About Puʻu ʻAhuʻula
Also referred to as Pū ʻAhuʻula, or “feather-cloak spring.”
Located near Pukaʻōmaʻomaʻo, Puʻu ʻAhuʻula refers to the feather cloak worn by high-ranking aliʻi. It is said that the great moʻo Kihanuilūlūmoku (great island-shaking moʻo) lives here.
The ahuʻula, or feather cape, represents the status, mana, and genealogy of the wearer. They are generally reserved for high-ranking aliʻi. Many ahuʻula can take months or years to complete because of the extensive process of gathering feathers without harming the bird. These feathers are gathered from native birds, including ʻiʻiwi, ʻoʻo, mamo, and ʻapapane, then carefully woven into a netting to create the cape. To learn more, visit the Bishop Museum.
How to observe the site
- Coordinates: 21°19’15.2″N 157°48’33.1″W
- Access: Not a place to “visit” >> Area in Upper Mānoa with homes built over site; can drive by
Sources for the information
- Pukui, Mary Kawena, Samuel H. Elbert, and Esther T. Mookini. Place names of Hawaiʻi. Honolulu, HI: University Press of Hawaiʻi, 1989.