Four disks made from volcanic stone, each approximately an inch in diameter and marked on one side. A player shook them in both hands and let them fall at random on the ground. In another game, the board for manu was cut into stone as well: four rectangles placed around a square to form a cross, the squares all being crossed with intersecting lines.
Lūlū
Lūlū: "to shake; to scatter; to disperse." Also documented as "to scatter, sow, as seeds, to fan, winnow; to shake, as dice or the hands or as an earthquake."
Lūlū was a game that resembled dice.
Equipment: Four disks made from volcanic stone. Each disk was approximately an inch in diameter and marked on one side. One disk was marked with a dot in the middle, and the others were marked with two, three, and four dots. The crosses and dots were painted red.
Players: A number of players.
Rules:
A player shook the four disks in both hands and allowed them to fall at random on the ground.
A player was given one throw, unless the stones came unmarked side up, then he was given a second throw.
Two ways of play were documented:
First: counting the spots, with the highest throw in a round winning the game. Second: establishing a fixed number such as fifty, with the first player to reach this number winning the contest. If a player dropped all marked sides up, it counted ten points and he was given another throw.
The throws were called:
Huli la lo — all down
Hu ka hi hu li i lu na — one turning up
Elu a hu li i lu na — two turning up
Eko lu hu li i luna — three turning up
E ha hu li i luna — four turning up
Manu
Manu: "the general name for fowls or the feathered tribe." Also documented as "a bird; any winged creature."
Equipment: A diagram cut on a stone, consisting of four rectangles placed around a square to form a cross, the squares all being crossed with intersecting lines. Thirteen stones, called paka, arranged on the board. A stick, called laau.
Players: Two.
Rules:
One of the two players, called punipeki, points with a stick to one of the unoccupied points.
The stones move one square at a time and endeavor to pen up the punipeke.
The punipeke in turn tries to capture the stones.
The stick moves one square and jumps over an adjacent piece when the next square beyond is vacant.
The player then cries, Pepehi kanaka!
When the stick is cornered the opponent cries, Paa! (tight!)
Makahiki Games
Sources
Lorrin Andrews, A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language
Mary Kawena Pukui, Hawaiian Dictionary
Stewart Culin, Games of the North American Indians