The Hawaiians loved the water and felt at ease and comfortable in it. The aquatic games of the Makahiki tested different things: how long a body could remain beneath the surface, whether the hands alone could carry a swimmer forward with feet locked together behind, how fast the eyes could find a gourd in a clear pond before it settled. One game turned breath into a sunset ritual on the Kona shore.
Captain King at the Harbor
Captain King gives the following account that relates the early aquatic abilities of a Hawaiian youth.
An accident, of which I was a mere spectator, shows at how early a period they are so far familiarized to the water, as both to lose all fears of it, and to set its dangers at defiance. A canoe being overset, in which was a woman with her children, one of them an infant, who, I am convinced, was not more than four years old, seemed highly delighted with what had happened, swimming about at it safely and playing a hundred tricks, till the canoe was put to right again.
Aho Loa
Pukui defines the term aho loa as "to hold the breath for a long time, as divers and chanters; a long breath."The game started with the swimmers slipping into the water and remaining submerged as long as they could. The last one that came to the surface won the contest. Mitchell describes aho loa as measuring a person's ability to hold his breath and expel it slowly.
Aho loa was probably an outgrowth of the game of nā'ū. Andrews defines the term nā'ū as "to measure time by the slow respiration of the breath." Pukui gives the following definition:
"Sighing deeply; to prolong the breath, especially in a children's game at Kona: children would make a prolonged u- sound just at sunset, believing that the sun would not set as long as they held their breath."
Emerson describes nā'ū as a contest which involved a trial of lung power, practiced by the youth of Kona, Hawaiʻi and other places as well:
They stood on the shore at sunset; and as the lower limb of the sun touched the ocean horizon each one, having filled his lungs to the utmost, began the utterance of the sound na-u-u-u, which he must, according to the rules of the game, maintain continuously until the sun had disappeared, a lapse of about two minutes' time. This must be done without taking fresh breath. Anyone inhaling more air into his lungs or intermitting the utterances of the sound was compelled by the umpire to withdraw from the contest and to sit down, while anyone who maintained the droning utterance during the prescribed time was declared victor. It was no mean trial.
Honu Honu
In honu honu, the feet were interlocked or secured and only the hands were used in swimming. Bolton defines the term as swimming with the hands only.
Pukui defines the same term differently: "a sport in which player and opponent sat with legs crossed and tried to unseat each other; to play this game. 2. A game in which one boy sat astride the back of another who was down on all fours."
Hui Wai
Andrews defines hui as "a uniting; an assembling," and wai as "a general name for what is liquid."
Hui wai was a water-throwing sport enjoyed by the entire community during or prior to the Makahiki festival. The community swim was held at night and followed by a lū'au. After the lū'au, games were held until sunset.
Pukui gives the following account of hui wai's disappearance:
"Little by little the communal bathing was discontinued and only the feast survived. Persons went about trying to throw (hi'u) water (wai) on others. Everyone hit had to contribute something to the feast. This became a great nuisance (lapuwale) because one never knew when one might be drenched to the skin as an initiation into the hi'u wai. It was better when poi (pounded taro root) was daubed on people. Up to the time I was eleven years old kapala-poi (poi-daubing) feasts were held in Puna district - adjoining Kau district."
Kaupua
The game was started by a referee. As soon as the object thrown by the referee touched the water, the players swam and located it. The player who located the object and held it high was awarded a point. Kaupua tested the swimmer's ability to be alert, to anticipate the object hitting the water, to swim quickly, and to see under water. The game was played in the sea or a clear pond or stream. Pukui defines the term kaupua as a "sport: swimming or diving for half-ripe gourds."
Kaupua developed into a custom of coin-diving during the days when the Lurline, or other passenger steamers cruised in and out of Honolulu harbor. The passengers would toss the coins in the water, and before the precious metals could hit the bottom, the Hawaiians would retrieve them.
The Menehune Who Moved the Rocks
It is said that a favorite game of the Menehune people was to jump off high cliffs into the sea. Especially the good swimmers liked to toss stones into the sea, then jump after them to retrieve them as they sank. Their love for the ocean and cliff games caused them to move large rocks to places where it would be good to jump and dive from.
Makahiki Games
Sources
Andrews, Lorrin. A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language.
Bolton, H. Carrington. "Some Hawaiian Pastimes." Journal of American Folklore, vol. 4, no. 12
Cook, James, and J. King. A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean.
Emerson, Nathaniel B. Unwritten Literature of Hawaii.
Malo, David. Hawaiian Antiquities. 2nd ed.
Mitchell, Donald K. Hawaiian Games For Today.
Pukui, Mary K., and S. Elbert. Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian–English, English–Hawaiian.
Pukui, Kawena. "Games of My Childhood." California Folklore Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 3
Stames, C. Alexander. Hawaiian Folklore Tales.