Mo’okini Heiau – Huna Kalani Adventure

Hawaiian Spirituality by Martyn Kahekili Carruthers

Aumakua . Awaiku (Hawaiian Angels) . Hawaiian Shamanism

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Mookini Heiau

Mo’okini is not the end of the world, although you may feel close to it. After a long drive to Hawi, and a dusty walk from Upolu, you find yourself on a grassy hillside with a wind that can make conversation difficult. Behind you is the wild Maui Strait and above you are rushing clouds. In front of you is an ancient luakini heiau – an old Hawaiian temple (luakini means many graves – and indicates human sacrifices).

Mo’okini Heiau, Kohala, Hawai’i 2004 Remains to be scene

The old stones bear silent testimony to ancient power. Traditions say that the stones for the heiau were carried from Pololu Valley, about 14 miles (22 km) away, by a living chain of men, in only one night.

Mo’okini heiau is a temple where people were sacrificed to the old gods. It is one of the most significant historic sites in all Hawaii … and one of the most sacred. Mo’okini helped the kahuna (priests) and ali’i (chiefs) communicate with their aumakua (deified ancestors) and their akua (gods) … and consolidate power. In older times, entrance was kapu … forbidden to ordinary people … to living people that is.

Luakini heiau were dedicated to the god Ku for political advantages and warfare. Offerings were presented at the luakini to prevent hungry spirits becoming vampire-like – or leaving. The human sacrifices were often criminals, kapu-breakers, enemies or slaves – with a preference for healthy young men.

Mo’okini heiau is huge. The main building is about 125 by 250 feet (40m by 80m), with walls up to 30 feet (10m) wide. The temple is about 1000 yards (1 km) from the birthplace of Kamehameha, who used this heiau until he built and dedicated the heiau at Pu’ukohala to his war god – Kukailimoku (Ku the taker of islands). Kamehameha later became the first chief to unite all the Hawaiian islands under one ruler.

According to a Mo’okini family chant, this heiau was built under the direction of Kuamo’o Mo’okini around 480 AD and was dedicated to the god Ku. This heiau was rededicated by Pa’au, a kahuna-chief from Samoa, whose arrival (or invasion) of Hawaii in about 1000 AD commenced the kapu system used by Hawaiian chiefs until 1819. (In 1819 the old Hawaiian ways were abandoned following the disruption and disease precipitated by Captain Cook’s “discovery” of Hawaii.)

The local kahuna, Momi Mo’okini Lum, said that in every generation, a descendent of Kuamo’o Mo’okini became kahuna for the heiau. She was once a police sergeant in Honolulu. She added that she can trace her ancestry back before Kuamo’o Mo’okini to ancient temples in Fiji, India and Kapakapa’ua’a’kane, which Momi Lum said refers to the Persian Gulf.

Kahuna Momi Mo’okini Lum with Martyn

(Could Mo’okini heiau be a link with Mohenjodaro and the Harappa culture of 2800 BCE India?
I would welcome any research on this. Please email me if you have any references. Martyn)

The previous kahuna was Momi’s father – Dewey Mo’okini. Before him was Momi’s uncle Heloke Mo’okini, who temple trained Momi Lum. Momi told me that one of her first acts as kahuna was to free the temple of an ancient kapu (taboo) that made the temple accessible only to chiefs … at pain of death.

The pretty town of Hawi is close by, home of Raylene Lancaster, a hula kumu and wonderful chanter. Raylene is a master of story telling – she often talks story about the old Hawaiians and their chants. Raylene taught us a lovely chant I ku mau mau (Do it together) that was chanted by native Hawaiians when they were pulling trees down the mountain to make tiki (sacred statues). (See Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo for more about this chant.)

Hawaiian Spirituality . Aumakua . Awaiku

Magic, Mystery & Ho’oponopono

The Mo’okini temple of Kohala maintains an atmosphere of dark mystery. When I take people here, many report strange and unusual phenomena. Generally, I tell people very little about the history of the Mo’okini heiau – I prefer that they walk around, meditate, experience … and then we discuss their experiences. It does not matter if you believe in ghosts when something unusual communicates to you.

Many people invite dead and undead entities into their bodies and into their lives – usually with nicer names. Beware of huna, New Age and other rituals which weaken you to the darker sides of life.

(Huna Kalani includes the possibility of communicating with dead ancestors, perhaps with awaiku as intermediaries. I often use these skills during hooponopono with dead family members, to bring peace and balance to families – especially after untimely deaths such as suicide, murder or abortion.)

One woman refused to enter the heiau – she said that she could see dying, naked people being lead to a large rock to the right of the makai (sea-side) entrance. She said that the people looked as though they had been drugged. I had not told her that this large dish-like rock (Papanui Oleka) was used to prepare sacrifice victims for the altar (a Hawaiian told me that only people with a death wish will lie on that rock.)

Human sacrifice victims were often drowned or strangled, so that their bodies would look better on an altar. However, a local Hawaiian told me that some sacrifice victims were poisoned with blowfish. (Many blowfish contain tetrodotoxin – a paralyzing poison).

A businessman became agitated at the heiau, and later described a dream warrior who wanted to sacrifice him – so that the ghostly warrior would gain enough mana (energy) to gain his freedom from the heiau. This warrior seemed to know that his own body was dead, but the spirit was compelled to stay close to the heiau – unless and until he could find a replacement. Maybe he’s still looking for someone …

A university professor from Prague told me that she definitely did NOT believe in ghosts. Yet at the heiau, she described a sudden coldness in her lower abdomen – she described a cold darkness that strengthened with each step around the heiau, to reach a maximum by the entrance to the main temple. She said that this coldness began to speak to her, and told her that she would be sacrificed.

She asked me for help. During ho’oponopono she said that the coldness answered that it did not know that it was disembodied, and did not know that time had passed since the human sacrifices. (Ho’oponopono often includes strange conversations.) This lady professor had no prior knowledge of the Mo’okini heiau – and very few people know that on the right of the entrance to the main temple was the Hale Mu – the dwelling of a kahuna who selected and executed sacrificial victims.

In these (and many other cases), a combination of old Hawaiian ho’oponopono and ho’omanamana ended the strange symptoms. Were they ghosts? Or dehydration? We help people from all over the world who feel stuck or trapped in similar experiences. The most common symptoms seem to be feelings of irrational sadness or coldness that don’t go away.

The old Hawaiian remedies included the rituals ho’omoe (dreaming together), moe uhane (dreams of the spirit) and ho’oponopono (literally “creating righteousness”). We integrated these rituals into Soulwork, and we teach and use them regularly. If you might be entangled with a dead person – why not contact us?

Waipio Valley . Pu’ukohala Heiau . Awaiku

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