Ahu'ena Heiau

Ahu'ena Heiau stood on this paepae, or stone platform, and was restored by Kamehameha I after the unification of the pae'aina, when he rededicated it to Lono, the god of peace and prosperity. The Hale O Lono ceremonies were administered by the Mo'o Lono, or Lono Priestly Order, and chiefly involved prayers and food offerings to signify, represent, appease, and invoke perpetual peace and abundance for the Kingdom. Hale Mana served as a place for prayer, a meeting house for discussing Kingdom affairs, and a school where Kamehameha educated his heir, Liholiho, in wise government; there Liholiho received instruction from leading kahuna in the arts, crafts, sciences, history, politics, and religion. The structure had strong poles thatched with ti leaves and trimmed with fern, interior walls covered with silky banana stalk sheathing, and soft mats on the floor around a fire pit for roasting bananas. Hale Pahu sheltered the great ceremonial drums of the temple and was thatched with hala leaves. Anu'u, called the oracle tower, was where the high priest received and proclaimed the answers of the gods to his petitions, and it was the most distinctive feature of the temples of ruling chiefs. Ki'i Akua, temple images carved in the distinctive Kona style, symbolized the presence of helpful gods ancestral to the worshipers and were regarded among the finest Polynesian art forms. Lele were tall stands where offerings were presented to the gods. Hale Nānā Mahina'ai was the place from which Kamehameha I oversaw the cultivation of the agricultural field Kuahewa in the uplands of North Kona to ensure sufficient food for his people. Hale Kia'i served as a guard house.

Kalaoa, Hawaii · United States