Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Legend of Laieikawai by Dietrich Varez The Legend of Laieikawai by Dietrich Varez. Introduction to L a ‘ieikawai. Martha Warren Beckwith, Translator. L a ‘ieikawai is a Hawaiian romance which recounts the wooing of a native chiefess of high rank and her final deification among the gods. The story was handed down orally from ancient times in the form of a ka‘ao, a narrative rehearsed in prose interspersed with song, in which form old tales are still recited by Hawaiian storytellers. It was put into writing by a native Hawaiian, S.N. Hale‘ole, who hoped thus to awaken in his countrymen an interest in genuine native storytelling based upon the folklore of their race and preserving its ancient customs – already fast disappearing since Cook’s rediscovery of the group in 1778 opened the way to foreign influence – and by this means to inspire in them old ideals of racial glory. Hale‘ole was born about the time of the death of Kamehameha I, a year or two before the arrival of the first American missionaries and the establishment of the Protestant mission in Hawai‘i. In 1834 he entered the mission school at L a hainaluna, Maui, where his interest in the ancient history of his people was stimulated and trained under the teaching of Lorrin Andrews, compiler of the Hawaiian dictionary, published in 1865, and Sheldon Dibble, under whose direction David Malo prepared his collection of “Hawaiian Antiquities,” and whose “History of the Sandwich Islands” (1843) is an authentic source for the early history of the mission. Such early Hawaiian writers as Malo, Kamakau, and John Ii were among Hale‘ole’s fellow students. After leaving school he became first a teacher, then an editor. In the early sixties he brought out L a‘ ieikawai , first as a serial in the Hawaiian newspaper, the “Kuokoa,” then, in 1863, in book form. Later, in 1885, two part-Hawaiian editors, Bolster and Meheula, revised and reprinted the story, this time in pamphlet form, together with several other romances culled from Hawaiian journals, as the initial volumes of a series of Hawaiian reprints, a venture which ended in financial failure. The romance of L a‘ ieikawai therefore remains the sole piece of Hawaiian imaginative writing to reach book form. [Another book, “Moolelo o Pakaa a me Ku-a-Pakaa,” “The Hawaiian Story of P a ka‘a and K u -a-P a ka‘a,” was published by Moses K. Nakuina in 1902.] Not only this, but it represents the single composition of a Polynesian mind working upon the material of an old legend and eager to create a genuine national literature. As such it claims a kind of classic interest. This work of translation has been undertaken out of love for the land of Hawai‘i and for the Hawaiian people. To all those who have generously aided to further the study I wish to express my grateful thanks. I am indebted to the curator and trustees of the for so kindly placing at my disposal the valuable manuscripts in the museum collection, and to Dr. Brigham, Mr. Stokes, and other members of the museum staff for their help and suggestions, as well as to those scholars of Hawaiian who have patiently answered my questions or lent me valuable material – to Mr. Henry Parker, Mr. Thomas Thrum, Mr. William Rowell, Miss Laura Green, Mr. Stephen Desha, Judge Hazelden of Wai‘ o hinu, Mr. Curtis Iaukea, Mr. Edward Lilikalani, and Mrs. Emma Nawahi. Especially am I indebted to Mr. Joseph Emerson, not only for the generous gift of his time but for free access to his entire collection of manuscript notes. My thanks are also due to the hosts and hostesses through whose courtesy I was able to study in the field, and to Miss Ethel Damon for her substantial aid in proofreading. Nor would I forget to record with grateful appreciation those Hawaiian interpreters whose skill and patience made possible the rendering into English of their native romance – Mrs. Pokini Robinson of Maui, Mr. and Mrs. Kamakaiwi of P a hoa, Hawai‘i, Mrs. Kama and Mrs. Supe of Kalapana, and Mrs. Julia Bowers of . I wish also to express my thanks to those scholars in this country who have kindly helped me with their criticism – to Dr. Ashley Thorndike, Dr. W. W. Lawrence, Dr. A. C. L. Brown, and Dr. A. A. Goldenweiser. I am indebted also to Dr. Roland Dixon for bibliographical notes. Above all, thanks are due to Dr. Franz Boas, without whose wise and helpful enthusiasm this study would never have been undertaken. For the translation of Hale‘ole’s foreword, which is in a much more ornate and involved style than the narrative itself, I am indebted to Miss Laura Green, of Honolulu. The Legend of Laieikawai by Dietrich Varez. Lāʻieikawai - Kawaikapuokalani Hewett. Aia Lāʻieikawai I ka uka wale la O Paliuli. Hui : O ka nani helu ʻekahi O Paliuli. Kau mai la ke aliʻi I ka ʻēheu o nā manu. Ua lohe paha i ka honi mai I ka pū lauʻī o Maliʻo. Haʻina ʻia mai ka puana O KawaiʻaʻalalehuaoPaliuli. Lāʻieikawai can be found In the uplands Of Paliuli. Chorus: The beautiful one Of Paliuli. There she rests On the wings of the birds. Listening perhaps To the ti leaf flute of Maliʻo. The story is told of KawaiʻaʻalalehuaoPaliuli (Lāʻieikawai) Source: Teresa Bright CD "Ka Pilina" - This haunting mele by one of Hawaiʻi's premier contemporary composers is based on the legend of the princess Lāʻieikawai. She appeared to ʻAiwohikupua in a dream as he traveled from Wailua, Kauaʻi to Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi by canoe to seek the woman of his dreams. Volcano Art Center celebrates the life and art of Dietrich Varez. Courtesy image “Pu‘inokolu a Hina” by Dietrich Varez. Courtesy image “Pouli” (“Eclipse”) by Dietrich Varez. Courtesy image “ Over VAC” by Dietrich Varez. Courtesy photo Dietrich Varez pictured with his paintings. Volcano Art Center announces a very special event from 1-3 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 13) to honor the life, art and legacy of Dietrich Varez, who died Aug. 14 in Hilo. The public is invited to attend a casual gathering to bid aloha to the man who carved a deep appreciation and understanding of Hawaiian values and lifestyle through his art and writings. Varez was a husband, father, friend, artist and author. ADVERTISING. Varez is best known for his extensive collection of linoleum-block and screen printed images, of which more than 250 have been published. Each image would begin with reading and research. A particularly colorful or visual passage in a legend was often the stimulus. Based on oral traditions, some of the images produced by Varez can be viewed as the first visualizations of these myths and legends. Shunning publicity and working in simple fashion, Varez shaped his strong personal expression of Hawaii. By nature a quiet and private man, he lived with his wife, Linda (also a noted painter), in a remote rain forest setting near Volcano. Several miles of poor roads preserved the tranquility and privacy required for his prolific collection of block prints, original paintings and books to be created. The subject matter in most of Varez’s work is inspired by traditional Hawaiian legends, integrating mythological figures into scenes with flora and fauna typical of the diverse Hawaiian environment. He boldly outlines the adventures and passions of his Hawaiian cast of characters in his direct and unmistakable style. Varez was greatly influenced by the early printmakers of Japan and shared their belief that art is for the people. For more than 40 years, he produced new print images year after year, personally printed each image by hand, refused to number his prints and maintained extremely affordable prices. In Varez’s own words: “I’ve made many fans and friends abiding by this philosophy of availability. Prints make it possible to bring art into the life of almost everyone.” He reluctantly retired from his printmaking process in 2016. His print images continue to be offered as fine art giclee reproductions at affordable pricing through the Varez Legacy Program offered by the Volcano Art Center. The Legacy Program also offers a beginning printmaking class every Monday at VAC, using linoleum blocks hand-carved by Varez. The books he illustrated and authored also are still available at the VAC Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Petroglyph Press in Hilo. Varez’s work will be recognized for years to come — his is spirit will live on through his works. Volcano Art Center encourages all those touched by Varez’s story as told through his prints, paintings, books and illustrations to attend the celebration event in Dietrich Varez Hall at VAC’s Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Refreshments will be provided. The Legend of Laieikawai by Dietrich Varez. DIETRICH VAREZ first came to Hawai'i at age 8, when his mother married his stepfather Manuel Varez. After the war-torn Germany he'd known, it was love at first sight, and his romance with Hawaii still grows. Shunning publicity and working in the simplest possible fashion with linoleum blocks or canvas, Varez continually shapes his strong personal expression of Hawai'i. The Hawai'i of old - when spirits inhabited every tree and stone, and gods walked the earth - is Dietrich's inspiration. His work boldly traces the adventures and passions of a cast of mythical characters he has carefully researched in legend. He lovingly and faithfully depicts Hawaiians practicing the arts, skills, and values of Hawai'i, old Hawai'i lifestyles and legends, in all of his prints, illustrated books, and vibrant oil paintings. Dietrich is one of the Big Island's most beloved artists . Early life [ edit ] Varez was born in Berlin, Germany, at the start of World War II. His father, an architect and engineer of Lithuanian heritage worked on military construction. His mother Ursula, was a Polish-Swedish translator of English. As the war ended, Varez’s father left his family to fend for themselves and he went into hiding from occupation forces, a period Varez has said was “pure misery.” Ursula divorced in 1947. In 1948, she married U.S. Army Sgt. Manuel Varez, who adopted her sons, Dietrich and Christopher, and brought the family to his home in , Hawaii. Dietrich graduated from President Theodore Roosevelt High School in Honolulu and from the University of Hawaii with a degree in English. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1962, earning the rank of second lieutenant, and then served in the Army Reserves in Honolulu while earning a master's degree in English at the University of Hawaii. He married Linda Denneberg, a native of who had come to Hawaii as a competitive surfer and stayed to become an artist, in 1965. Varez, with his wife Linda and recently born son, moved to the Big Island in 1968 after purchasing a 9-acre (36,000 m 2 ) property near Kilauea Volcano, sight unseen. For several years, the family lived in cabins at the Hawaii Volcano National Park, or in a tent on their land, supported by Varez’s groundskeeping job at a nearby golf course or as a bartender for the , the 1877 lodge in the National Park overlooking the caldera of Kilauea Volcano. He supplemented his earnings by carving firewood scraps with the image of Pele, Goddess of the volcano, which he sold at the bar, and later he made woodblock prints, mostly giving them away but selling some in the lodge gift shop. In 1974, the nonprofit Volcano Art Center opened, providing increased visibility for his work. Varez prints became increasingly popular, eventually allowing Varez to earn a living as an artist. Art [ edit ] Varez has published more than 225 wood- and linoleum-block prints. The subject matter in most of Varez’s work is inspired by traditional Hawaiian legends, integrating mythological figures in scenes with flora and fauna typical of the diverse Hawaiian environment. His work is informed by graphic interpretations of traditional Polynesian designs, as seen, for instance, in Hawaiian quilts, and is especially rich in imagery from the Hawaiian rainforest. However, Varez has stated that he actively avoids other art that might influence the unmediated nature of his vision. His recent graphic work has branched out to include more modern stories, notably that of , known for his work in the leper colony on , and also the renowned battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), berthed at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Naval base on Oahu. His work is widely known through books that he has illustrated, and, in some cases, written, including: Lehua: A Legend of Old Hawaii (Island Heritage Publishers) Hina the Goddess (Petroglyph Press, Hilo) Pele and Hi'iaka, A Tale of Two Sisters (Petroglyph Press, Hilo) Pele: The Fire Goddess with Pua Kanaka'Ole Kanahele (Bishop Museum Press) Maui the Demigod, by Steven Goldsberry (Bishop Museum Press) Maui: The Mischief Maker with Lilikala Kame Eleihiwa (Bishop Museum Press) The Water of Life—A Jungian Journey Through Hawaiian Myth with Rita Knipe Hawaiian-Japanese Dictionary (Nishizawa) Kamapua'a, by John Charlot 'Olelo No'eau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings, by Mary Kawena Pukui The Legend of La'ieikawai with Martha Warren Beckwith The Law of the Splintered Paddle: Kanawai Mamalahoe by Carol Chang A Pocket Guide to the Hawaiian Language by Albert J. Schutz. Varez has also adapted prints to fabric for a line of Hawaiian shirts with clothing maker Reyn Spooner, and he has also painted in oils on a limited basis. The newest addition is that he has authorized his use of artwork and adaptions thereof to Aloha Accents in Volcano, Hawaii for exclusively creating beautiful jewelry and home accents. Lifestyle [ edit ] The studio where Varez works and lives is in a rural forested area near the small town of Volcano, Hawaii a few miles from the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. He built the house himself after many years of living in tents or cabins on the land or in the Park. For most of his life there, he and his family have lived a self-sufficient pioneering life. They capture rainwater for their needs, and had no electricity for thirty years. The road to his home has been described as “barely passable.” Varez and his wife rarely leave their homestead, virtually never travelling off-island. Unconventional approach to life and business [ edit ] Varez, as a self-taught artist whose career developed outside framework of the institutional art world, maintains a strict policy of keeping prices low and distributing directly to the widest audience. This is consistent with his earliest practice of giving away prints, and only then, when demand required it, of charging nominal prices to cover his expenses. It was only after several years of a growing reputation that he decided to make his living from the sale of his work, and he has expressed in interviews a deep ambivalence toward being considered a professional artist. "Some people have told me that until I start charging more, I'm never going to become a 'known artist.' I think that's nonsense. You either like the print or you don't, and that shouldn't have anything to do with the price. My goal is to make art -- at least my art -- available to common people. I don't give a damn about the art people; I want to get it into your mom's house and my mom's house.” Contrary to the usual practice among printmakers, he refuses to limit his editions, printing until a block is exhausted. He dates his prints according to when the print was struck, not, as is customary, when the block was carved. These individualistic practices may have limited the value of his work to collectors, but Varez has said he is committed to staying outside the artificial boundaries of art world conventions. "The printmaking business needs some new blood and new traditions,” he has been quoted as saying. References [ edit ] Jump up ^ Burnett, John (12 April 2002). "Legends take form: Volcano artist puts images and words to Hawaii gods, goddesses". Hilo, Hawaii: Hawaii Tribune-Herald . Retrieved 12 March 2010 . ^ Jump up to: a b c d Jacobs, Ron (February 1991). "Prince of Prints: Dietrich Varez Emerges from the Art Jungle". Hawaii Magazine . Retrieved 12 March 2010 . ^ Jump up to: a b Thompson, David (Oct–Nov 2005). "The People's Printer". Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines . Retrieved 12 March 2010 . Jump up ^ "Dietrich Varez will debut new Pele prints at VAC". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 9 November 2006 . Retrieved 12 March 2010 . [ permanent dead link ] ^ Jump up to: a b c Spence, Steve (23 September 1979). "The Artist in Isolation". Sunday Today . Honolulu, Hawaii: The Star-Bulletin . Retrieved 12 March 2010 . Jump up ^ Adamski, Mary (15 May 2009). "Art commemorating canonization adds Hawaiian cultural elements" . Retrieved 17 April 2010 . Jump up ^ Adamski, Mary (15 May 2009). "Inspired by Damien". Star Bulletin . Retrieved 17 April 2010 . Jump up ^ "Mighty Mo as envisioned by Artist Dietrich Varez". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 21 June 1998 . Retrieved 12 March 2010 . Source: Wikepedia Creative Commons. Sign Up on our Mailing List Keep up to date with new designs and receive special discount offers and coupons. Hawaii Artist: Dietrich Varez. Dietrich Varez (born 28 March 1939) is an iconoclastic printmaker-painter. His work is among the most widely recognized of any artist in Hawaii. Dietrich finds inspiration for his art from Hawaiian folklore and the natural beauty of the native 'ohi'a rain forest surrounding his home located in a remote area of Volcano, on the Big Island of Hawai'i, where he lives with his wife Linda ( also a noted painter ). DIETRICH VAREZ first came to Hawai'i at age 8, when his mother married his stepfather Manuel Varez. After the war-torn Germany he'd known, it was love at first sight, and his romance with Hawaii still grows. Shunning publicity and working in the simplest possible fashion with linoleum blocks or canvas, Varez continually shapes his strong personal expression of Hawai'i. The Hawai'i of old - when spirits inhabited every tree and stone, and gods walked the earth - is Dietrich's inspiration. His work boldly traces the adventures and passions of a cast of mythical characters he has carefully researched in legend. He lovingly and faithfully depicts Hawaiians practicing the arts, skills, and values of Hawai'i, old Hawai'i lifestyles and legends, in all of his prints, illustrated books, and vibrant oil paintings. Dietrich is one of the Big Island's most beloved artists. Early Life. Varez was born in Berlin, Germany, at the start of World War II. His father, an architect and engineer of Lithuanian heritage worked on military construction. His mother Ursula, was a Polish-Swedish translator of English. As the war ended, Varez’s father left his family to fend for themselves and he went into hiding from occupation forces, a period Varez has said was “pure misery.” Ursula divorced in 1947. In 1948, she married U.S. Army Sgt. Manuel Varez, who adopted her sons, Dietrich and Christopher, and brought the family to his home in Oahu, Hawaii. Dietrich graduated from President Theodore Roosevelt High School in Honolulu and from the University of Hawaii with a degree in English. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1962, earning the rank of second lieutenant, and then served in the Army Reserves in Honolulu while earning a master's degree in English at the University of Hawaii. He married Linda Denneberg, a native of California who had come to Hawaii as a competitive surfer and stayed to become an artist, in 1965. Varez, with his wife Linda and recently born son, moved to the Big Island in 1968 after purchasing a 9-acre (36,000 m2) property near Kilauea Volcano, sight unseen. For several years, the family lived in cabins at the Hawaii Volcano National Park, or in a tent on their land, supported by Varez’s groundskeeping job at a nearby golf course or as a bartender for the Volcano House, the 1877 lodge in the National Park overlooking the caldera of Kilauea Volcano. He supplemented his earnings by carving firewood scraps with the image of Pele, Goddess of the volcano, which he sold at the bar, and later he made woodblock prints, mostly giving them away but selling some in the lodge gift shop. In 1974, the nonprofit Volcano Art Center opened, providing increased visibility for his work. Varez prints became increasingly popular, eventually allowing Varez to earn a living as an artist. Varez has published more than 225 wood- and linoleum-block prints. The subject matter in most of Varez’s work is inspired by traditional Hawaiian legends, integrating mythological figures in scenes with flora and fauna typical of the diverse Hawaiian environment. His work is informed by graphic interpretations of traditional Polynesian designs, as seen, for instance, in Hawaiian quilts, and is especially rich in imagery from the Hawaiian rainforest. However, Varez has stated that he actively avoids other art that might influence the unmediated nature of his vision. His recent graphic work has branched out to include more modern stories, notably that of Father Damien, known for his work in the leper colony on Molokai, and also the renowned battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), berthed at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Naval base on Oahu. Publications. Dietrich's work is widely known through books that he has illustrated, and, in some cases, written, including: Lehua: A Legend of Old Hawaii (Island Heritage Publishers) Hina the Goddess (Petroglyph Press, Hilo) Pele and Hi'iaka, A Tale of Two Sisters (Petroglyph Press, Hilo) Pele: The Fire Goddess with Pua Kanaka'Ole Kanahele (Bishop Museum Press) Maui the Demigod, by Steven Goldsberry (Bishop Museum Press) Maui: The Mischief Maker with Lilikala Kame Eleihiwa (Bishop Museum Press) The Water of Life—A Jungian Journey Through Hawaiian Myth with Rita Knipe Hawaiian-Japanese Dictionary (Nishizawa) Kamapua'a, by John Charlot 'Olelo No'eau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings, by Mary Kawena Pukui The Legend of La'ieikawai with Martha Warren Beckwith The Law of the Splintered Paddle: Kanawai Mamalahoe by Carol Chang A Pocket Guide to the Hawaiian Language by Albert J. Schutz. Not Just Prints. Varez has also adapted prints to fabric for a line of Hawaiian shirts with clothing maker Reyn Spooner, and he has also painted in oils on a limited basis. The newest addition is that he has authorized his use of artwork and adaptions thereof to Aloha Accents in Volcano, Hawaii for exclusively creating beautiful jewelry and home accents. Lifestyle. The studio where Varez works and lives is in a rural forested area near the small town of Volcano, Hawaii a few miles from the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. He built the house himself after many years of living in tents or cabins on the land or in the Park. For most of his life there, he and his family have lived a self-sufficient pioneering life. They capture rainwater for their needs, and had no electricity for thirty years. The road to his home has been described as “barely passable.” Varez and his wife rarely leave their homestead, virtually never travelling off-island. Unconventional approach to life and business. Varez, as a self-taught artist whose career developed outside framework of the institutional art world, maintains a strict policy of keeping prices low and distributing directly to the widest audience. This is consistent with his earliest practice of giving away prints, and only then, when demand required it, of charging nominal prices to cover his expenses. It was only after several years of a growing reputation that he decided to make his living from the sale of his work, and he has expressed in interviews a deep ambivalence toward being considered a professional artist. "Some people have told me that until I start charging more, I'm never going to become a 'known artist.' I think that's nonsense. You either like the print or you don't, and that shouldn't have anything to do with the price. My goal is to make art -- at least my art -- available to common people. I don't give a damn about the art people; I want to get it into your mom's house and my mom's house.” Contrary to the usual practice among printmakers, he refuses to limit his editions, printing until a block is exhausted. He dates his prints according to when the print was struck, not, as is customary, when the block was carved. These individualistic practices may have limited the value of his work to collectors, but Varez has said he is committed to staying outside the artificial boundaries of art world conventions. "The printmaking business needs some new blood and new traditions,” he has been quoted as saying. Recent Articles about Dietrich Varez: ( Links to outside websites ):