Elani of Ewa

Elani was a High Chief of the Ewa district on the Island of Oʻahu and father of the last independent Sovereign of Oahu. In an uprising to regain the autonomy of the Kingdom of Oahu, he fought Kahekili II and died. His is not as well-known as his son, Kahahana.

Early life

Elani was born in either the late 17th century or early 18th century to the powerful and great aristocratic family of Ewa. The family of Ewa was descended from the ancient lords of Lihue^[1], from a cadet branch of the original Oahu royal house, the Laakona branch of the Maweke line of the island of Oahu, distanly related to the present Kings of Oahu. He and his family were not the titular head of the island of Oahu but rather governor chiefs to the family of Kualii, the rightful King. The family of Ewa and many other ruling family of the other districts had stayed pretty much independent from the kings of Oahu since the day of Kakuhihewa. The independece ended during the reign of Kualii when this warrior chief conquered the Waialua and Ewa chiefs and united the island under one rule.

Marriage and Issues

Elani married Princess Kaionuilanilalahai (Ka-'io-nui-lala-ha'i), the sister of King Peleioholani and daughter of Kualii by his wife Princess Kalanikahimakaialii of Maui. From the marriage with Kaionuilanilalahai, he had Kahahana in 1757. From his mother his son,Kahahana , was the grandson of Kualii and first-cousin once removed of Kahekili II. HIs other wife was the Chiefess Kapaakea, and from her, he had High Chief Hapauea, High Chiefess Kaouli, and High Chief Mookini.^[2]

Desposition of Moi

Though the Hawaiian dignity of King (Moi) was generally hereditary, yet several cases are recorded in the legends where the King was deposed from his office and dignity by the other chiefs of his island and another King elected by them. Thus Haka on Oahu, in whose line, the Maweke-Kumuhonua, the kingship had been retained for many previous generations, was deposed by the Oahu chiefs and Mailikukahi of the Maweke-Moikeha line elected in his place. Thus Kumahana, the grandson of Kualii and son of Peleioholani, was deposed by the Oahu chiefs. Kumahana ascended to the throne in 1770. He was a lazy, poor, and despised ruler, and for these or other reasons incurred the displeasure of his subjects, including Elani. After waiting for three years he was formally deposed from his office as King by the chiefs of Oahu in council assembled. This was a pretty peaceful revolution with no blood shed; not even Kumahana's who was exiled to Kauai along with his family. It is probable that Elani had a part in the desposition of Kumahana.^[3]

Election and Maui

Although Kumahana had grown-up children at the time, yet the Oahu nobles passed them by in selecting a successor to the throne, and an election was held. They fixed their eyes on Elani's young son, Kahahana. It is not known if Elani had a say to this election or why the Oahu chiefs had not chosen Elani himself to succeed. Probably it was because Elani lack descent from Kualii, unlike his son. Elani's son, Kahahana, had spent his childhood on the shores of Maui, in his uncle Kahekili II's court. Elani asked that he returned to Oahu and take the ascend to the throne of Oahu.^[4]

Before allowing his nephew to leave Kahekili made his nephew promised to succeed the land of Kualoa and the Whale bones of Oahu to him. Kahahana agreeded but the Council of Chiefs on Oahu refused this cession as Kualoa contained the sacred Hill of Kauakahi-a-Kahoowaha.^[5] A great war was fought between the Maui chiefs and the Oahu chiefs. It is unknown if Elani personally fought in this war but his son was eventually defeated and killed. The cruel treachery practised on Kahahana and his sad fate, joined to the overbearing behaviour and rapacity of the invaders, created a revulsion of feeling in the Oahu chiefs, which culminated in a widespread conspiracy against Kahekili and the Maui chiefs who were distributed over the several districts of Oahu.^[6]

The Waipio Conspiracy

Kahekili himself and a number of chiefs were at that time living at Kailua; Manonokauakapekulani, Kaiana, Namakeha, Nahiolea, Kalaniulumoku, and others, were quartered at Kaneohe and Heeia; Kalanikupule, Koalaukane, and Kekuamanoha were at Ewa, and Hueu was at Waialua. The Oahu leaders of the conspiracy were Elani, Pupuka and Makaioulu, Konamanu, Kalakioonui, and a number of others. The plan was to assassinate the Maui chiefs on one and the same night in the different districts. Elani and his band were to slay the chiefs residing at Ewa; Makawulu and Pupuka were to assassinate Kahekili and the chiefs at Kailua; Konamanu and Kalaikioonui were to despatch Hueu at Waialua. By some means the conspiracy became known to Kalanikupule, who hastened to inform his father, Kahekili, and the Maui chiefs at Kaneohe in time to defeat the object of the conspirators; but, through some cause now unknown, the messenger sent to advise Hueu, generally known as Kiko-Hueu, failed to arrive in time, and Hueu and all his retainers then living at Kaowakawaka, in Kawailoa, of the Waialua district, were killed. The conspiracy was known as the "Waipiʻo Kimopō" (The Waipio Assassination), having originated in Waipio.^[7]

Demise and The House of Bones

Fearfully did Kahekili avenge the death of Hueu on the revolted Oahu chiefs. Gathering his forces together, he overran the districts of Kona and Ewa, and a war of extermination ensued. Men, women, and children were killed without discrimination and without mercy. The streams of Makaho and Niuhelewai in Kona, and that of Hoaiai in Ewa, are said to have been literally choked with the corpses of the slain. The native Oahu aristocracies were almost entirely extirpated. It is related that one of the Maui chiefs, named Kalaikoa, caused the bones of the slain to be scraped and cleaned, and that the quantity collected was so great that he built a house for himself, the walls of which were laid up entirely of the skeletons of the slain. The skulls of Elani, Konamanu, and Kalakioonui adorned the portals of this horrible house. The house was called "Kauwalua," and was situated at Lapakea in Moanalua, as one passes by the old upper road to Ewa. The site is still pointed out, but the bones of these chiefs have received proper burial. Elani's death, same years as the Waipio Conspiracy, could be dated to 1783, the same year as the conquest of Oahu, or 1784, the year after. But sources show the Waipi‘o-Kimopo occurred in 1785, and that his most likely date of death.^[8]

Elani's fate was memorialized by names of the places along the shore of Waialua, where his body, along with other Oahuan patriots cut down by the Maui Tyrant,^[9] was left to decompose: At the death of Elani, who was greatly beloved by his people, his body was placed on a ledge of rocks near Puaena Point, Kawailoa, Waialua, where it was allowed to decompose. The place became known as Kahakakeu Kanaka (Ledge Where The Man Was Placed). As the odor came to the sands at Haleiwa they became known as Maeaea (Smelly); the point on the other side became known as Kupava or Kupaoa (Overwhelming-Smell).^[10]

Aftermath

The rebellion of the Oahu chiefs appears to have had its supporters even among the chiefs and followers of Kahekili. Kalaniulumoku, the son of Kamehamehanui and nephew of Kahekili, took the part of the Oahu chiefs, and was supported by Kaiana, Namakeha, Nahiolea, and Kaneoneo, the grandson of Peleioholani. Their struggle was unsuccessful, and only added to the long list of the illustrious slain. Kalaniulumoku was driven over the Pali of Olomana and killed; Kaneoneo was killed at Maunakapu, as one descends to Moanalua; Kaiana, Nahiolea, and Namakeha escaped to Kauai. A number of chiefesses of the highest rank — "Kapumoe" — were killed, mutilated, or otherwise severely afflicted. Kekelaokalani, the cousin of Kahahana's mother and of Kahekili, made her escape to Kauai. As an instance of deep affection, of bitterness of feeling, and of supreme hope of return and revenge at some future day, it is said that she took with her when she fled some of the Oahu soil from Apuakehau, Kahaloa, Waiaula, and Kupalaha at Waikiki, and deposited it at Hulaia, Kaulana, and Kane on Kauai.

References

1. ^ http://www.kekoolani.org/Pages/8002%20Chart%20No.2%20WEB/8002%20Chart%20Oahu%20King%20Kahahana%20Lineage%20of%20Kekoolani%20Family.pdf
2. ^ Kekoolani Genealogy of the Descendants of the Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii - pafg10 - Generated by Personal Ancestral File
3. ^ Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page 65, 290
4. ^ Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page 217
5. ^ Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page 217-218
6. ^ Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page 220-225
7. ^ Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page Page 225-226
8. ^ Hawaiian Encyclopedia : Part 1: Complete Timeline of Hawaiian History
9. ^ Kirch, Patrick V. Sahlins, Marshall D. Barrère, Dorothy. (1992). Anahulu: The Anthropology of History in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Volume One: Historical Ethnography. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226733653.p.35
10. ^ Kirch, Patrick V. Sahlins, Marshall D. Barrère, Dorothy. (1992). Anahulu: The Anthropology of History in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Volume One: Historical Ethnography. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226733653.Page 25