Eō e Lonoikamakahiki!

Happy New Year everyone!

I am overdue in welcoming Lonoikamakahiki!  He arrived on Friday evening...officially, anyway.  He's certainly been heralding his arrival for nearly a month now.  I recall at the beginning of October quite a few overcast and rainy days, and myself thinking that Lono had already arrived. Certainly last week with its abundance of rain was a sure sign of his coming to our islands. 

If you're lost as to what I'm writing about, let me here enlighten you:  Lono is our god of abundance, of the rainy season, of agriculture, and of peace.  He rules over the next four months or so, and traditionally we give thanks to him during this time by playing games and enjoying the fruits of our labor...literally.  We live off of the abundance of food we were able to store because he allowed us to grow so much of it throughout the rest of the year.  His body forms are clouds, rain and lightning, pigs, the humuhumunukunukuapua'a fish (the pig's marine counterpart), and the kukui tree, among other various plants.

I find it a little amusing that, before his "official" arrival, he showed more of himself in general.  Then, as soon as his season has come upon us, he's let up and showed a lot of sunshine.  I don't know if I should attribute it to Lono's sense of humor, or to his powerful ability to be noticed. 

Although I missed greeting him this past Friday, I most certainly felt his presence.  On Sunday morning I awoke from a dream about Rapa Nui.  I've been there many times, and was dreaming about the people I know there, and how it would be good to see them again.  Rapa Nui, however, is also associated with Lono.  There is a sacred village atop a crater's edge called Orongo.  The name "Orongo" is the Rapa Nui equivalent of the Hawaiian "Lono."

Orongo village is constructed of stone structures, with a platform to leap off from, supposedly as a part of the ancient Birdman ceremony.  Nearly every single surface of stone at this platform area is covered in petroglyphs.

For the most part, Hawaiian petroglyphs do not look the same as their south Pacific counterparts...but there are a few exceptions.  And there is a rock that was found in O‘ahu's Moanalua Valley that fits that exception.  There are drawings on it that greatly resemble those found in Rapa Nui.

Unfortunately that particular rock (shown left) is not there anymore; it was taken to the Bishop Museum at some point.  But this whole thing got me thinking about Moanalua Valley anyway...and there is another large rock covered in petroglyphs. 

So, newly entering the season of Lono, and awaking from a dream about Rapa Nui, I felt compelled on Sunday to visit this great stone in Moanalua.  (I had actually tried to visit it the weekend before, but Lono said it wasn't the right time to go.  We went to the valley entrance, and the back of the valley was completely obscured by rain.  That was a sure sign it wasn't the right time to visit...) 

I had only been there once before, several years ago, and didn't really know exactly where to go.  But it's an easy trail, and the rock is right along side it, so I was secure in thinking that we would find it.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, and the walk was just what I needed.  We took a ton of pictures along the way.

But this great pōhaku was a lot further in than I remembered, and after a while I actually did start to doubt that we would find it...

I believe, however, that in situations such as this, we are led to where we need to be.  I wasn't there because I wanted to go...I was there that day because akua wanted me to go.  And as we continued to walk, I all of a sudden felt that we were getting close.  I had no reason, logically, to think so...I just knew that we were.  And moments before the rock came into view, I knew that it was just around that corner...

And there it was, resting atop its pedestal, happily overlooking a beautifully flowing stream.

(It really was on a pedestal, by the way.  Someone at some point had gone and concreted in between the rocks under it to make a sort of foundation for it to sit on.) 

According to Sites of Oahu, this rock has two names:  Pōhaku ka luahine, and Laupo.  It was believed to be an akua. 

All I know is that I felt like I was seeing an old friend.  I was so happy to just be there, and with the sunlight streaming over it, the pōhaku seemed happy too.

I of course then proceeded to go and talk with it, and take lots of pictures of the many drawings on the rock.  Some came out, some didn't.

In any case, I've yet to fully understand why I went there, or what I was supposed to gain from the experience.  But I know I gained something.  I really do feel like a new year has started, and I look forward to whatever that new year brings.

Eō e Lonoikamakahiki!