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Kahuna

by Daniel Cohen

Aug 12, 2011

While reading on the internet about Kahi Loa, I found this article by Serge Kahili King regarding the term "Kahuna". It is interesting reading and contains teaching of respect. The article can be found here. http://www.huna.org/html/kahuna.html

What Is A Kahuna?
by Serge Kahili King

There is still a lot of misunderstanding about Hawaiian kahunas, so I'm writing this to bring some clarity to the subject.

According to Lorrin Andrews, author of the first Hawaiian dictionary published in 1865, "kahuna" is a contraction of "kahu" (to cook, especially in an earth oven) and "ana" (a particle that adds "ing" to a word). So the base meaning by this idea is "a cooking." This doesn't make much sense until you learn that "kahu" also means "to tend an oven, or to take care of the cooking." Ancient Hawaiian thought, from our point of view, was very symbolic or figurative and a word for one type of activity or experience could be applied to other symbolically related activities or experiences. So "kahu," originally referring to taking care of an oven, became a general word for taking care of anything. Another possible origin for the word "kahuna," however, is that it is simply a combination of "kahu" (to take care of) and "na" (a particle that makes words into nouns). In that case, a basic translation of "kahuna" would be "a caretaker."

Over time languages change and at some point "kahu" and "kahuna" both became nouns with somewhat different meanings. The word "kahu" came to refer not only to caretakers, but to what are now known as "care-givers," as well as to administrators, regents, pastors, masters and mistresses of households, dog-owners, and leaders of clubs, associations, orders and other groups. The word "kahuna," according to J.S. Emerson, an early observer of Hawaiian culture, "suggests more of the professional relation of the priest to the community.".........

.......So, what is a kahuna? Just a title that means what you think it does. If you meet a kahuna, respect the person for what he or she can do, more than for the title.

 

There is more to read at the "Huna Village" site

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    Harry Uhane Jim

    Thank you for the clearing the space of understandings.   for kahuna is a tainted word.... punishable by Law in hawaii. and profoundly dangerous for  us to engage with the United States Government, and American Medical Association. In the book " Wise Secrets of Aloha"   My publisher recognized my  distinction as a Kahuana,, Meaning a Trained lineage healer, of Hawaiian Ancestry  who's understandings of the field, have achieved standards of excellence, repeatable.,  I pass the test.  ho'o iki. And I have the blood .  Any one who knows,me, and  common practice now days. refer's to my Distinction as "Uncle Harry"   plenty right. I choose not to be put on a pedestal, For healing, and  hawaiian ways, meet you best eye to eye.  circle culture, no one or one's opinion above another..by the vision of divinity .. all equal, in the search for effectiveness.   tenant of circle culture. 

    Sep 2, 2011

  • up

    Daniel Cohen

    Mahalo.


    I appreciate your mention of the healers law in Hawaii. I am finding the articles in search very interesting.
    Harry Uhane Jim said:

    Thank you for the clearing the space of understandings.   for kahuna is a tainted word.... punishable by Law in hawaii. and profoundly dangerous for  us to engage with the United States Government, and American Medical Association. In the book " Wise Secrets of Aloha"   My publisher recognized my  distinction as a Kahuana,, Meaning a Trained lineage healer, of Hawaiian Ancestry  who's understandings of the field, have achieved standards of excellence, repeatable.,  I pass the test.  ho'o iki. And I have the blood .  Any one who knows,me, and  common practice now days. refer's to my Distinction as "Uncle Harry"   plenty right. I choose not to be put on a pedestal, For healing, and  hawaiian ways, meet you best eye to eye.  circle culture, no one or one's opinion above another..by the vision of divinity .. all equal, in the search for effectiveness.   tenant of circle culture. 

    Sep 2, 2011

  • up

    Daniel Cohen

    If interested in the Hawaiian Traditional healing law this article is very interesting and reveals the arguments of many positions from the Traditionalists to the non Hawaiians and the government.

    http://www.hawaii.edu/aplpj/articles/APLPJ_12.1_donlin.pdf

     

    Sep 2, 2011