Music from my soul
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| From time to time, I have something special to share. Here's a new message to ponder. Hope you enjoy this................ |
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In some moments of your life, you may find your breath being taken away! But with each and every breath you take, you may find your life slip’n away! Take each and every moment of your life, Take each and every breath of your life And Just….. Live to Love & Love to Live |
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Cherish the people you will meet today
From that moment on
They are part of your life
Then smile
As they become one of your best friends
Or Another close family member
Unfortunately time has to go on
Smile
Absorb the physical being
For one day you will need to release
Your beautiful smile
To enjoy the memories that you have both shared
Through the years
Just smile
Keep your head up
And your spirit full of joy
Cause it's the spiritual being you now share
Your smile with
Bless me with your smile....
With Love,
Ernest Puaa
Da Barefoot Warrior |
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Warrior Code of Honor Proud Hawaiian Society Francis Kealoha Kamakawiwo’ole Jr aka “The Big Blalah”
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By Gerald Chong From Hawaiian Chopper, May/June 2005, Issue #6 reprinted with permission
In the early 1700s, the high chiefs of the Hawaiian Islands were at constant war with each other. Each had their own warrior elite, and every member of the warrior brotherhood were tattooed in the same way to distinguish themselves from the commoners.
In the U.S. Marine Corps, a Private wears no stripes but is given the opportunity to earn one and to continue adding to it. Civilians may not know what the stripes mean, but a fellow US Marine would definitely know whether to salute or be saluted to. Likewise, certain elite groups of Hawaiian warriors wore tattoos that communicated their rank, family lineage, personal accomplishments and other information that could easily be read by someone who understood the code. New tattoos could always be added to existing ones, thereby creating a further record of the warrior’s life as time progressed.
The act of getting a tattoo required a warrior to be brave, proud and committed. The process is extremely painful and the badge must be worn with pride forever. The tattoo confirmed entry into the brotherhood, and loyalty to it meant that the tattoo also acted as a shield because the warrior was no longer an individual but part of a group and fiercely protected by it.
The warrior life held the promise of glory and great reward, but it was also very strict and brutal. A sentry who neglected his post could end up having his brains bashed out by a superior or executed by strangulation. A warrior captured by the enemy could be gutted like a pig and have every joint in his body dislocated while still alive so that he could be bundled up and carried off the field as a sacrifice to enemy war gods.
Various groups tattooed themselves differently, and one very prominent example is Chief Kahekili (“The Thunderer”) of Maui . He took his name from a Hawaiian thunder god, and as a permanent reminder of this, he had one side of his body tattooed black from head to toe. Likewise, the most elite of his warriors were also tattooed this way, and were known as the Pahupu (“Cut in Two.”)
These warriors were celebrated by their communities, who looked to them for protection from the Big Island armies that often invaded Maui . Through discipline and sacrifice, the Pahupu forged their minds and bodies to insure that they were always ready to serve their king and community.
When Kahekili conquered Oahu in 1782, he stationed many of his Pahupu warriors along the north shore from Waialua all the way to Kuaola and Kaneohe . Today, there still stands a heiau (temple) atop a hill overlooking Waimea Bay know as Pu’u O Mahuka. It was from this vantage point that the notorious Chief Koi and his chapter of the Pahupu stood guard over that corner of the island. Today, a short hike down a dirt trail will offer you a beautiful view of the ocean and beaches below.
In summary, the Pahupu tattoo style was truly unique among all others, and it’s not a style that is seen on even the most hardcore of today’s outlaws. It was a style that set them apart even among other warriors, and it will probably be a very long time before the world sees anything like it ever again.
Gerald Chong is a member of Worldwide Motorcycle Club and is the owner of Dreamworld Tattoo in Waimanalo. Hawaiian Chopper is the owner/publisher of Gerald Chong's article, Kahekili & The Pahupu. Mahalo nui for the use of this article on DaBarefootWarrior.com! |
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