Hale
Transcript of Hale
HALE:Housing
HALE
Photo courtesy of Bishop Museum Archives
HALE• Hale noa/Hale moe – Sleeping quarters
• Hale mua – Men’s eating house; kapu to women
• Hale `aina – Women’s eating house; kapu to men
• Hale pe`a – House for women during menstruation
• Hale papa`a/hale ho`āhu – Food storage
• Hale kuku/hale kua – House for beating kapa
• Hale imu/hale kāhumu – Cookhouse
• Hālau wa`a – canoe house
CONSTRUCTION
• Select a site for the house
• Procure all the necessary materials
• Set up and lash the framework
• Tie on the thatch
• Create/complete the doorway
• Dedication of the house
FRAMING
• `Ōhi`a lehua
• Lama
• Naio
• Māmane
Framing of a hale at Kahanu Gardens
FRAMING: `ŌHI`A LEHUA
• Endemic
• The most abundant of all Hawaiian native trees
• Wood is long lasting and used for house posts
FRAMING: LAMA
• Endemic
• Lama grows in both wet and dry areas at lower elevations
• Used for house posts
FRAMING: NAIO
• Indigenous
• Otherwise known as false sandalwood
• Has a fragrance resembling `iliahi (sandalwood)
• Strong wood used most often for house posts
FRAMING: MĀMANE
• Endemic
• A small tree with stunning yellow flowers
• very hard, smooth wood
• Commonly used on Hawai`i and Maui
• Mainly used as thatching poles
THATCHING
• Pili
• Hala
• Kō
• Kī
THATCHING: PILI
• Indigenous
• Grows in clumps
• Pleasant aroma
• Harvested by uprooting the bunch
THATCHING: HALA
• Indigenous
• Thatched onto houses same fashion as kī
• More preparation was needed when using lauhala due to the thorns and midribs of the leaves
THATCHING: KŌ
• Canoe plant
• Approximately 40 varieties of kō
• Lau kō are used to thatch hale if pili is not available
THATCHING: KĪ
• Canoe Plant
• Bundles of 10 leaves of uniform size were secured to the thatching poles in a fashion that made inside finishing unnecessary
FURNISHINGS
• Mats (moena)
• Bed (hikie`e)
• Pillows (uluna)
• Candles (ihoiho kukui)
PŪLUMI NĪ`AU
• A broom-like bundle of nī`au (coconut leaf midribs) were used to sweep the mats, the paepae and the pathways near the house
If you have any questions, please ask them on the
Discussion Board.
Mahalo!