Hawaiian Twirling Implements

The line-drawing graphic is from the original document. The source page number appears in brackets before the text of that page.


42. Hu-i-la-ma-ka-ni : "WIND-WHEEL," PIN-WHEEL.

Windwheel

[Page 221] A toy made of paper or kapa. The paper pin-wheel is identical with that of Europe, but that of kapa has the form shown in plate XIIe.

B. T. Sommerville1 says that in New Georgia, Solomon islands, "toys of pieces of cocoanut fronds are made for children. Three of these are a 'whirligig,' a 'whistler,' and a 'frigate-bird.' The first is a little windmill, which revolves when presented to the wind; the second, an arrangement of cocoanut leaf which, when violently swung round in the air, gives a sound of a large locust humming."

1. Journal Anthropolical Institute, Vol. xxvi, p. 409.


40. Po-ka-kaa: BUZZ.

[Page 220] The buzz is made of a disk of bark (said to be of the hau) perforated with two holes through which a cord is passed. The name means "wheel." Tregear1 meritions porotiti, a New Zealand boy's game of "twirling a disk."

1. Op. Cit., p. 115.


41. O-e-o-e: BULLROARER.

[Page 220] This is made of wood, with a hole in one end through which is passed a cord with which it is whirled. It is known to my informants as a toy. They gave as another name, ko-wa-li-wa-li. Andrews gives ko-he-o-he-o as "an instrument to assist in mourning or wailing along with other sounds."

Codrington1describes the use of the bullroarer, under the name of buro, in the Mysteries at Florida, and says it is there only that any superstitious character belongs to it. There is no [Page 221] mystery about it when it is used in the Banks' islands to drive away a ghost, as in Mota, where it is called nanamatea, "death maker," or " to make a mourning sound," and as in Merlav, where it is called wo-rung-tamb, "a wailer," and is used the night after a death. It is a common plaything. In Vanua Lava they call it mala, "pig," from the noise it makes; in Maewo it is tal-viv, a "whirring string"; in Araga it is merely tavire bua, a "bit of bamboo."

1. Op. Cit., p. 342.


53. Ku-he-le-mai.

[Page 227] A game played with an awl-shape object, having a wooden handle pointed with a needle which is tossed from the hand, the object being to make it stand erect. The players play in turn, and each continues until he misses. The name is explained by Andrews as from ku, "to rise," he-le, "to move," and mai, "this way."


Last update February 3, 2010