly arch" in the Hawaiian language
.
The father of Kapiolani was Keawemauhili
(also spelled Keawe-mau-hili), who was high chief (Alii Nui) of the district of Hilo on the island of Hawaii
. She was probably born there about 1781. Keawemauhili was half-brother to Kalaniōpuu who was king of the island during the fatal visit of Captain James Cook in 1779. Her mother was his second wife Kekikipaa, the daughter of Kameeiamoku. Kekikipaa was one of the wives of Kamehameha I before she moved to the east side of the island with Keawemauhili. She was a cousin of Kiwalao, the young king of the island who was killed when Kamehameha I first came to power at the battle of Mokuōhai
in July 1782.
. The young Kapiolani was thrown in the bushes by her caretakers as the army fled, but was saved and sent to live with her aunt Akahi in the village of Kealia in the Kona District
near the religious centers on Kealakekua Bay
.
She was instructed in the Hawaiian religion
and its strict social rules known as kapu
. For example, women were not allowed to eat bananas. Once she sent a servant boy to secretly get some for her to taste. When the local priest found out, she was spared but the boy was sacrificed.
She was still a young girl when the Vancouver Expedition
arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1793 and 1794. This time, through interpreters, Hawaiians could start to learn about other cultures.
In 1805, an epidemic known as mai oku'u broke out. Much of the royalty, including Kamehameha I and Kapiolani got very sick. She might have briefly married High Chief Chief Kuakini, who later became the royal governor of the island. She became known as having liaisons with several members of the ruling class.
The death of Kamehameha in 1819 put the kingdom into turmoil. The period known as Ai Noa (literally, "free eating") after one king's death was traditionally followed by the new king imposing similar Kapu rules. However, this time, powerful women such as Queen Kaahumanu (then Regent), Keōpūolani
(mother of the new King Kamehameha II
), along with Kapiolani, were not satisfied with the old ways. Chief Keaoua Kekuaokalani
attempted to gather followers of the old system at the temple near where she was living, but he was defeated at the battle of Kuamoo
.
American Christian Missionaries led by Rev. Asa Thurston arrived only a few months later, in March 1820 at Kailua-Kona about 12 miles (19.3 km) to the north. They had already embarked on the ship Thaddeus before Kamehameha's death. They describe meeting Kapiolani for the first time as she was sunbathing while applying coconut oil, "basking in the noonday tropical sun, like a seal". They also describe finding her "with her two husbands, all nearly nude, and in a state of beastly intoxication".
She followed the missionaries to Honolulu in 1821, where a school had been set up. She quickly learned to read and write, and found that the new religion might mean more than freely eating bananas. She settled into a monogamous
relationship with her husband Naihe
(her stepbrother, since her father married his mother).
She returned to Kealakekua Bay in the spring of 1823, but wanted to continue her education. She would send boats up to Kailua to pick up a preacher for Sunday services.
In the summer of 1823 William Ellis toured the island to determine locations for mission stations, and identified Kapiolani and Naihe as "friends and patrons of missionary efforts". Because of this, he suggested the village of Kaawaloa at the north end of Kealakekua Bay as one of the first sites for a church.
Later on the tour, after a long journey to the volcano Kīlauea
with little food, Ellis eagerly ate the wild berries they found growing there. The berries of the Ōhelo (Vaccinium reticulatum
) plant were considered sacred to the goddess Pele, who lived in the volcano according to Hawaiian mythology
. Traditionally prayers and offerings to Pele were always made before eating the berries. The volcano crater was an active lava lake, which the natives feared was a sign that Pele was not pleased with the violation.
In February 1824 Kapiolani constructed a thatched house about 60 feet (18.3 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) for use as a church, and Rev. James Ely starting using it for services in April. Although other leaders had tolerated the missionaries, this was the first time a major noble had constructed a building specifically for them.
In the fall of 1824 she decided to show her people a dramatic demonstration of her faith.
Although many other temples were destroyed by this time, the native Hawaiians continued to honor the goddess Pele at Kīlauea, which was still active. Following the example of the Ellis trip, she traveled to the volcano. Because of the sharp, barren lava rock on the way, it would have been much faster to use canoes. She set out on foot, gathering a large crowd as she walked about sixty miles. Rev. Goodrich from the Hilo mission
met her at the volcano near the end of December. The guardians of Pele warned that if she did not make the customary offerings, she would certainly be killed. Many remembered when their relatives were wiped out by an explosive eruption in 1790
. She said a Christian prayer instead of the traditional one to Pele, and descended about 500 feet down into the main vent of Halemaumau
. There was a molten lava lake at the time, but no eruption and she survived intact, with only bruises on her feet from the long journey. This event has become legendary at the volcano.
The tale probably was enhanced through time, often involving the throwing of stones into the pit or eating Ōhelo berries.
In July 1825, Admiral Lord Byron
(cousin of the famous poet) brought back the bodies of Kamehameha II and Queen Kamāmalu who had died in England. Naihe traveled to Honolulu and helped negotiate the peaceful transition in which the 11 year old Prince Kauikeaouli would be named Kamehameha III
, but power would be held again by Queen Kaahumanu. Naihe led Byron back to Kealakekua Bay, where his crew looted many artifacts from the temples that remained in the area.
In October 1825 Kapiolani was baptized. Commanding the respect of the people, she kept order in her districts of south Kona and Kaū, and often traveled to help the less fortunate. This was very different than the strict isolation of the upper classes that was the tradition in ancient Hawaii
. She is described as not being "hard and puritanical" but rather having a "nature-loving spirit".
Rev. Samuel Ruggles became pastor of the church in 1828. He found the shoreline areas too hot, so Kapiolani offered some land at a higher elevation and a few miles inland to build a house. It was near the present town of Captain Cook, an area formerly used to grow taro
called Kuapehu.
visited Kealakekua Bay in 1829 and she hosted the officers at her home. The ship chaplin, Rev. Charles Stewart, was a former missionary to Hawaii who had met Kapiolani in 1823.
In 1829, she was saddened to find the destruction of the temples included desecrating the bones of her ancestors at the Puuhonua o Hōnaunau
.
She removed the remains of the old chiefs and hid them in the Pali Kapu O Keōua cliffs. She then ordered this last temple to be destroyed. The bones were kept hidden safely until they were moved to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
in 1858.
Naihe died December 19, 1831, and Kapiolani moved uphill to live near the missionaries. She became friends with Persis Goodale Thurston Taylor
(daughter of Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
) who sketched a silhouette in 1839. She started a garden, experimenting with various plants, including guava, oranges, and coffee. This area is now known as the center for growing Kona coffee
.
In 1839 missionary Cochran Forbes started to build a massive stone church on more of her land.
The site was kepulu, just uphill from the current village of Napoopoo, since the village of Kaawaloa was mostly abandoned.
In about 1840 she developed breast cancer. In March 1841 she traveled to Honolulu for surgery by Dr. Gerrit P. Judd
(without anesthetic). She recovered, and was preparing to leave when she died on May 5, 1841. She was buried in a royal plot in Honolulu.
, it is still in use today.
The "Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School" is named for her. As of 2008 enrollment was 402 students. The school is located at 966 Kilauea Avenue in Hilo, Hawaii.
The story of Kapiolani became very popular in the middle of the 19th century. The British author Alfred, Lord Tennyson
(1809–1892) wrote a poem about her, published after his death by his son. Verse IV, for example reads:
Her nephew Kūhiō Kalanianaole
named his daughter after her, who became known as Queen Kapiolani
(1834–1899) when her husband became King Kalākaua
. This namesake would in turn lend her name to several notable institutions in Hawaii.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
and the arrival of Christian missionaries. One of the first Hawaiians to read and write and sponsor a church, she made a dramatic display of her new faith which made her the subject of a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
.
Ancestry
Kapiolani was the product of generations of inbreeding within the royalties of all four islands. Every high chief in the Hawaiian Islands was her cousin, including Kamehameha IKamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
, who was both her second cousin and her third cousin through different relationships. Her ancestors included royalty of Kauai
Alii Aimoku of Kauai
The Alii Aimoku of Kauai was the sovereign king or queen of the islands of Kauai and Niihau.- Overview :The monarchs of Kauai, like those of the other Hawaiian islands, claim descent from Wakea and Papa. Nanaulu, a descendant in the fourteenth generation from Wakea, was the ancestor of Moikeha, 1st...
, royalty of Maui and the royalty of Hawaii island
Alii Aimoku of Hawaii
The following is a list of alii aimoku of Hawaii. "Alii aimoku" refers to the ruler of the island. alii refers to the ruling class of ancient Hawaii...
. The name probably comes from ka pi'o lani meaning "heavenly arch" in the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
.
The father of Kapiolani was Keawemauhili
Keawemauhili
Keawemauhili, spelled in old texts as Keawe-mau-hili, was an important member of the Hawaiian nobility at the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:...
(also spelled Keawe-mau-hili), who was high chief (Alii Nui) of the district of Hilo on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. She was probably born there about 1781. Keawemauhili was half-brother to Kalaniōpuu who was king of the island during the fatal visit of Captain James Cook in 1779. Her mother was his second wife Kekikipaa, the daughter of Kameeiamoku. Kekikipaa was one of the wives of Kamehameha I before she moved to the east side of the island with Keawemauhili. She was a cousin of Kiwalao, the young king of the island who was killed when Kamehameha I first came to power at the battle of Mokuōhai
Battle of Moku'ohai
The Battle of Mokuōhai, fought in 1782 on the island of Hawaii, was a key battle in the early days of Kamehameha I's wars to conquer the Hawaiian Islands...
in July 1782.
Life
After a quiet period of a few years, the civil wars continued in 1790. Her father Keawemauhili joined forces with Kamehameha, but was then killed by his nephew Keōua KuahuulaKeoua Kuahuula
Keōua Kuahuula was an Alii during the time of the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii.His name means Keōua of the "red altar"....
. The young Kapiolani was thrown in the bushes by her caretakers as the army fled, but was saved and sent to live with her aunt Akahi in the village of Kealia in the Kona District
Kona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
near the religious centers on Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii about south of Kailua-Kona.Settled over a thousand years ago, the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites such as religious temples, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings on...
.
She was instructed in the Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion is the term used to describe the folk religious beliefs and practises of the Hawaiian people. It is unrelated to, though commonly confused with, the philosophy of Huna....
and its strict social rules known as kapu
Kapu
Kapu refers to the ancient Hawaiian code of conduct of laws and regulations. The kapu system was universal in lifestyle, gender roles, politics, religion, etc. An offense that was kapu was often a corporal offense, but also often denoted a threat to spiritual power, or theft of mana. Kapus were...
. For example, women were not allowed to eat bananas. Once she sent a servant boy to secretly get some for her to taste. When the local priest found out, she was spared but the boy was sacrificed.
She was still a young girl when the Vancouver Expedition
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1793 and 1794. This time, through interpreters, Hawaiians could start to learn about other cultures.
In 1805, an epidemic known as mai oku'u broke out. Much of the royalty, including Kamehameha I and Kapiolani got very sick. She might have briefly married High Chief Chief Kuakini, who later became the royal governor of the island. She became known as having liaisons with several members of the ruling class.
The death of Kamehameha in 1819 put the kingdom into turmoil. The period known as Ai Noa (literally, "free eating") after one king's death was traditionally followed by the new king imposing similar Kapu rules. However, this time, powerful women such as Queen Kaahumanu (then Regent), Keōpūolani
Keopuolani
Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I.-Early life:...
(mother of the new King Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
), along with Kapiolani, were not satisfied with the old ways. Chief Keaoua Kekuaokalani
Keaoua Kekuaokalani
Keaoua Kekua-o-kalani was a nephew of Kamehameha I, the chief from the Big Island of Hawaii who had unified the Hawaiian islands. He was the son of Kamehameha's half brother Kealiimaikai and Kamehameha's half-sister Kiilaweau. After Kamehameha died in 1819, Keaoua rebelled against Kamehameha's...
attempted to gather followers of the old system at the temple near where she was living, but he was defeated at the battle of Kuamoo
Kuamoo Burials
The Kuamoo Burials is an historic Hawaiian burial site for warriors killed during a major battle in 1819...
.
American Christian Missionaries led by Rev. Asa Thurston arrived only a few months later, in March 1820 at Kailua-Kona about 12 miles (19.3 km) to the north. They had already embarked on the ship Thaddeus before Kamehameha's death. They describe meeting Kapiolani for the first time as she was sunbathing while applying coconut oil, "basking in the noonday tropical sun, like a seal". They also describe finding her "with her two husbands, all nearly nude, and in a state of beastly intoxication".
She followed the missionaries to Honolulu in 1821, where a school had been set up. She quickly learned to read and write, and found that the new religion might mean more than freely eating bananas. She settled into a monogamous
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
relationship with her husband Naihe
Naihe
Naihe was the chief orator and councilor during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A champion athlete in his youth, he negotiated for peace at several critical times, and helped preserve the remains of several ancient leaders.-Early life:...
(her stepbrother, since her father married his mother).
She returned to Kealakekua Bay in the spring of 1823, but wanted to continue her education. She would send boats up to Kailua to pick up a preacher for Sunday services.
In the summer of 1823 William Ellis toured the island to determine locations for mission stations, and identified Kapiolani and Naihe as "friends and patrons of missionary efforts". Because of this, he suggested the village of Kaawaloa at the north end of Kealakekua Bay as one of the first sites for a church.
Later on the tour, after a long journey to the volcano Kīlauea
Kilauea
Kīlauea is a volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, and one of five shield volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii. Kīlauea means "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language, referring to its frequent outpouring of lava. The Puu Ōō cone has been continuously erupting in the eastern...
with little food, Ellis eagerly ate the wild berries they found growing there. The berries of the Ōhelo (Vaccinium reticulatum
Vaccinium reticulatum
Vaccinium reticulatum, known as Ōhelo ai in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the heather family, Ericaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows at altitudes of on lava flows and freshly disturbed volcanic ash on Maui and Hawaii, and less commonly on Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai...
) plant were considered sacred to the goddess Pele, who lived in the volcano according to Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
. Traditionally prayers and offerings to Pele were always made before eating the berries. The volcano crater was an active lava lake, which the natives feared was a sign that Pele was not pleased with the violation.
In February 1824 Kapiolani constructed a thatched house about 60 feet (18.3 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) for use as a church, and Rev. James Ely starting using it for services in April. Although other leaders had tolerated the missionaries, this was the first time a major noble had constructed a building specifically for them.
Challenging Pele
Although many other temples were destroyed by this time, the native Hawaiians continued to honor the goddess Pele at Kīlauea, which was still active. Following the example of the Ellis trip, she traveled to the volcano. Because of the sharp, barren lava rock on the way, it would have been much faster to use canoes. She set out on foot, gathering a large crowd as she walked about sixty miles. Rev. Goodrich from the Hilo mission
Waiakea Mission Station-Hilo Station
The Waiākea Mission Station was the first Christian mission on the eastern side of the Island of Hawaii. Also known as the Hilo Station, the latest structure is now called Haili Church.-The first mission:...
met her at the volcano near the end of December. The guardians of Pele warned that if she did not make the customary offerings, she would certainly be killed. Many remembered when their relatives were wiped out by an explosive eruption in 1790
1790 Footprints
The 1790 Footprints refer to a set of footprints found near the Kīlauea volcano in present-day Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii...
. She said a Christian prayer instead of the traditional one to Pele, and descended about 500 feet down into the main vent of Halemaumau
Halemaumau Crater
Halemaumau crater is a pit crater located within the much larger summit caldera of Kīlauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The roughly circular crater floor is x and is below the floor of Kīlauea caldera, located at coordinates . Halemaumau is home to Pele, Goddess of Hawaiian Volcanoes,...
. There was a molten lava lake at the time, but no eruption and she survived intact, with only bruises on her feet from the long journey. This event has become legendary at the volcano.
The tale probably was enhanced through time, often involving the throwing of stones into the pit or eating Ōhelo berries.
In July 1825, Admiral Lord Byron
George Byron, 7th Baron Byron
Admiral George Anson Byron, 7th Baron Byron was a British naval officer, and the seventh Baron Byron, in 1824 succeeding his cousin the poet George Gordon Byron in that peerage...
(cousin of the famous poet) brought back the bodies of Kamehameha II and Queen Kamāmalu who had died in England. Naihe traveled to Honolulu and helped negotiate the peaceful transition in which the 11 year old Prince Kauikeaouli would be named Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
, but power would be held again by Queen Kaahumanu. Naihe led Byron back to Kealakekua Bay, where his crew looted many artifacts from the temples that remained in the area.
In October 1825 Kapiolani was baptized. Commanding the respect of the people, she kept order in her districts of south Kona and Kaū, and often traveled to help the less fortunate. This was very different than the strict isolation of the upper classes that was the tradition in ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
. She is described as not being "hard and puritanical" but rather having a "nature-loving spirit".
Rev. Samuel Ruggles became pastor of the church in 1828. He found the shoreline areas too hot, so Kapiolani offered some land at a higher elevation and a few miles inland to build a house. It was near the present town of Captain Cook, an area formerly used to grow taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
called Kuapehu.
visited Kealakekua Bay in 1829 and she hosted the officers at her home. The ship chaplin, Rev. Charles Stewart, was a former missionary to Hawaii who had met Kapiolani in 1823.
In 1829, she was saddened to find the destruction of the temples included desecrating the bones of her ancestors at the Puuhonua o Hōnaunau
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
Puuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located on the west coast of the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The historical park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu could avoid certain...
.
She removed the remains of the old chiefs and hid them in the Pali Kapu O Keōua cliffs. She then ordered this last temple to be destroyed. The bones were kept hidden safely until they were moved to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna Ala in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.-Description:...
in 1858.
Naihe died December 19, 1831, and Kapiolani moved uphill to live near the missionaries. She became friends with Persis Goodale Thurston Taylor
Persis Goodale Thurston Taylor
Persis Goodale Thurston Taylor was a painter and sketch artist who was born in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on September 28, 1821. Her parents, Reverend Asa Thurston and Lucy Goodale Thurston , were in the first company of American Christian missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands...
(daughter of Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
Asa Thurston and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.-Asa Thurston:...
) who sketched a silhouette in 1839. She started a garden, experimenting with various plants, including guava, oranges, and coffee. This area is now known as the center for growing Kona coffee
Kona coffee
Kona coffee is the market name for coffee cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona"...
.
In 1839 missionary Cochran Forbes started to build a massive stone church on more of her land.
The site was kepulu, just uphill from the current village of Napoopoo, since the village of Kaawaloa was mostly abandoned.
In about 1840 she developed breast cancer. In March 1841 she traveled to Honolulu for surgery by Dr. Gerrit P. Judd
Gerrit P. Judd
Gerrit Parmele Judd was an American physician and missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii who later became a trusted advisor and cabinet minister to King Kamehameha III.- Life :...
(without anesthetic). She recovered, and was preparing to leave when she died on May 5, 1841. She was buried in a royal plot in Honolulu.
Legacy
The massive stone church would fall into ruin, but be rebuilt several times. Now known as Kahikolu ChurchKahikolu Church
Kahikolu Church is one of only two stone churches from the 19th century on the island of Hawaii. It was built from 1852–1855 on the site of an earlier building known as Kealakekua Church that was built around 1833 in the Kona district.-History:...
, it is still in use today.
The "Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School" is named for her. As of 2008 enrollment was 402 students. The school is located at 966 Kilauea Avenue in Hilo, Hawaii.
The story of Kapiolani became very popular in the middle of the 19th century. The British author Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
(1809–1892) wrote a poem about her, published after his death by his son. Verse IV, for example reads:
Long as the lava-light
Glares from the lava-take,
Dazing the starlight;
Long as the silvery vapor in daylight,
Over the mountain
Floats, will the glory of Kapiolani be mingled with either on Hawa-i-ee.
Her nephew Kūhiō Kalanianaole
Kuhio Kalanianaole
Kūhiō Kalanianaole was a Hawaiian high chief of Hilo and father of Queen Kapiolani.He was born c. 1814 to Alii Elelule Laakeaelelulu and his wife Poomaikelani, daughter of Alii Kanekoa, of Waimea, by his first wife, Kalani-kau-lelei-awi, daughter of Kepoomahoe...
named his daughter after her, who became known as Queen Kapiolani
Queen Kapiolani
Queen Kapiolani formally Esther Kapiolani or Esther Kapiolani Napelakapuokakae, was married to King David Kalākaua and reigned as Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:...
(1834–1899) when her husband became King Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
. This namesake would in turn lend her name to several notable institutions in Hawaii.
See also
- List of Missionaries to Hawaii
- List of KapiolaniKapiolaniQueen Kapiolani formally Esther Kapiolani or Esther Kapiolani Napelakapuokakae, was married to King David Kalākaua and reigned as Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:...
namesakes