Nahienaena's Pa'u
Encyclopedia
Nāhienaena's Paū is the largest known Hawaiian
feather cloak
. It is a feather skirt (paū) made for Princess Nāhienaena
.
, the daughter of King Kamehameha I and Keōpūolani
, a highborn chiefess considered the most "sacred" of Kamehameha's wives. Descended from alii
on Maui and the ruling chiefs of Hawaii island
, Keōpūolani had a better family background than Kamehameha himself. Nāhienaena and her brothers were of the highest rank and were seen as "the strength and purity of the Hawaiian people." This special ceremonial garment symbolizes that rank. The paū was only worn once by the princess, apparently reluctantly. She was about 9 years old when the only engraving of her was drawn. The bodies of King Kamehameha II
and Queen Kamāmalu
had been brought back from Great Britain
on the , and the first Christian
memorial service was held for a Hawaiian King. She was conflicted with her religious beliefs; Keōpūolani and Queen Kaahumanu had converted to Christianity after the death of Kamehameha I and rejected the old Hawaiian religion
, which the paū represented. She would run away and hide when ceremonial occasions demanded she wear the paū.
wore by wrapping around her. It was cut in half and resewn after Nāhienaena's death in 1836, and currently measures 10 by 5 ft (3 by 1.5 m). The paū is made mostly of yellow feathers from the now-extinct ōō and mamo
birds. Both birds were mostly black but had patches of yellow under their wings and tail. A geometric pattern of alternating triangles of black ōō feathers and red-orange feathers of the now-endangered [[ʻIʻiwi|iiwi]] bird lines the edge of the paū. While these birds were widely collected by the Native Hawaiians for their feathers, it is more likely that their ultimate extinction was due to habitat loss and disease. The triangles are thought to represent shark
teeth or mountains, which are both symbols of power, but it still remains a mystery. Small bundles of a half-dozen or fewer feathers, about an inch long, are tied into the eye using netting made from olonā
vegetable fibers. There are an estimated 1 million feathers on the skirt, meaning that 200,000 birds were probably involved.
in 1854, and photos show it covering the coffin of King Kalākaua
in 1891. The Bernice P. Bishop Museum stored it for more than 100 years in a secure temperature- and humidity-controlled room. Bishop Museum collections manager Betty Kam called it "a one-of-a-kind treasure".
The paū was displayed for one day at the Bishop Museum's Polynesian Hall on June 11, 2003 which was Kamehameha Day
, as a tribute to the princess and her father. The rare artifact was guarded by practitioners the Hawaiian martial art of lua in traditional garb. This was the first public showing of the paū in 10 years, though it was displayed at a Bishop Museum fund-raiser in May 2003.
It was also displayed in a 2006 exhibit.
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
feather cloak
Feather cloak
Featherwork cloaks have been used by several cultures.-Hawaii:Elaborate feather cloaks called [[ʻahuʻula]] were created by early Hawaiians for the alii .Feathers were also used in women's skirts called pāū....
. It is a feather skirt (paū) made for Princess Nāhienaena
Nahienaena
Harriet or Harrieta Keōpūolani Nāhienaena was a high ranking princess during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the conversion of its royalty to Christianity.-Life:...
.
Story
The paū, or feather skirt, was made about 1824 for the Princess NāhienaenaNahienaena
Harriet or Harrieta Keōpūolani Nāhienaena was a high ranking princess during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the conversion of its royalty to Christianity.-Life:...
, the daughter of King Kamehameha I and 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:...
, a highborn chiefess considered the most "sacred" of Kamehameha's wives. Descended from alii
Ali'i
Alii is a word in the Polynesian language denoting chiefly status in ancient Hawaii and the Samoa Islands. A similar word with the same concept is found in other Polynesian societies. In the Cook Islands, an ariki is a high chief and the House of Ariki is a parliamentary house...
on Maui and the ruling chiefs 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...
, Keōpūolani had a better family background than Kamehameha himself. Nāhienaena and her brothers were of the highest rank and were seen as "the strength and purity of the Hawaiian people." This special ceremonial garment symbolizes that rank. The paū was only worn once by the princess, apparently reluctantly. She was about 9 years old when the only engraving of her was drawn. The bodies of 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...
and Queen Kamāmalu
Kamamalu
Kamāmalu Kalani-Kuaana-o-Kamehamalu-Kekuaiwa-o-kalani-Kealii-Hoopili-a-Walu was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii as the wife of King Kamehameha II. She is not to be confused with Princess Victoria Kamāmalu who was her niece...
had been brought back from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
on the , and the first Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
memorial service was held for a Hawaiian King. She was conflicted with her religious beliefs; Keōpūolani and Queen Kaahumanu had converted to Christianity after the death of Kamehameha I and rejected the old 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....
, which the paū represented. She would run away and hide when ceremonial occasions demanded she wear the paū.
Description
The garment was 20 by 2.5 ft (6.1 by 0.762 m), which NāhienaenaNahienaena
Harriet or Harrieta Keōpūolani Nāhienaena was a high ranking princess during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the conversion of its royalty to Christianity.-Life:...
wore by wrapping around her. It was cut in half and resewn after Nāhienaena's death in 1836, and currently measures 10 by 5 ft (3 by 1.5 m). The paū is made mostly of yellow feathers from the now-extinct ōō and mamo
Hawai'i Mamo
The Hawai'i Mamo was a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae. It was endemic to Hawaii. It became extinct due to habitat loss and overcollecting.-Description:...
birds. Both birds were mostly black but had patches of yellow under their wings and tail. A geometric pattern of alternating triangles of black ōō feathers and red-orange feathers of the now-endangered [[ʻIʻiwi|iiwi]] bird lines the edge of the paū. While these birds were widely collected by the Native Hawaiians for their feathers, it is more likely that their ultimate extinction was due to habitat loss and disease. The triangles are thought to represent shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
teeth or mountains, which are both symbols of power, but it still remains a mystery. Small bundles of a half-dozen or fewer feathers, about an inch long, are tied into the eye using netting made from olonā
Touchardia latifolia
Touchardia latifolia, commonly known as Olonā in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering shrub in the nettle family, Urticaceae. T. latifolia is endemic to Hawaii and inhabits mesic valleys and wet forests at elevations of . Typical to many Hawaiian plants, the olonā does not have any stinging needles...
vegetable fibers. There are an estimated 1 million feathers on the skirt, meaning that 200,000 birds were probably involved.
Aftermath
After the death of Nāhienaena, the paū remained in the royal family and was kept at [[ʻIolani Palace|Iolani Palace]]. It was reconfigured and worn by dead Hawaiian royalty while lying in state. There is a single reference that it was used at the funeral of Kamehameha IIIKamehameha 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...
in 1854, and photos show it covering the coffin of 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...
in 1891. The Bernice P. Bishop Museum stored it for more than 100 years in a secure temperature- and humidity-controlled room. Bishop Museum collections manager Betty Kam called it "a one-of-a-kind treasure".
The paū was displayed for one day at the Bishop Museum's Polynesian Hall on June 11, 2003 which was Kamehameha Day
Kamehameha Day
Kamehameha Day on June 11 is a public holiday of the state of Hawaii in the United States. It honors Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who first established the unified Kingdom of Hawaii — comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui and...
, as a tribute to the princess and her father. The rare artifact was guarded by practitioners the Hawaiian martial art of lua in traditional garb. This was the first public showing of the paū in 10 years, though it was displayed at a Bishop Museum fund-raiser in May 2003.
It was also displayed in a 2006 exhibit.