Kū

In Hawaiian mythology Kū or Kū-ka-ili-moku ("see below") is one of the four great gods along with Kanaloa, Kāne, and Lono.

He was the husband of the goddess Hina [Beckwith (1970): p.12] . Some have taken this to suggest a complementary dualism, as the word "kū" in the Hawaiian language means "standing up" while one meaning of "hina" is "fallen down"Pukui "et al." (1992): p.25] . This analysis is not supported by evidence from other Polynesian languages which distinguish the original "ng" and "n". Hina's counterpart in New Zealand for example, is Hina, associated with the moon, rather than Hinga, "fallen down". Thus, the Hawaiian name Hina is probably rather connected to the other meaning of "hina", denoting a silvery-grey color (like the full moon); indeed the moon is named "Mahina" in the Hawaiian language.

Kū is worshipped under many names, including Kū-ka-ili-moku, the "Seizer of Land" (a feather-god, the guardian of Kamehameha). Rituals included human sacrifice, which was not part of the worship of the other gods. Kū, Kāne, and Lono caused light to shine in upon the world. They are uncreated gods who have existed from eternity [Tregear (1891): p.540] .

ee also

*Tūmatauenga, Māori god of war.
*Kū-aliokinai, 17th century warrior chief of Oahu

Notes

References

* (1970): "Hawaiian Mythology". University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.
* (1891): " [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-TreMaor.html Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary] ". Lyon and Blair, Wellington..
* (1992): "New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary with a Concise Grammars and Given Names in Hawaiian". University of Hawaii PRess, Honolulu. ISBN 0-8248-1392-8