'Ō'ō ihe, or spear throwing, was extensively engaged in by especially the koa, or warriors, as a segment of their training and maneuvers. Each spear bore a name and possessed mana, or supernatural power. It was this power that guided the shaft of the spear in its flight. Frequently, sham battles were held at a king's court to train the warriors in the arts of war. Warriors practiced hurling, catching, returning, and warding off javelins. Since the javelin was the main weapon of war, the ali'i promoted the game through tournaments where the warriors of the chiefs competed. The Hawaiians in ancient times were considered experts in hurling and dodging darts and javelins.
'Ō'ō Ihe
Players Warriors (koa)
Objective To hit an opponent with a spear or, defensively, to evade, stoop, and dodge spears thrown at the body. In sham battles, the objective was training for warfare.
Equipment Used The lance or spear is formed of a pole of the hibiscus, from seven to nine feet in length, on the larger end of which is a small roll of tapa.
What Was Needed
Hibiscus poles (7 to 9 feet long).
Tapa rolls for the tips.
An open arena or fort.
Rules
One player places himself at a distance of fifteen or twenty paces from three or four others.
The group of others endeavors to hit the single player.
The single player evades the spears by throwing the body on one side, stooping, and dodging.
When ordered to divide, the players begin throwing at each other.
If one or two are hit severely, the contest waxes warm and blows are dealt without much ceremony until the combatants come to close quarters.
The scuffle is terminated by the authoritative voice or official.
Mamalahoe ke kanawai
The spear was a central implement in the consolidation of the islands. After Kamehameha defeated King Kalanikupule of O'ahu, he assembled his warriors at Puuowaina, or Punchbowl Hill, and gave the first set of great laws called Mamalahoe ke kanawai, or the Law of the Splintered Paddle. This law guaranteed the safety of the highways to all people: women, children, old, young, and the sick. This law is said to have been made because Kamehemeha was struck on the head with a paddle while his foot was caught in a crevice.
Law of Friendship
The second great law was known as the Law of Friendship which admonished the people to turn their spears into spades. The instruction given was:
"Look not upon your fellow men as mere dogs, but help them first. Go home, forget war, as this is time for peace, turn your spears into spades that ye may till the soil and reap the harvest."
The symbolic importance of the spear is captured in the Hawaiian proverb:
Oka ihe i ka make — The spear is symbolic of death.
Oka oo i ke ola — The spade is symbolic of life.
Hawai'i Pono'i, the national anthem of Hawai'i, pays a direct tribute to the spear in the phrase "na kaua i pale me ka ihe," which means "the spear by which Kamehameha has protected you and me."
Legend: Kalelealuaka and the Coconut Tree
Kalelealuaka was a youth of unusual strength. He received this power from his father who had dwelt with the goddess Poliahu at different times in life.
One day Kalelealuaka heard of the great strength of a certain chief who lived in Hanalai. He went over to that valley and found the men throwing their spears at the trunk of a coconut tree. When he laughed at them, they challenged him and the wager they agreed upon was the life of their powerful chief against his life. Their chief was the first to perform. With his powerful throw, the chief's spear penetrated the trunk of the coconut tree and shook its branches.
It was now Kalelealuaka's turn to throw the spear. In anticipation of the failure of the youth and his own success, the chief took the precaution to station his guards around Kalelealuaka, to be ready to seize him on the instant. Kalelealuaka bade the guards fall back, and brandishing his spear, stroked and polished it with his hands from end to end; then he posed and hurled it, and to the astonishment of all, lo! the tree was shivered to pieces. On this the people raised a shout of admiration at the prowess of the youth. Kalelealuaka was declared the winner. He then took his royal sacrifice to grace the altar of his temple.
The spear served as the primary instrument of warriors, requiring mastery of flight, evasion, and the inherent mana of the weapon. Through the sham battles and tournaments of 'Ō'ō Ihe, the technical skills of warfare were preserved and tested. However, the cultural impact of the spear extended beyond the arena through the establishment of the Law of the Splintered Paddle and the Law of Friendship. These historical decrees transformed the spear from a symbol of death into a protector of the weak and, eventually, a tool for peace as it was symbolically turned into the spade. This knowledge preserves the dual nature of the Hawaiian warrior: the technical expert in the art of the spear and the disciplined citizen under the law.
Makahiki Games
Sources
Charles Wilkes, Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition (Source 25: 56)
Charles W. Kenn, Ancient Hawaiian Sports (Source 33: 310-311)
Mary Kawena Pukui, Hawaiian Dictionary (Source 74: 216, 267)
Thos. G. Thrum, Hawaiian Folk Tales (Source 76: 84)