About Kauwalaʻa
Ka Home Mua o ka Ua Kuahine, The First Home of the Kuahine Rain
There is much debate over the spelling and meaning of this ‘ili, as Kānaka ʻŌiwi are masters of wordplay and most of the language is contained within oral traditions. Some record this ʻili was named after the Kauwalaʻa family who were caretakers of this ʻāina. Another possible spelling is Kaualaʻa, meaning “sacred rain,” which references this ʻili as the home to Kuahine.
Kaualaʻa was an ʻili kūpono, a piece of land set aside for a ruling aliʻi (chief) due to its abundant resources. A heiau (place of worship) once stood here and was devoted to the worship of a rain deity named Ua Kuahine (also pronounced Tuahine).
Ua Kuahine lived in Kaualaʻa in human form with her mortal husband until his death. Stricken by grief, she dissolved in the mist and rain, floating away until she settled at her new home upon the ridge of Kūmauna at the back of Mānoa Valley. Ua Kuahine is the name of the misty rain of Mānoa Valley that descends to Kaualaʻa. Kahaukani is the name of the wind that accompanies the Ua Kuahine. Together Kahaukani and Ua Kuahine are the parents of Kahalaopuna, the famed rainbow ali‘i of Mānoa.
Another name for this ʻili is believed to be Kamoʻokahi. Some historical maps show Kaualaʻa as half its size, with the ʻili ʻāina (land division) Kamoʻokahi (also spelled Kamokahi) situated between Kaualaʻa and Puahia. Between 1850-1920 the name fell out of usage, and the entire area was referred to exclusively as Kaualaʻa.
Sources
- Coming soon