'ili 'ili stones
A recent email from Australia asked about ‘ili ‘ili stones. These pebbles were used to teach anatomy in old Hawai’i. According to one oral history from a kahuna of the 19th century (quoted in my book at 115), "In learning this method of diagnosing diseases, a pupil was trained by working his fingers over 480 pebbles that were laid down in the shape of a man. And on this pebble shape he practised how to feel out with his fingers the different diseases found in man. It was said that by this method of diagnosing, 280 diseases could be found." Another old document says "There are eight classes of diseases found in man; and 54 of the diseases could be located by this method of diagnosis."
There were 3 colors, red, white and black. The students had to learn to do it blindfolded, so I believe that the pebbles also had texture and energy. In the Pukui dictionary, the word 'ili means, in addition to pebble, skin, complexion, hide, pelt, scalp, bark, rind, peel, leather, surface, area. That would seem to imply that pebbles are distinguished by feel. Another meaning of 'ili 'ili is piled up, which makes me think they also would pile the pebbles to show swellings. They were very concerned with swellings, as seen in my book’s appendix on pehu.
According to the Territorial Board of Health's publication translated by Malcolm Chun (and quoted by Chun in his Must We Wait in Despair), Makaloa (sedge) mats, sometimes called pawehe mats after the type of weaving designs used, were also utilized. "Instruction of astronomy and Haha healing were done on Makaloa mats that had been woven [for that purpose]... [people] were taught by arranging small 'Ala [dense waterworn volcanic stone] pebbles given individual names, on some 365 meshes of the mat. This was also the same way for the practice of the Haha priests to use the same number of pebbles to show the Haha chart (papa Haha)"
Some teachers had the students put the pebbles on an ekahaloa mat, others on a lauhala mat and others on the beach. I think that's just preference, not significant. Most of the stories are about using the pebbles in medical training. But Aunty Mona Kahele in John Zak's DVD, Hawaiian Healing, said her grandfather kept a sand pit on the side of the yard surrounded by a fence and a chicken wire top which was kapu, where he laid out his pebbles. In the older texts and oral histories, kahuna diagnosed by palpating, praying and dreaming.
I am very interested in pohaku, stones. My husband, who is a Hawaiian artist, attracts stones to our home. There are many strange and wonderful stories about stones. My favorite is about the ‘ili ‘ili hanau, the birth stones of Koloa in Puna, Hawai’i. These stones are known to mate and create baby pebbles that are in the same shape as the parents. Moke Kupihea’s book, the Seven Dawns of the Aumakua, has a great story about these pebbles.
My book talks more about ‘ili ‘ili pebbles at pages 29, 115, 117, 118, and there is more in Samuel Kamakau’s book, People of Old. There is also a photograph of a reconstructed "stone man" in the book, Daughters of Haumea.
by Makana Risser Chai
http://hawaiianmassagelomilomi.blogspot.com/
http://www.MakanaChai.com
There were 3 colors, red, white and black. The students had to learn to do it blindfolded, so I believe that the pebbles also had texture and energy. In the Pukui dictionary, the word 'ili means, in addition to pebble, skin, complexion, hide, pelt, scalp, bark, rind, peel, leather, surface, area. That would seem to imply that pebbles are distinguished by feel. Another meaning of 'ili 'ili is piled up, which makes me think they also would pile the pebbles to show swellings. They were very concerned with swellings, as seen in my book’s appendix on pehu.
According to the Territorial Board of Health's publication translated by Malcolm Chun (and quoted by Chun in his Must We Wait in Despair), Makaloa (sedge) mats, sometimes called pawehe mats after the type of weaving designs used, were also utilized. "Instruction of astronomy and Haha healing were done on Makaloa mats that had been woven [for that purpose]... [people] were taught by arranging small 'Ala [dense waterworn volcanic stone] pebbles given individual names, on some 365 meshes of the mat. This was also the same way for the practice of the Haha priests to use the same number of pebbles to show the Haha chart (papa Haha)"
Some teachers had the students put the pebbles on an ekahaloa mat, others on a lauhala mat and others on the beach. I think that's just preference, not significant. Most of the stories are about using the pebbles in medical training. But Aunty Mona Kahele in John Zak's DVD, Hawaiian Healing, said her grandfather kept a sand pit on the side of the yard surrounded by a fence and a chicken wire top which was kapu, where he laid out his pebbles. In the older texts and oral histories, kahuna diagnosed by palpating, praying and dreaming.
I am very interested in pohaku, stones. My husband, who is a Hawaiian artist, attracts stones to our home. There are many strange and wonderful stories about stones. My favorite is about the ‘ili ‘ili hanau, the birth stones of Koloa in Puna, Hawai’i. These stones are known to mate and create baby pebbles that are in the same shape as the parents. Moke Kupihea’s book, the Seven Dawns of the Aumakua, has a great story about these pebbles.
My book talks more about ‘ili ‘ili pebbles at pages 29, 115, 117, 118, and there is more in Samuel Kamakau’s book, People of Old. There is also a photograph of a reconstructed "stone man" in the book, Daughters of Haumea.
by Makana Risser Chai
http://hawaiianmassagelomilomi.blogspot.com/
http://www.MakanaChai.com
posted by Makana Risser Chai at
10:26 PM
|
2 comments
