Five players sat on one side, five on the other, ten fathoms apart, each behind a row of pobs. The president of the game stood up and called out "Pūheoheo." The crowd answered back, "Pūheoheo-heo." Anyone who disturbed the silent assembly after that had his clothes set on fire. A helu'ai, the tally keeper, took up the kilu, a gourd cut obliquely from end to end, and named the purpose of the game in a low voice: a kissing kilu.
Kilu
Players: Five players sat on one side, five on the opposing side, about ten fathoms apart, each behind a row of pobs. Kenn notes that men often played against women.
Objective: Slide the kilu across the mat to hit the pob in front of an opposing player before that player hits back. A successful hit earned the player a kiss from the person seated behind the pob.
Equipment: The kilu, a gourd cut obliquely from one end to the other, or a coconut shell cut obliquely to the point of the eyes of the shell. Other objects used for the game were "comical blocks of heavy wood which were called pobs." Decorated poles, made of ulei wood with the tops decorated with chicken feathers, were placed around the players.
Rules:
Each side sat behind its row of pobs, about ten fathoms apart.
The president of the game stood up and called "Pūheoheo." The crowd answered, "Pūheoheo-heo."
Anyone who disturbed the silent assembly after order was established had his clothes set on fire.
The helu'ai, or tally keeper, held a kilu, spoke to the tally keeper of the opposing side in a low voice, and related the name or purpose of the game — for example, "This kilu is a love token; it is a kissing kilu (kilu honi)."
The helu'ai on the opposing side replied in a low voice and gave the name of a person on his side.
Both tally keepers gave their kilu to a player from their side. Each player chanted an oli before he played, then slid the kilu across the mat, the object being to hit the pob before the other player hit.
A player who hit a pob on the other side crossed over and claimed a kiss from the person behind the pob. The women then took their turn after the men.
Each player continued until one side scored ten points and was declared the winner. The game was played until morning and continued to the following night.
The value delivered here is knowledge to pass down. This game is documented as it was practiced. It is not framed as an activity to perform.
The Chants of Kilu
If a player hit a pob on the other side with his kilu, his tally keeper remarked in a low tone of voice, as Malo documented it.
A uweuwe ke koe ake kae, Puehuehu ka la, komo inoino; Kakia; kahe ka ua ilalo.
Malo gives the following chant that was recited before a player threw his kilu.
Ula Kalai-loa i ka lepoa ka makani, Hoonuanua na pua i Kalamula, He hoa i ka Lai-a-ka-manu, Manu ai ia i ka hoa laukona, I kekee lauaua ia e ka moe. E kuhi ana ia he kanaka e. Oau no keia mai luna lalo. Huna ke aloha, pee maloko, Ikea i ka uwe ana iho, Pela ka hoa kamalii, He uwe wale ke kamalii.
If a player threw the kilu and missed, the scorer would remark:
Missed, missed by a wide margin; Kapakapaka, that is not the pole.
However, if the player hit the pob, the scorer recited the following.
Hene uha, The edge remains, The edge remains; The day is tumultuous, The day closes sadly, We have five down though.
In kilu, each player chanted an oli before sliding the gourd across the mat. If you're gathering your family and want traditional Hawaiian games to play together, the Scavenger Hunt Kit has sixteen riddle clue cards, each pointing to a traditional Hawaiian game, plus a tracking sheet.
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Sources
Pukui, Mary K. and S. Elbert. Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian English-English Hawaiian. 1st Edition. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii. 1971.
Andrews, Lorrin. A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language. Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Co. 1974.
Malo, David. Hawaiian Antiquities. 2nd Edition. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum. 1898.
Buck, Peter H. Arts and Crafts of Hawaii. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press. 1957.
Fornander, Abraham. Hawaiian Antiquities and Folk-Lore. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press. 1919–1920.
Kenn, Charles W. "Ancient Hawaiian Sports." The Mid-Pacific Magazine. October–December 1935. pp. 308–316.
Bryan, Edwin H. Jr. Ancient Hawaiian Life. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press. 1950.
Culin, Stewart. "Hawaiian Games." American Anthropologist. Volume 1, Number 2. April 1899. pp. 201–247.