UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII LIBRARY DANCE IN THE SOCIETY AND HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AS PRSSH5KED BY THE EARLY Y.RITUR3, 1767-1842 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THS GRADUATE DIVISION C7 THE UNIVERSITY 07 HAVJAII IN PARTIAL FÜIFIILKENT 07 THS KEQPIHEIIENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS JUNE 1951 Mazeppa( Kinet'i Costa RULES ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAVA 11 RAY s i. 1948. VITH REGARD TO THE REPRODUCTION OF MASTERS THESES ■. - ^ 1* ■ • la) No person or corporation nay publish or reproduce in any manner, without the consent of the Board of Regents, a thesis which has been submitted to the University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree, (b 1 No individual or corporation or-other-organization may publish quotations or excerpts fron a graduate thesis without the consent of the author and ol the University. ~~—¿w :.*' Ä/<cvW (L b s fu ■ lil . A TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE...................................................................................................................................... i i LIST CF TABLES.................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER I . THE DANCE IN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS............................................. 1 1. General Observations end RemarKs ..................................... 1 2. Place of Dance ......................................... 5 3. Music and Instruments .......................................................................... 8 4. Costume and Ornamentation....................................................................... 17 5. Occasions for Dancing and Kinds of Dance .......................................25 6. The arioi Society and the Dance..................................................... 50 7. Missionary and other European Influence on the Dance . 56 CHAPTER I I . THE DANCE IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS..............................................61 1. General Observations and RemarKs .................................................... 61 2. Occasions for Dance ....................................................................................67 3 . Costume and O rnam entation....................................................................... 86 4. Music and Instruments ..................................................................89 5. Missionary Opposition and Influence ................................................. 94 CHAPTER I I I . CLASSIFICATION OF DANCE OF THE SOCIETY AND THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS................................................................................99 1. Explanation of Method : of Classification ....................................... 99 2. Classification ......................................................................................... 107 APPENDIX A. Interview with ¡1rs. Mary PuKui.................................................. 132 APPENDIX B. Song by Kenehameha I I ......................... 143 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................... 144 PREFACE Although literature abounds in material on the dance of the Society and the Hawaiian Islands, there has been little research undertaKen to discover the nature of this dance before it revealed evidence of extensive European influence. Scattered throughout the Journals of the early European voyagers, end in the worKs of some translated native manuscripts, there is considerable information on this subject. It has been the purpose of the writer to collect and compile all the available material concern­ ing the subject and written between 17&7 , the date of the discovery of Tahiti of the Society Islands, by Samuel Wallis, and 18^2, the date of the end of the United States Exploring Expedition under the command of Charles WilKes. This final date has been selected because of the importance of the expedition end because written accounts of the dance after this date show evidence of an increasing amount of European influence on the dance. In addition to assembling the material, the writer has prepared a brief classification of the dance together with a few comparisons that were apparent. The study should be considered primarily a compilation of references to the subject rather than an analytical or comparative worK; for there is no assurance that the available material, however abundant, is a complete or unbiased picture of the dance of these Islands. Refer­ ences to the dance by the Society Islanders and the Hawaiians in their tales, epics, songs, and chants are outside the province of this study. As the dance of no culture should be considered as an entity apart from its instrumental and vocal accompaniment, there has been included in the study references to these elements. The musical references, however, are not complete. Helen H. Roberts, in her booK entitled Ancient Hawaiian Ivlusic, has presented a very thorough description and analysis of Hawaiian i l l music; and 2. S. Craighill Handy, in his booK entitled History and Culture in the Society Islands, has included much valuable information t on the subject of Tahitian music. The present writer suggests these booKs for more exhaustive study of the music of Hawaii and Tahiti. To supplement the Hawaiian references, there has been included an interview w ith Mary Kawena PuKui, whose fam ily has included dancers fo r generations. This will allow the reader to compare the information recorded by the early, and for the most part European, writers with that furnished by a native Hawaiian informant of established reputation. The value of this study lies in the fact that it is the first Known study to concentrate solely on the dance of the Society and the Hawaiian Islands at the period in history before European influence upon the dance had changed it to a hybrid form. The value of the study lies also in the fact that the writer has relied completely on primary sources for informa­ tion concerning the description of the dance. Such worKs as Polynesian Religion by Handy, Unwritten Literature of Hawaii by Nathaniel B. Emerson, Ancient Tahiti by Teuira Henry, and the booKs by Roberts and Handy mentioned above, are valuable secondary sources. The research materials have been made available through the University of Kav;aii Library and the Bishop Museum Library. The writer wishes to acKnovnTedge the assistance of Margaret Titcomb, Museum Librarian, in helping to locate material. iv LIST OF TABLES TABLE I . CURT SACHS’ KETEOD OF DANCE CLASSIFICATION................................. 101 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1. CHIEF MOURNER'S DRESS, SOCIETY ISLANDS.........................................129 FIGURE 2 . A DANCE IN TAHITI................................................................................... 130 FIGURE 3. GROUND PLANS OF DANCING AREAS, SOCIETY ISLANDS....................... 131 CHAPTER I THE DANCE IN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS It is the purpose of this chapter to present references to the dance of the Society Islands as recorded by the early writers. As this is a compilation of material, there will be no analysis on the part of the present writer. The material is a r r a n g e d in seven somewhat fle x ib le sections: general observations and remarKs; place of dance; music and instruments; costume and ornamentation; occasions and Kinds of dance; the arioi society and the dance; and missionary and other European influence on the dance. 1. General Observations and RemarKs Reports indicate that among activities of the Society Islanders, emusements, particularly singing and dancing, held a prominent position. 1 William Ellis observed that, ’’The Tahitians are a social people, 2 naturally fond of conversation, song, and dance; . .” Later he added, "As a people, the South Sea Islanders were peculiarly addicted to pleasure, and to their music, dances, and other emusements, nearly as 3 much of th e ir time vjss devoted as to all other avocations.” This estimation of the freedom to engage in social activities at will seems 4 to agree with James Wilson’s views on the subject. He reported that 1. British missionary and author in Tahiti. He visited Hawaii in 18£2, and 1823- 1824, wrote prolifically and in great detail, and was very familiar with the native language. 2. Yiilliem E llis, Polynesian Researches during a Residence of Nearly Eight Years in the Society and Sandwich Islands (London, 1853), 1» p. 1?5. Hereafter cited as'SH is, Polynesian Researches. 3 . Ibid., I, p. 193. 4. Captain of the ship Duff on a missionary voyage, 1796-1798, to the South Seas* 2 the Society Islanders* life was a life without toil. The people, free to do as they wished, enjoyed great leisure. Their sports and amusements were various and included dancing, swimming, javelin throwing, shooting with hows and arrows, and wrestling, Both men and "women narticipated in 5 each of these activities, but in separate groups. 6 Otto von Kotzebue indicated that other forms of amusements were popular when he stated that their amusements consisted chiefly of "music, dancing, mocK-fights, and theatrical representations." Eis general re­ marKs on the dance centered largely around the female dancers. He stated that although married women were forbidden to dance, it was his opinion 7 that girls excelled in the dance, 8 Captain James CooK explained something of the general nature of Society Islanders' amusements. Their amusements all tend to excite and