Hula

King David Kalakaua said, "Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people." The hula is almost synonymous with Hawai`i. Anywhere one travels, as soon as people learn that Hawai`i is home, they ask, "Can you do hula?" Most of them picture the hula of the Steamer Days, "grass" skirts swaying to "Little Grass Shack" and the piercing sweetness of the steel guitar. Yes, that is hula, but it is one small part of hula.

Hula is the literature of the Hawaiian people. Walk into a library. The shelves will hold books on agriculture, astronomy, religion, genealogy, and hundreds of other topics. On one shelf will be The Holy Bible. On another will be "The Little Red Hen". On another will be "Princess Diana".

Hawaiians had, and still have, the same interests as everyone else. The Hula served, and still serves, the same purposes as other literature, both sacred and profane. There are ancient hula which tell of the creation of the world and its creatures. There are hula which tell stories. There are hula which tell about heros, chiefs, and chiefesses. To watch a hula is to read a book about Hawai`i.

Hula dancers often begin their training around age three. This young lady demonstrates the suppleness so engendered. The drawing is from "Ka Hula," a handbook on the native dance of Hawai`i.

How Hula Began
The young goddess Hi`iaka delighted in the forests of ancient Hawai`i. She loved to watch the swaying of the trees. Their leaves trembled in the breezes, speaking to her with their motion.

The deep rumble of rocks in the nearby river drummed out a counterpoint to the quick rhythm of the foliage. This was the heartbeat of the Earth, carried in the flowing of its watery veins. She found that she could stamp the forest floor in the rhythm of the Earth, and move her body in time to the swaying of the trees. her hands, with practice, could imitate the language of the leaves. At last, Hi`iaka was one with the forest she loved, able to speak with it and tell stories of its ancient wisdom to others who had the heart to study and learn.

A young man dances in honor of King David Kalakaua, the "Merrie Monarch." Men as well as women dance hula, children learn when they read and color "Hula Mai", a coloring book by Hawaiian culture and arts instructor Leilehua Yuen. The first in a planned series, "Hula Mai" and the other books follow a local family in their adventures as the children study hula. Info: yuen@ilhawaii.net

Hula Today
Today, there are many halau hula which carry on the tradition. They continue to teach ancient dances, the origins of which are known only to Hi`iaka and her sisters. They teach hula written during the romantic days of the Hawaiian Monarchy. They teach the hapa-haole dances of territorial days. They teach new hula, currently being written today. And, they are teaching those who will be the teachers of tomorrow.

To learn more about the hula, contact Ka Hui Pa`ahana Hawaiian Culture and Arts Study Group at music@ilHawaii.net. Classes are held in Hilo and Kona. For educational materials on the hula, contact Yuen Media Services at yuen@ilhawaii.net.

Ke `Uli`uli
Hula dancers use many diffent implements in their art. This `uli`uli, a type of dance rattle, is in a style popular during the monarchy era. It uses a coconut shell base, which was comon before the introduction of the la`amia (Spanish Tree Gourd). The lauhala handle is lashed with `aha (coconut senit). In ancient times stones were used in the rattle, but the shot-like seeds of the introduced ali`ipoe (cana lily) were prefered by King Kalakaua's day. The iridescent tail feathers of the moa kane (rooster) were a popular decorative item. Prior to the arrival of Capt. Cook, tapa was not much used on the `uli`uli. They were decorated with simple pompons made from the excess leaf used in the handles, with the pelts of birds, or more elaborately, by tying feathers to a flat disk fashioned of the upper part of the leaf handle and `ie`ie vine.

After contact with European culture, however, "artificial pelts" came into vogue and native or imported feathers often were sewn to tapa and then attached to the instrument.

In ancient times and into the monarchy period, the `uli`uli was generally used as a single instrument. After the beginning of the 20th century, however, using two `uli`uli became popular.