Back in May, we visited the Pu’uhonau o Hōnaunau National Historic Park on the Big Island of Hawai’i. As you might expect, everything about Hōnaunau was fascinating. Yet one of the high points came as we were about to leave.
The last point on the self-guided tour of the site is a group of Hālau, thatched open-ended structures used for storage, or as workshops or classrooms. In one of these Hālau was local historian and craftsman, Kihe da Silva. He was dressed in the traditional Hawaiian way, patiently carving a lump of coral in the time-honoured manner.
And when I say carving, I actually mean slowly rubbing the coral away with a small stone. It’s a painstaking and meditative process.
Kihe told us that the symbol he was carving represented Kihawahina, one of three sisters important in the mythology of Hōnaunau.
Appeal: All three sisters’ names began with ‘K’, one of the others being Kila. I’ve tried looking up the legend, but have so far had no luck. All I’ve found is a lizard-goddess called Kihawahine (note the slight spelling difference) important on Maui, but I don’t think that’s it. If anyone knows the story, I’d love to hear from you!
This post was inspired by the photo themes of Hands from Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge.
If you’re the sort of person that loves a bit of history and culture on your travels, why not sign up and follow my continuing Journeys here at Jaspa’s Journal (on WordPress or Bloglovin’), or through my website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr?
And if that’s not enough for you, the first Jaspa’s Journey adventure, The Great Migration, is now available in both paperback and ebook formats from Amazon and other online booksellers! The first two sequels are scheduled to be released by Speaking Volumes later this year.
Jaspa’s Journey: Perfect for Kids 8 – 80!
Jaspa's Journal 
Great hands. He must have been fun to watch.
His patience was amazing.