This is an excerpt taken from the koʻihonua (cosmoganic genealogy chant) Kumulipo "Source of darkness". It is the sacred creation chant of a family of Hawaiian aliʻi, or ruling chiefs. It was composed to sanctify the birth of high chief, Kaʻiʻimamao, son of Keaweikehahialiʻiokamoku. These are the first twelve lines of the 2102 lines of this pule hoʻolaʻa aliʻi.
Composed and transmitted entirely in the oral tradition, it provides an extended genealogy proving the family's divine origin and tracing the family history from the beginning of the world.
This chant is one of the principal sources of information on Hawaiian mythology, early culture, political structure, and way of life.
The original text of the Kumulipo was first printed in Honolulu in 1889 from a manuscript copy in the possession of King Kalakaua. Several translations were made later, including one by Queen Liliuokalani, published in 1897.
R.K Makanai shares his ʻike and manaʻo on the Kumulipo via Kumu Jimmy Chun
