Hawaiian Historical Art

My new year's resolution (ordinarily I don't make resolutions) is to be more proactive about posting to my blog. I have been so bad about doing so over the past few months and can't even remember when I last posted on Hawai'i.

I've decided this time to share with you, a world-renown Hawaiian artist, Herb Kane. I don't know how many of you know his work, but he does wonderful work depicting Hawai'i and her history. Below is one of his magnificent pieces, the building of Pu'ukohola. This heiau is located on the Big Island of Hawai'i. I have visited it and it is quite something to behold IRL. I am so amazed at Mr. Kane's rendering of the rocks. Very tedious, but so well done.



Kamehameha built a great luakini heiau (state temple) to Ku-ka-ili-moku, patron god of war and politics. Thousands of men passed rocks hand-to-hand over great distances. Stone workers fitted the rocks without mortar. Kamehameha led the work, raising platforms and walls, and is seen here beside the feathered standard of his rank, taking a stone to pass along. News of the temple-building, received with dismay by the chiefs of other islands, may have caused them to rush to attack without adequate preparations before he could complete the work and attract power from the god. (Excerpt taken from Herb Kane's website.)