HAWAI'I
The Original Story

This work is dedicated to the people of Hawai'i,
their QueenMothers and judge A.Fornander

CONTENT
Introduction
Genealogy
The center and the periphery
Creation Myth
Language
Sumerian Origin Revisited
Dilmun
Judge Fornander
Inanna-Hina
Scientific proof?
The Kumulipo
"Hawaiian Mythology"
Kane, Lono, Ku, Kanaloa
Conclusion
From Eden to Eden
Temporary Home
Original Vitality
True Healing
Epilogue

Introduction

The Origins of the Hawai'ians is subject to ongoing discussion. Many areas are still not known. History is not a fixed thing. It means that through new discoveries the self-image of Hawai'i still might change. My study is based on cosmological, mythological and historical approaches. I wouldn't have become part of it, were it not that I accidentally made a few extremely exciting discoveries. So, please, accept my humble position among distinguished scientists and authors. What at least I am not doing is using (abusing) Hawaiian culture and history for Western cultural expansionism. Neither do I have links e.g. sympathy for esoteric speculative theories and practices, that for quite some time have annexed much of Hawai'i's mythology. I also don't represent any established religion or denomination. Because the Cosmos appears to be Feminine, some people might think that I adhere to a feminist position. This is not the case (at all) though. "She" is simply a reflection of Reality as it is. I just want to bring forward these my own insights, sincerely and with acknowledging my shortcomings, which are many. For that I apologize in advance. 

My starting point, way and goal is to prove that in oldest times there was a Cosmic Mother (accompanied by Her "Son/Lover") as the ultimate spiritual/religious Reality. This was concentrated in the Middle East from where it spread in both directions: East and West. Despite the fact that through "patriarchal reversal" the Original Mother disappeared under a thick layer of later developments, by digging deep, the links between ancient times and current days are still visible. Recently I was able to trace both directions. To the West it culminated into the Cosmic Mother ("Mother of God"), including Her manifestation as Black Madonna, together with Her Son/Lovers, originally "Vegetation Gods", later called "Green Men". They were all part of the "dying and rising Gods", a tradition millennia older than the resurrected God of Christianity, the latter by the way called "Green Man" by Hildegard of Bingen. To the East there were three "routes": a northern, middle and southern one. The first originating in Anatolia to Bön Tibet, to China, Korea and Japan. The middle route from Sumer to India and to South-East Asia. And a southern sea route directly from Mesopotamia to South-East Asia and finally to Polynesia! The first two routes I have already documented, including photo-galleries from travels, everything published in my website. The third I will elaborate on right now. Hawai'i is the last chain, closing a global circle*. For the Hawai'ians it could mean that their Myth of Origin is extended beyond imaginable horizons.

* In Mexico the missing link is provided with the Aztek MotherGoddess with Her Son/Lover and feathered God Quetzalcoatl....

Genealogy

Unlike former studies, in which the Polynesians were considered to be originating from both Taiwan and Melanesia, scientists nowadays agree on South East Asia as a common pool. They did it through genetic research, in particular y-chromosome haplotype connections. Surprisingly, nearly none of the Taiwanese Y haplotypes were found in Polynesia. Neither a relationship could be found with Melanesia. Most likely, Eastern Indonesia could be a candidate for a Polynesian "homeland". The group of scientists eventually even assume that "Island South East Asia emerges more likely as a midway station en route to Polynesia" (www.pnas.org. July 18, 2000, vol.97, no.15, 1227). This tentative conclusion - for the researchers apparently made it without any further consequences - proves to be extremely important. For, if SEAsia is only an intermediate station, where the (proto)Polynesians originally did come from?

The center and the periphery

In earlier studies I, with some certainty, have described a process in which religious/cultural influences move from the Middle East - as universal heartland - both to the East and the West. It could give rise to some kind of "wave theory". So, if the above mentioned researchers think of SE Asia as a "midway station", the origins have to be located west of Indonesia. The route through India is more or less to be excluded, for well documented, so, it is the southern route that comes into consideration. It is the sea way (!), thus very tempting to immediately accept the hypothesis that (proto)Polynesians as sailors per excellence were originating from the Middle East. A very daring assumption, indeed. Obviously, without convincing evidence, this hypothesis will be nothing but a bubble. From physics we know that the outer "layer" of the universe - the "cosmic background radiation" - is the oldest one. With the Big Bang as origin, "wave after wave" moved from the center to the periphery. In this way I imagine the origination of the Polynesians. They are at the periphery of many circles, with Sumer as the center, therefore, they are the oldest....This insight has important implications for their further development.

Creation Myth

Christians, the same people who destroyed the Hawai'ian culture, like to emphasize the similarities between Christian and Hawaiian creation myths. Indeed, how is this possible? Let's accept that no former cultural contact took place before American missionaries came to the Hawai'ian Kingdom. (I know about the Spaniard story). While Christians see it as a proof of their superiority, as a confirmation of the universality of their belief, I have a different explanation. In the scientific world it isn't a secret anymore that biblical "Genesis" has been heavily influenced by the Creation Myth of Babylon (and NOT vice versa!). The latter, in its turn, derives its myth from earlier times, from Sumer (and beyond). There are thus two possibilities. The Hawai'ian Creation Myth as a "secondary" copied from the Bible, or......directly derived from (proto)Sumerian sources.  So, what are exactly those similarities? As said above, everything will be considered "through the eyes" of a most ancient source. Well, in Sumer the Cosmic Womb (Darkness) is the Origin of all. In the Hawai'ian Creation Myth Darkness or Void ("po") is the primordial Realm too! Both their key abilities are "to give birth", they therefore have a feminine connotation. In both cases "She Herself" is beyond all names. However, in Sumer She is represented by the MotherGoddess Inanna, while on Hawaii "She" is represented by Uli (interchangeable with Hina), the Mother of the Gods and the whole of Creation.

Darkness' first emanation is the Eternal Light. Because it is said that he - the God Io/Kane - is BORN, it is acceptable to assume that he is Her Son/Lover/Husband, the active masculine principle, responsible for the creation of all living and non-living beings: first "slime", then plants, then animals, then humans.  In another Creation Narrative Hina (or Ina) is the main female deity. Her name "Ina" is too close to the Sumerian MotherGoddess Inanna for not taking it seriously, reason for later speculations! In this story Uli seems to be the sister of the God of the Underworld, Manua, a detail, that later in this essay plays an important role.

There are interpretations, though, such as the one made by king Kalakaua (1888) which very much resemble the Genesis story of the Bible. However, such a closeness to Bible narrative can only come from conscious adaptation to the West and is therefore left out of our considerations.

Language

The findings of language not always match with those of religion, culture, archeology or genetics. Fact is that the current Hawaiians speak an Austronesian language. It is the language of South East Asia, Oceania and also e.g. Madagascar. What fits into my "wave theory" is the fact, that Hawai'ian resembles most the languages of Eastern Polynesia, thus those which are the oldest (the one most peripheral to the Sumerian center). However, the original (proto)Polynesians might not have spoken Austronesian. The roots of Sumerian language are unknown, even more is this true for its predecessors. During their stay "midway" in the Indonesian archipelago they had all the chance to adopt the local Austronesian tongue, this to survive in the new situation. I am not a linguist. Therefore, future research has to decide, if the language factor plays a confirmative role, yes or no. What I superficially notice (with due reserve) is that both ancient Sumerian and Hawaiian lay emphasis on similar consonants.  

"Sumerian is a difficult language to classify partly because it is the first known language to use a system of writing. Accordingly, it has no known roots. Adding to the difficulty, Akkadian languages supplanted it--so it leaves no known linguistic descendants. The language was agglutinative and limited to the areas around Kish and Uruk. It was largely monosyllabic and cannot be connected with any other known languages. The earliest Sumerian script consisted of about 2,000 non-phonetic cuneiform symbols--but later these were simplified to about 500-600".

(From a free website)

Sumerian Origin Revisited

Before Sumer, Mesopotamia was settled by ancient peoples ("Ubaidians") around 4500 and 4000 BC and have probably not spoken Sumerian language, although in later stages this could have changed. They were certainly matri-focal. They lived in the southern marshes, living from agriculture and fishing. They were very familiar with the sea, invented the sailing boat! and are said to have sailed unto the coast of Mozambique (Madagascar link!). In old manuscripts it is said that "Sumerians came from the sea". These details at least confirm that Polynesian have been great sailors from the very beginning. Sumerians inhabited parts of the Persian Gulf Coast, reason to believe, that the passage to the Indian Ocean and Indonesia was also known to them. The Great Flood might have been THE reason why they migrated further in south-eastern direction! It is remarkable (at the same time widespread, because the Flood affected the entire globe) that the Hawaiians have their own Great Flood Myth.

Several factors can be added to it. As I have said above, the "Ubaidans" (proto)Sumerians were matrifocal, just like the early Polynesians. Still Hawai'ian mythology has great reverence for its Goddesses, from Hina, Uli to Pele, Mana and others. Furthermore, the early sailors were not only excellent boatmen, but had great understanding of the sky and its stars. In the later navigation stories this is emphasized time and again. The fact is, that in the ancient world the Sumerians were unsurpassable astronomers (and astrologers). Another point to consider is this. Both Sumerian and Hawai'ian culture are polytheistic. It means that the former and NOT the monotheistic Hebrews are the forerunners to the latter. So, the Hawai'ian Myth of Creation certainly doesn't originate from the Old Testament, but both Hawai'ian Myth and the OT originate from something that preceded them. For Hawai'ian Religion this is Sumer (the older source), for the OT this is the "Enuma Elish", the Book of Creation of Babylon (the younger source).

Sumerian Creation Myth is another step to give my hypothesis more weight. The core mythology goes like this. According to this myth there first was the "Primal Sea", Darkness, the Deep, personified by MotherGodess Nammu. She gave birth to the universe, symbolized by An (in Hawai'i Kane), the Heaven God en Ki (in Hawai'i Hina), the Earth Goddess. From them Enlil, the Water God sprouts. He separates Heaven and Earth. By subsequently uniting with Ki, vegetable and animal life is produced. For the creation of humans the direct "effort" of the "Primal Sea" is decisive. Summarizing: The origin of the world is Darkness, the Great Night or Cosmic Womb. Everything is born out of it, while continuously returning. Its first "emanation" is the light: sun, moon and the stars. Subsequently, Heaven (Goddesses/Gods) and earth, together with plants, animals and humans emerge. Goddesses and Gods are taking care of certain aspects of life: fertility, love, war. Among them are the so-called "Vegetation Gods". As "Son/Lovers" of the Cosmic Mother they die in autumn, in winter staying in the Underworld, while rising in spring. They embody the change of seasons, promoting fertility, good harvests and prosperity. They are the "Green Men", symbolizing divinely spirited nature. After their return in spring they follow the invitation of the Goddess to the sacred marriage ("hieros gamos"), guaranteeing fertility for the next season. During that period they function as the God/King. The next season the cycle repeats itself. Either the same man or another "chosen one" becomes the new God/King in spring. The first who rejected this role was Gilgamesh. He turned down the invitation of the MotherGoddess Ishtar. He chose to go on a quest for "immortality". Ever since males identified themselves with the Divine Light. The price they paid was the loss of cyclic consciousness. Ego-ambition replaced inner balance. Soon patriarchy established itself. "Divine rights" were inherited by chiefs, priests and rulers.

If my hypothesis is true, then at least some prominent characteristics of Hawai'ian mythology should be reflecting Sumerian culture. You guess it already: this is indeed the case. It starts with Darkness as the "Birthgiver" of all. Both traditions are very outspoken about it. In Hawai'i it is the MotherGoddess Hina (or Haumea) who embodies Darkness or Deep Depth. She is the Mother of all humans. The surprise: "She was enticing mortal men to be Her husband". How similar this is to the Sumerian MotherGoddes choosing every year a new Son/Lover! The next part: the "dying and rising God" is less convincing though. It is based on the concept of "returning to the Womb in order to become reborn". In Sumer cyclic "death and rebirth" constitutes the essence of life. In Hawai'i, on the other hand, the Myth of Creation goes mainly in one direction: From Origin to manifestation (and hardly vice versa). One possible explanation could be the relationship with the change of seasons. After their exodus from the Gulf Region, with the South East Asian islands as the new home, this link got lost. In the tropics there isn't any (outspoken) summer or winter. So, the whole idea of cyclic "death and rebirth" disappeared from consciousness. With a little goodwill the disappearing and returning God Lono could be a vague memory of an ancient past. An indication could be the Makahiki festival, meant as a welcome. First of all it is held in "winter", shortly before the new season starts. Secondly, Makahiki clearly was a fertility feast, people being elated with joy, including unrestrained sexuality. During the old Sumerian "sacred marriage" times the people celebrated in a very similar way!

Dilmun

The previous chapter gives an impression of the cultural background of the possible (proto)Polynesians. Since my core hypothesis is their origination in "Eden" or the "Paradise", I have to be more precise. For Sumer and Eden, in Sumerian called "Dilmun", aren't totally identitical. Dilmun is extensively described on Sumerian clay tablets, but isn't located in classical Mesopotamia e.g.in the Sumerian cities. So, instead of being a part of Sumerian city culture, Dilmun had  rather simple material achievements. This corresponds with the equally "low key" monuments on Hawai'i. The surprise in this regard is the similarity between Dilmun burial mounds and Hawai'ian Heiau temples. Both are  more or less ring shaped structures, consisting of low walls with big stones, roughly put on each other, surrounding oval space. In Dilmun the diameter of the mounds ranges from 15 to about 70 meters. What is left of the older Heiau platforms on Hawaii comes very close to this description. Moreover, in Dilmun the larger mounds belonged to the ruling dynasty, corresponding with the original function of the Heiau on Hawai'i: a place where the line of royals and chiefs was emphasized. The Dilmun mounds have been excavated. They can be found at the Aali Cemetery in Bahrain.

To come to my major point - the "waters of life" - I will quote the most revered scholar on this topic: prof.dr. Samuel Noah Kramer. Here it goes: "The god most intimately related to Dilmun is Enki, the Sumerian Poseidon, the great Sumerian water god in charge of seas and rivers". His conclusion: "Dilmun was particularly noted for cleanliness and purity, and it was a water god who played a leading role in the religion". And: "it is the Ubaidians who developed the water cult". This very much points to the direction of a people that (in later stages) were part of Sumerian culture, but lived at the periphery of it. They lived in small coastal towns, and were involved in sea trade. People of the Dilmun region (e.g. Bahrain) had intense trade relationship with the pre-Vedic, non-Aryan Indus Valley Culture (Harappa and Mojendaro 2600 BC). Prof. Kramer therefore doesn't exclude that "Dilmun" (the Garden of Eden) was situated there. I would say, both the Persian Golf and the Indus Delta could have been very well inhabited by the same people. Fact is the intensive trade-relations between the two. The "positive" side of this hypothesis would be the abrupt collapse of the Indus culture, partly because of the invading Aryans from the North. It is explaining why (proto)Polynesians were driven out of their lands. Expulsion through the Great Flood first, and through the Aryans at a later time are not excluding each other. It even could have been like this. The Great Flood (before 2700 BC) as the cause of the first migration to the Indus Valley, the Aryan invasion as the cause of the second: the exodus to SE Asia.

The surprise is that in Hawai'ian mythology "the waters of life" play a very important role too. Many parts show similarities that cannot be overlooked. Both Enki and Lono are "dwelling in the waters" (p.32)*. "The myth of Kalana-i- hauola includes the earthly paradise as the place where the gods placed the first man and the first woman. It has a multitude of names all belonging to Kane and referring to the nature of the land: as Spirit land, Sacred land, Dark land, Tapu land, Hiddenland, or to the traditional bark cloth, mountain apple, breadfruit, which the god has placed in that land; and it contains also the "water of the gods of Kane" (wai-akua-a-Kane) and the "water of life" (wai-ola) of Kane. Kane as preserver is invoked as "Kane of the water of life". This "water of life" is described as a spring "beautifully transparent and clear. If a man had been killed and was afterwards sprinkled over with this water, he did soon come to life again" (p. 73). Both Sumerians and Hawai'ians were obsessed by "family purity". Prof. Kramer: "Dilmun, a land described as "pure", "clean", and "bright", a land which knows neither sickness  nor death, had been lacking originally in fresh, life-giving water. In the "Dilmun Myth" it is repeatedly emphasized (the god) "made Dilmun drink from the water of abundance, and "Enki cleaned and purified the land Dilmun". The myth uncovers a eclatant example of "patriarchal reversal" as well. After Enki had watered the Garden of Eden, Ninhursag, the Great Sumerian MotherGoddess (later Inanna) greened it with plants. Enki ate some of these plants, without consent of the Mother. Thereupon Ninhursag pronounces the curse of death against Enki. The latter at once becomes deadly sick. Finally the Mother shows compassion, while healing the dying water god through..... seating him by her vulva....If you, reader, know any comparable story or even a slight similarity in Hawai'ian Mythology, I would be very glad to hear from you! Overall conclusion is, that the "water of life" - as found in both mythologies - is a strong indicator for the fact that Polynesians had the Persian Gulf as their original homeland. Including, as a second option, the Indus Valley.

* Martha Warren Beckwith "Hawaiian Mythology".

Judge Fornander

The way I work, by the way, is to proceed from a deep insight. With regard to the Hawaiian story, I received a supernatural intuition in the middle of the night, in an omni-present clarity. This insight gave me a first framework of interrelated ideas and concepts. Until that moment no any other support e.g. book had been called in. Knowing no details the third step was to study all kinds of material. One very suitable source is Judge Fornanders' elaborate work "The Polynesian Race". After I had my own insights already written down, forming a consistent whole, I, to my great surprise, found support by some of Fornanders' daring speculations. According to me, the latter is the one who came closest to revealing the mystery. To give you an idea I have collected some quotations.

(By Rev. C.M. Hyde, D.D.)
(www.mythichawaii.com)

"Hawai'ian Book of Creation and the Bible are in fact independent and original versions of a once common legend, or series of legends, held alike by Cushite, Semite, Turanian and Aryan".

"The Hebrew legend infers that the God Elohim existed contemporaneously with and apart from the chaos. The Hawaiian legend (on the other hand) makes the three great Gods: Kane, Ku and Lono, (directly) evolve themselves out of chaos (Darkness)....

"Judge Fornander propounds the inquiry whether this fact may not indicate that the Hebrew text is a later emendation of an older but once common tradition".

"The clearest synopsis and the most coherent recollection of ancient (near Eastern) religion, are, so far, to be found in Polynesian tradition. It probably descended to the Chaldeans, Polynesians, and Hebrews alike, from a source or people anterior to themselves, of whom history is now silent."

Inanna-Hina

It has to be understood that "Sumer" was a conglomerate of cities and lands, covering Mesopotamia. Every city had its own religion, culture, order, way of life, economy....It is reflected by countless different cosmologies. Realizing that the (proto)Hawai'ians originated only from one of those places is making many of those stories uninteresting to our purpose. It is most likely that the marshes of the south close to the cities of Eridu and Uruk are the best candidates. Those cities were ruled by the MotherGoddess Inanna. The surprising thing is that indeed quite some details of Hawai'ian Myth correspond with the Essence and life of Inanna. To begin with Hina, who is also called "Ina". Coincidental? More weight comes from three major characteristics: Inanna as Darkness or Night, as the One Who descended into the Underworld, and Her Owl-symbol. The Hawai'ian Sacred Book or Kumulipo talks about "Darkness giving birth". This is really very unique. Such an emphasis one can rarely find in other cosmogonies. Hence, an exclusive relationship with (proto)Sumer is likely. It implies that Hawai'ian mythology embraces the idea of a (black) Cosmic Womb as the Birthgiver of Gods and the world. In Hawai'i the idea of Io as the "Son of Hina" is a very daring statement, indeed. However, many centuries lay in between the departure from Mesopotamia and the arrival in Hawai'i. Patriarchal influences had plenty of free play to "reverse" some original (feminine) concepts, reason for their disappearance in later Hawai'ian society.

Yet, the ways the (Divine) Feminine is present in Hawai'i are manifold. First there is the Primordial Darkness, the equivalent of the Sumerian Cosmic Mother or Great Night. Secondly, Polynesian culture as a whole was mostly matrifocal. Thirdly, the tradition of the Queen Mothers. This is corresponding with the ancient notion of the God/King, born out of the Divine Mother. He rules in Her Name! Hawai'ian Queens were very aware of their ancient role and lineage (see next chapter). Fourthly, despite the fact that "officially" the men rule in Hawai'i, the islands are imbued with the Feminine. Think of Pele and the other Goddesses. Equally, the culture of music, chant, dance, poetry and songs, combined with Aloha, the open reverence towards Love (and Healing) in its various forms, can only come from a feminine background. Originally, the Hula Sacred Dance was performed as worship to the Goddesses (Laka, Pele). And indeed, the same phenomenon we encounter in ancient Sumer. Inanna is often portrayed with a following of (female) dancers. I am but a pretty ignorant researcher, though, but when I put Hawai'ian epics, poetry and chants next to Sumerian ones, I cannot but see a similar style, soul and rhythm. I hope my ignorance will soon be replaced by some serious scientific investigation.....

Inanna's Descent into the Underworld is the second big issue. As we know, in another version of Hawai'ian Creation Myth Uli is the sister of the God of the Underworld. Similarly, Inanna meets her sister Ereshkigal in the Underworld. Originally, this was to underline the eternal cycle of "death and rebirth". It was a temporarily place of annual renewal (later to be "transformed" into the Christian "purgatory"). Later, when men rejected this cycle of which they were once a part (Vegetation Gods!), time became linear. So, the Underworld became a permanent place. Clearly, this aspect of Inanna is poorly represented in Hawai'i. Since it is a key issue I am very eager to have the opportunity to do more investigations in this regard! The quotations from Martha Beckwith's "Hawai'ian Mythology, listed in this book, is giving hope! A connection could be the fact that Inanna was originally called "The Green One" or "Lady of the Vegetation", symbolizing the change of seasons, a function that later on was delegated to Her Son/Lover Dumuzi (Tammuz). The Hawai'ian God Lono has a somewhat similar function. He is the God of Fertility. Green is a major (sacred) color in Hawai'i. Especially at Hula ceremonies. It is a celebration of renewal and regeneration, just like it was in ancient Sumerian times. This adds to a further assumption that connections are there. It is only after putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, that a definitive (?) conclusion can be drawn.  One major symbol of Inanna, later of Ishtar and Lilith, is the owl. It stands for the all-penetrating eye of Divine Intelligence (together with its destructive part as Destroyer). One of Uli's - the Heavenly Mother - (often also identified as Hina) symbols (as has been told to me) is a round with two big eyes, very similar to an owl's head..... Just like in Sumer Uli's eye sees everything. Myths also talk about a bird that guided Polynesians from their original home to the Pacific. An important symbol of the Sumerian Goddess was also.....a bird. 

Scientific proof?

A crucial step in my research is to look for scientific proof. For that I studied some authoritative works, e.g. the books of Martha Warren Beckwith*. It is just like in archeology. One suspects a certain site to be the right one and starts to dig. Slowly, all kinds of pieces come to the surface. It is a stage of randomly collecting all kinds of items. For conclusions it is still much too early. So, with this in mind, please accompany me on my journey. It will be a rather tough one. Mrs Beckwith lets us know, that in Hawai'ian Mythology "Cosmic myths are either absent or told in terms of human society".(Hawai'ian Mythology, p.9). On  other hand "Thus Hawai'i, although for many centuries finally cut off from contact with the parent group (Marquesas/Tahiti), retained a considerable body of common tradition". (p.9). At  this point I almost gave it up, for one striking feature of Sumer is its cosmology. One hoped to find some close connections in terms of "clear definitions".  However, at a closer look that cosmology is partly expressed in terms of "worldly adventures" of "worldly gods". Both Goddesses and Gods - like in Sumer - are nature gods "and these gods entered to a greater or less extent into the affairs of daily life. Every form of nature has its own god, who may become aumakua or guardian god". (p.6).   By the way, one very impressive connection is the Hawai'ian concept of "Aloha". No other culture, which could have had impact on the Polynesians during their exodus to the East had even a remote link to it. Neither the Hebrews, nor the Indians, nor the Chinese, nor the Malay had "Love" as a central concept. Only the Sumerians/ Babylonians had.

* "The Kumulipo", "Hawai'ian Mythology", "The Hawai'ian Romance of Laieikawai". Furthermore N.B. Emerson "Unwritten Literature of Hawai'i", M.K.Pukui "Hawai'ian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings", J.Gutmanis "Na Pule Kahiko" (Ancient Hawai'ian Prayers).

So, the lack of "clear abstractions" in Hawai'ian Mythology partly in contrast to those of Sumer can be explained by the following. First, both cultures had a very "worldly orientation". Secondly, the more abstract part got lost during the chaos of the Flood and subsequent exodus. Thirdly, the (proto)Polynesians weren't part of the main (material) culture, but lived on its periphery. Reason to start giving you an overview of my digging efforts.

One remark has still to be made. Original matri-focal cultures were exposed to "patriarchal reversal". It means that the rule of the Mother (Goddess) was changed into the rule of the Father (God). One dramatic example is the Genesis story. There Eve is said to be born out of the rib of Adam. Which is ridiculous, of course. The reality is, that Adam has been born out of the womb of Eve. For, even in the Bible it is said that "Eve is the Mother of All Life". In Europe the sites of worship to the various local Goddesses were numerous. They were all changed into "Notre Dame (Mary) of .......". A common practice was to replace a Goddess by a male saint. Or, crimes committed by Christian "saints" against Pagan sanctuaries were carefully whitewashed by just reversing the facts. So, a monk who poisoned Holy Wells became the "Saint to that Well". St. Nicolas e.g. was a fanatic persecutor of followers of the MotherGoddess Artemis. He personally destroyed two temples, probably also including women (priestesses) and children. The Church gave him the title of the "Protector of virgins and children", reason why in the West "St" Nicolas is still popular. More dramatic is the "re-naming" of Mary Magdalene as the "Woman with the Seven Sins", a patriarchal reversal of her Seven Initiations into the Canaanite Mother Religion. Every woman who tried to be independent from the Church had a chance to be called "Whore of Babylon". Generally, in all situations or texts, where the memory of the Old Mother was still alive, everything was done to erase it. In that sense, the whole "his"tory has been falsified. This wasn't limited to Christianity alone. Already before the latter came to power, the Babylonians and the Hebrews did the same. Mrs. Beckwith said: "It is notable that in similar genealogies such as the Hebrew, in which, as introduced by the missionaries, Hawai'ians showed extraordinary interest, males alone are recorded" (Hawai'ian Mythology", p.7)

1. "The Kumulipo"
or
An Account of the Creation of the World
Translated from Original Manuscripts
by Liliuokalani, Queen of Hawai'i in 1897,
dedicated to her Great-Grandmother

Note the reverence of the Queen to her Great-Grandmother
a confirmation of a long female lineage of QueenMothers

The Essence

"There was Deep Intense-Night (Po-nui-auwa'ea), a period of time without heaven, without earth, without anything that is made. There was only Darkness (pouli), therefore it was called Deep-Intense-Night and Long-Night. The Deep-Intense-Night was the Darkness out of which all created things originated (na mea i hanaia) issued (i ho'opuka)"
(www.sacredtexts.com)

"The Deepest Darkness gave birth to life in the sea, the flying creatures, the crawling creatures, the animals and humanity"
(after Martha Beckwith)

The core is that Darkness (Po) gave birth to the Light (the Gods),
while the Light (Malamalama/Ao) subsequently gave
birth to the life of the world

Chapter Eight
Prologue to the Night World

At the time that turned the heat of the earth
At the time when the heavens turned and changed
At the time when the light of the sun was subdued
To cause light to break forth
At the time of the night of the winter
Then began the slime which established the earth,
the source of deepest darkness,
Of the depth of darkness, of the depth of darkness,
Of the darkness of the sun, in the depth of night,
It is night,
So was night born

(Here reference to Darkness is a little ambiguous)

2. From Martha Warren Beckwith's
"Hawai'ian Mythology"

Haumea, the original MotherGoddess, later a sorceress through "patriarchal reversal" "entered a growing tree to save her human husband. From her also came the mysterious tree out of which were cut the sorcery gods". (p. 107)

Who doesn't think of Inanna descending into the Underworld to
save her husband Dumuzi (Tammuz)?

All the Pele family are linked with sorcery (p. 107)

The Gods (Goddesses) of the Old Religion always become
denounced in the next

Owls (pueo) are among the oldest of the family protectors
(Guardian Gods, p.118)

The Owls were the "eye" of Inanna/Ishtar/Lilith

The soul is often represented as fluttering about the body  or over land or sea, visible to the eyes of the kahuna, who catches it in a gourd. Or it may already have joined the spirits in the underworld of the dead and must be brought or lured thence for return to the body. Thus we get a story of the Orpheus type of a visit by a mortal, aided by the gods, to the underworld (p. 136)

The Orpheus story is a later version of the Inanna/Tammuz myth

Others call Manua the original lord of the underworld of the dead (p.143)

Hawai'ian poets have not done much toward elaborating the story of the fate of the soul after its separation from the body.  Kepelino says: "perhaps this was handed down from our first ancestors, but (the meaning) got lost because of the length of time gone by" (p.147)

The "tree of life and death" is genuine (see above)

One Hawai'ian informant explains Po (Original Darkness) as a vast sea where forms live in the lower stages of life. It is out of this sea that land is born and the higher forms of life and man, who make up the world of light (Ao) (p. 152)

In Sumer, Babylon this Sea is the "Cosmic Womb"

The idea is of a cycle of life, the human rising out of the spirit world and at old age returning into the safe waters of that world again, to be guarded and reborn into the world of form, either as a human being or as some one of the many bodies which we see in nature (p. 152)

This is Nature Religion at its best, later denounced as
"pantheism" by the Church

Birds, fish, reptiles, insects, and specially inspired priests, were revered as incarnations, mouth-pieces, or messengers of the gods....(p. 80)

This inclusive interconnectedness with all life is definitely of
pre-patriarchal Origin, indeed, very ancient

The mysterious figure of Haumea in Hawai'ian myth is identified, now with Papa the wife of Wakea, who lived as a woman on earth and became mother of island chiefs and ancestress of the Hawaiian people (p. 256)

The Mother and Her Son/Lovers

By rebirths Haumea changes herself from age to youth and returns to marry her children and grandchildren (p. 258)

Everything is born out of the Womb and returns to Her....

She receives the "tree of changing leaves" out of which the gods are made (p. 258)

Mother of the "dying and rising" Vegetation Gods....

Haumea became a woman of Kalihi in Koolau.
Entering a growing tree, she became a breadfruit tree,
A breadfruit-tree body, a trunk and leaves, she had....(p. 262)

The Sumerian MotherGoddess was said to be the "Tree of Life"

In the genealogy called Kumulipo it is said that the first human being was a woman called La'ila'i and that her ancestors and parents were of the night (he po wale no), that she was the progenitor of the Hawaiian race (p. 256)

In Egypt "Laila" is celebrated as a very ancient pre-islamic deity

Thus it is in her character as destroyer or guardian of wild growth and patroness of childbirth that Haumea becomes, like La'ila 'i, the producer or, like Pele, the destroyer of living things. (p. 268)

The Mother as the Origin of Creation and Destruction

Goddess of the "sacred earth", she is venerated as the spiritual essence of that ageless Womb of which life is produced in changing forms and which finally, in the body of a woman, bears to Papa, through union with Wakea, the human race or, more specifically, the Hawai'ian people in direct descent from the ancestral gods (p.269)

Nothing has to be added to this

The myth of Pele narrates the migration or expulsion...of Pele from her distant homeland and her effort to dig for herself a pit deep enough to house her whole family (p. 156)

Expulsion by the Malay?

She approaches the group (Hawaii) from the northwest, tries island after island without success, and finally settles on Hawai'i at the crater Moku-aweoweo (land of burning) (p. 156)

She thus came from the southeast, presumably Java

To the question of the meaning of the Papa and Wakea legend as it took shape in Hawai'i no single answer can be given. Back of it is the Polynesian mythical conception of a dark formless spirit world presided over by the female element, and a world of form born out of the spirit world and to which it again returns, made visible and active in this human life through light as the impregnating male element (p. 283)

The Light born out of Darkness, God as Son of the Mother

Stories and genealogies connect the Wakea-Papa line with the myth already noted of a marriage between a high chief from a distant land and a native- born chiefess.

Already suggesting the coming era of male dominance

A struggle is implied between an older line and a new order which imposes the separation of chiefs from commoners, and establishes religious tapus, especially as related to women, chiefs working with in harmony with the priesthood, as to control conduct and effectually to subordinate the people to their ruling chiefs (p. 272)

Tapus as an instrument to establish patriarchy, actually more a
political move than a religious

And there followed a number of food tapus which further restrict women except of the highest rank (p. 275)

Proof of the fact that "in the old days" society was female-oriented

Wakea and Papa were not the first settlers on the islands, says Kamakau. They belonged rather to the middle period of colonization and it was after their day that the islands were renamed (p. 282)

Marking the transition between "matriarchy" and patriarchy

Ku and Hina were the first Gods of our people.
They were the Gods who ruled the ancient people before Kane (p.13).
Acc. to David Malo Kupihea

Ku and Hina, male or husband (kane) and female or wife (wahine),
are invoked as great ancestral Gods of Heaven and Earth who
have general control over the fruitfulness of earth
and the generations of mankind (p.15).

This reflects perfectly MotherGoddess Inanna and Her Son/Lover
("Vegetation God") Tammuz

Sick people are sometimes brought to a cave and left
there overnight for healing (p. 20).

A cave is a metaphor for the Womb

Lono as God of fertility was celebrated in the Makahiki festival held during the rainy season of the year covering a period of four months  from about October to February (p.34)

This is corresponding with the "Hieros Gamos" fertility
festival of Sumer

For five days the high priest was kept blindfolded and merry-making, boastful demonstrations of prowess, and boxing were the occupations of the day (p 35).

A little-god in the meantime was borne (p 35)

The Rebirth of the Fertility (Vegetation) God

People gathered huge packs of edible fern (p 34)

Green 'ama'u fern as a symbol of a long life

A mock battle followed and that night the ruling chief offered a pig in sacrifice at the heiau (p 35)

In Mesopotamia a pig was a sacred animal to the Goddess

The pork tapu was freed (p 35)

Pigs, an animal sacred to the Kane worship (p. 61)

(sic!)

An eye of a man killed in sacrifice was eaten, after that the new year began
((Malo, p. 36)

A memory of the ancient "death and rebirth" rituals

A comparison of harvest festivals reported from other South Sea groups shows that the idea is common, but the form each takes and the god to whom the occasion is dedicated must be regarded as dependent upon the special social system and special religious setup locally developed within the group (p 36)

If all Polynesians had a harvest festival of some form
they must have had a common source

In Fiji the Lord from Hades comes, where after pleasure and labor
are again free for all (p 36)

The concept of the Underworld was known to them

His (Lono's) words of promise to the people are that he will return to them (p. 37)

The disappearing ("dying") and returning ("reborn") God

The theme of a descent of a god from heaven to a beautiful woman of earth is a stock theme in Polynesian mythology and recurs repeatedly in
Hawai'ian chant and story (p.38)

A typical example of "patriarchal reversal"

A chief's rank and power depended on the tapu system (p.39)

Patriarchy limiting the inclusivity of the Mother

All forms of nature were thought of as bodily manifestations of spirit forces (p. 79)

Compare with the Mesopotamian "Lady of the Vegetation",
"Lady of the Animals", Lady of the Gods".

The earth is not made, but is a thing dragged up from the shades, and is but the gross outward form of an in-visible essence still in the underworld
(From Mangaia (Cook)  island p.80)

Clearly an insight from pre-Hebrew, Sumerian times

Special stones are regarded as sacred because of a traditional connection with old ancestors (p. 85)

The story about sacred stones starts in the Near East

In Hawaiian story subordinate deities and even the great gods appear in bird bodies (p. 87)

Sacred birds are the symbols of the MotherGoddess. On Tanimbar
(South Moluccas) they appear in beautiful art. Also think
of the Dove or "Holy Ghost" in Christianity

The god of Maui called Lo-Lupe is the god invoked in the rite of deification of the dead or restoration of the dead to life (p. 103)

Ku, Lono, Kane, Kanaloa

Often authors writing about Hawai'ian Mythology e.g. Religion start with mentioning the main Gods: Kane, Ku, Lono and Kanaloa. This isn't a contradiction to the Sumerian Origins, for at the time of Inanna patriarchal dominance was already very much visible. With the Babylonian "Enuma Elish" (Book of Creation) the God Marduk kills the MotherGoddess Tiamat, ending the female rule. As so often, the old religion didn't really die out, though: it went underground. One way to re-discover it, is mythology. One has to read between the lines. The Hawai'ian Myth of Creation is a good example. There it is said that Darkness gave birth to Light. While the Light is subsequently personified as the God Kane, Darkness remains undefined. The association with the Cosmic Womb or Mother remains hidden, the Divine Feminine as foundation of the religion suppressed. While in ancient times Darkness was the Birthgiver of all, later this was "taken over" by male Gods. Kana (the Light) is the God of Creation (and Destruction?). While e.g. the biblical text suggests darkness to be the "primordial chaos" needing God to be put into order, it is the Hawaiian Darkness Itself that is the Birthgiver of God, Heaven and Earth. This corresponds with Sumerian times - several millennia before the Old Testament - in which Darkness, the Great Mother - is giving birth to God and the universe.

The second God born out ("Son") of Darkness (Cosmic Womb) is Lono, the God of Fertility ("Vegetation God"), accompanied by Kanalao (in the old times called Milu), the God of the Underworld. The latter is a memory of the Sumerian "Vegetation God" staying in the Underworld during the winter. These three major Gods - Kane, Lono and Kanalao - can be thus considered three complementary aspects of one Vegetation God, of one "Green Man".

The oldest (Sumerian and early Hawai'ian) version corresponds with Reality. Both cosmic spirituality and science confirm it. "Not God created the world out of nothingness (darkness), but Nothingness (Darkness) is giving birth to both God (Eternal Light) and the universe, the latter continuously returning to their Origin". In my own "Threefold Cosmic Realization" (1977)* a supernatural Lightning suddenly struck my head, wiping out my entire Being. For a split second there was only Deep Blackness. Immediately followed by the Eternal Light, in which I was dissolved completely. Conclusion: Darkness precedes the Light (inscription in the altar of Salerno!). Various other mystics confirming it (Dionysos Areopagita, Meister Eckhart, John of the Cross, Jakob Boehme). It used to be the core teaching of Buddhism**. Surprisingly, in recent years, science (astrophysics, cosmology) is confirming this too***. Both "uncreated" Light, natural light and the universe emerge from a Cosmic Vacuum, the former uninterruptedly returning to it. The Black Holes are manifestations of the Vacuum. In them "Destruction and Creation" of energy and matter is an ongoing process, constantly re-creating the universe. So, the definitive conclusion is: Darkness is the Mother of God and the universe, there is no (other) "God" before "Her". It is the reason why the original Creation Myth of Hawai'i represents Reality As It Is....and thus immensely valuable to the whole of humanity.

* See the link on the index-page of my website.
** Read "Great Mother Buddhism"
*** Click "in the website The Supreme Design"

3. Conclusion

Narrative

The style in which the (proto)Polynesians expressed themselves resembles very much pre-patriarchal Sumerian stories. This is only matched by (pre)Hindu-tales. The latter, however, also originated in Mesopotamia.

The prominence of the Divine Feminine

Reading between the lines, at all prominent places in the Hawai'ian tales females play a prominent role. In order to understand this "patriarchal reversal" (and corruption) has to be taken into account. A good example is Haumea. In the male classification she is a sorceress, almost at the bottom of the list of deities. One has to bear in mind then that the most powerful deities of a previous religion (in this case the Old Mother Religion) are always degraded by the new. That's why the study of sorcerers, guardians and demons is of great priority. Through studying them one can get a glimpse of the previous era, something that otherwise wouldn't be possible. 

Gods as people

Typical for pre-patriarchal religions and societies is the absence of the unapproachable One God in the Sky. Both in Sumer as on Hawai'i Goddesses and Gods are mixing with common people, showing very human-like functions, emotions and behavior.

God, nature and community-oriented

An all-inclusive world-view can only come from a Deity that still is an undivided Whole Herself. This was the Mesopotamian Cosmic Mother. "Come ye all unto Me, I Am the All-Embracing One". In Her Dark! Womb everything - Gods and the universe - are born and return, NOTHING EXCLUDED*. Later on, with the emergence of ego, divide and conflict, the Mother also got divided. She split into various Goddesses and Gods. The Polynesians - through their interconnectedness with "Heaven, Earth and the Community" - prove to still have had links with the Origin.
* Which changed with the coming of patriarchy!

Death and Rebirth

To my surprise some convincing passages in Martha Beckwith's book can be found where life is a cyclic process. In Sumer this is the key to ongoing Regeneration, embodied by the Vegetation Gods.

Sumerian ancestry confirmed?

Thus, did the Hawai'ians come from Sumer?

Personal note

As I have stated elsewhere I am VERY much aware of my shortcomings. I therefore don't have the pretention of being a scholar of Hawai'ian culture. That I nevertheless started and accomplished this study is mainly of my strong supernatural vision. It is the way many major discoveries are made ( I.Newton, A.Einstein). Big scientific discoveries don't start with science, they start with a sudden intuition, not originating from the common mind. Then scientific work follows filling in the space. Only after a (long) time, through trial and error, a final conclusion about the authenticity can be made. I hope I'll be also one of those lucky ones.

From Eden to Eden

Looking over the journey from one homeland to the other, one comes to the (surprising) conclusion that the (proto)Polynesians have always lived in "Eden". Their start was on the coastal area of the Persian Gulf (e.g. Bahrain). This area was flooded around 4000 BC (or earlier) by a Big Flood. People fled a.o. to the mainland of Mesopotamia. That's why it is said that the Sumerians "came from the sea". A second "Eden" emerged, called Dilmun in old Sumerian, Eden in the Bible. It is the place where the "biblical" Flood happened, probably around 2700 BC. Another version is the one according to prof. Kramer. He suggests, that Dilmun/Eden was located in the Indus Valley, because in the Sumerian Flood-Story it is said that "Dilmun is the place where the sun rises", thus to the east of Sumer. In that case a second expulsion of the (proto)Polynesians could also have happened around 1900 BC, the time of Aryan invasions, causing the "sea peoples" to move, once again. It could have been the start of the (definitive) Polynesian "exodus". Although there might have been groups departing much earlier (see above), for early Polynesians appeared in the Pacific shortly after 2000 BC. Through their centuries' old expertise as sailors of the ocean, this was probably not a too (....) dramatic event. If my assumptions are right, they did not sail along the coasts (like the Arabs did after them), also because of the devastations on land through the worldwide Flood. Future research will reveal the true facts.

Sailing in south-eastern direction they must have landed either in Northern-Sumatra (now Aceh) or Western Java (Sunda). Taking the poetic aspects of Sunda culture into account, I would opt for the Sunda-solution. On Java they probably had reasonably good relationships with local (pre-Malay!) Javanese, at that time members of nature religions. Life on Java must have had traits, similar to their previous "Eden-experience". During that time it is possible, that some of the more complicated (philosophical") aspects of their Sumerian past were forgotten e.g. transformed. Like in Eden the (proto)Polynesians did not meet major conflicts or war. The time of patriarchal religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam) penetrating Indonesia had still to come. It is accepted that waves of dominant Malay peoples was the reason to once again depart. One reminder of their stay on Java might be the pre-Hindu myth of Lara Kidul, the Javanese Queen of the South Seas*. This myth has - just as the Polynesians - its roots in the Sumerian tale of the Original Mother with Her dying and resurrecting Son/Lovers, the latter becoming the core-rituals for the Sultans of both Yogya- and Surakarta. (Proto)Hawai'ians at last - via the Marquesas - found once again a Garden of Eden: Hawai'i. Its exuberant nature very much reminding them of both Eden and Java (and other islands in the area). That's why Hina and Kane are old Goddesses/Gods with memories from Sumer, while Pele - Goddess of Fire and Volcano's - is a relatively recent newcomer. Opposite to Java, in Mesopotamia there weren't any volcano's.

* See/click "Java" on the index page of my website, and then my essay on "Yogya Kraton Myth"

Temporary Home

When the (proto)Polynesians arrived at the Indonesian archipelago, the latter wasn't empty. In fact, one of the oldest human ancestors - the "Java Man" - is 700.000 years old. Home sapiens - us - reached the islands some 40.000 years ago. These were dark skin people, the same race as the Papua's and the Aborigines of Australia. Around 10.000 years ago the Ice Age ended and with it a rise of seal level. It led to the numerous different islands of SE Asia. Some 4000 years ago Malay-tribes ("Austronesians") migrated from the Asian mainland (China) pushed to the South by the Chinese Han people. The early (proto)Polynesians started leaving Mesopotamia around 2700 BCE. After the Aryan invasion (around 1900 BCE) a second (big) wave arrived. At a certain moment, one may assume, Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by all above mentioned groups. Until the pressure from the Malay became too big. It was the moment for the (proto)Polynesians to leave. Presumably first to the South Pacific, then, from the Marquesas to Hawaii (500-800 CE). It means that they have stayed in Indonesia for at least 2000 years.

It is a period of time long enough to leave at least some traces. Indicators are reminders of Sumerian mythology: the Great Mother and Her "dying and rising" Son/Lovers/ Husbands. The first connection can be found on Java: the legend of Nyai Roro (Ratu) Kidul, the Queen of the South Sees. It is about the cosmic connection between The Cosmic Mother - embodied by the volcano Merapi - the ruler - the Sultans of Yogyakarta and Surakarta - and Mother's Daughter, at the same time the Lover of the Sultan - Lara (or Ratu) Kidul, the Queen. It is here that the (proto)Polynesians for the first time linked to Volcano-mythology. It is the reason why the Hawaiian Goddess Pele is of relatively younger date. Surprisingly, popular images of both Lara Kidul and Pele are very equal, both have Indo-European traits. (Although it cannot be excluded that Sumerian myth also came down through the early Malay and Hinduism). The connections between Lara Kidul and Pele are surprisingly close. Pele is the Goddess of Fire, the official name for Gunung Merapi is "Mountain of Fire". On Java Mount Merapi is the "Mother" of Lara Kidul, Pele is the daughter of Haumea, the former has Her home in the crater of a volcano ("fire pit"). Volcano activity e.g. eruption is an expression of Her longing for Her lover, a young chief called Lohiau, which runs parallel to Lara Kidul's love for the Sultan. This love is not of a superficial type, though. "She sometimes kills her lover" (Wiki). Corresponding with the "death and rebirth" aspect of the original Sumerian version?

* See/click "Java" on the index page of my website, and then my essay on "Yogya Kraton Myth" 

The second link is to be found in Maluku Tenggara, the South Moluccan Islands.  The most impressive images are those which represent a Goddess flanked by two animals, often birds. When I saw one for the first time, I immediately understood the connection with Near Eastern "Lady and Her Beasts". This image is very ancient. It originates from the time that the Cosmic Mother was still considered inclusive, the vegetation, the animal world and the Gods still being part of Her. From Sumer this image spread both to the East and the West. In Europe they can be seen on Romanesque and Gothic churches. They are the predecessors of the Son/Lovers, Vegetation Gods or "Green Men". In the East they can be found in India, China and SE Asia. What makes it probable, that they originated directly from Sumer, brought to the islands by (proto)Polynesians, though? Unique is that the islands kept the memory of "birth and death", as the essential elements of fertility. The former is embodied by the Goddess/Tribe Mother, the latter by the Tribe Father. The Mothers are central to the survival of the group, the Fathers contribute through killing....(hunting). Astonishingly, both on the Moluccas and on Hawai'i this male quality is called "heat" (See "Kumulipo"). The Mother is the head of the Tribe, consisting of several extended families. Like on Hawai'i this family conglomerate is the foundation of society and therefore highly cherished. Like early (proto)Polynesians, society was matri-centered. The Tribal Mothers and their ancestors were called "Grandmothers!", something still present in today's Hawai'i. The men, as Tribal Chiefs had an (almost) equal status. They related themselves to the Sky God. Both Heaven and Earth guaranteed fertility and prosperity. To emphasize this, once in seven (holy number of Sumer) years a "hieros gamos", a sacred marriage, was celebrated, called Porka-ritual, a central event in Sumer (and comparable to the Hawaiian Makahiki Festival!). During several days of intense joy, "free" sexuality had an important place. Last but not the least the aspect, which could indicate a (proto)Polynesian origin, is the central place of the boat in society. Although ancient Moluccans were excellent sailors themselves, the interconnectedness with the other aspects just mentioned, points to that direction.

A question is raised: "why (proto)Polynesians did not leave more impressive material culture on the islands?" They had been part of one of the cradles of civilization after all: Mesopotamia. I assume, this is because of a combination of factors. First of all, the earliest (proto)Polynesians did not have the cultural level, found in later centuries. Furthermore, the art of writing was limited to some priests only. It isn't sure they made it to join the exodus. The factor "Flood" plays an important role. Many of the material artifacts were destroyed by it. If they still had some, the boats, already loaded with people, didn't allow to take them with them. In the new lands they had to start all over again. They were confronted with another geography, vegetation, animal world and cultures. This soon leads to a loss of memory. E.g. the knowledge of how to build a Ziggurat, a Sumerian Temple, didn't make sense. And with it the accompanying rituals and objects. Anyway, as stated above, the (proto)Polynesians living in the Persian Gulf Region ("Dilmun") didn't possess the (material) abilities of their fellows on the "mainland". Moreover, right from the start, there was this competition with the Malay. This must have been a challenge, for in the end this was the trigger for them to move once again. So, there is every probability that the (proto)Polynesians did not have much space (inner and outer) to build a new culture of their own.

Original Vitality

This background "predestined" the Hawai'ians to a life of "innocence". It starts with their physiognomy. Decidedly non-Malay (and non-Semitic) they show more likely the traits of Indo-European people, which of course they were not. Some authors speak of Cushites.  It is another "proof" of Polynesians as people coming from a great distance. People who did NOT originate in South East Asia. The big geographical distance - as I have elaborated upon - is deceptive. According to the "exodus hypothesis" original home and new home were in fact very close to each other. In between they suffered no big disasters, hence remaining in a condition of "original vitality". Their past was not corrupted (until the start of the Tahiti invasion, later interior wars and the coming of missionaries) by ongoing wars and conflicts. From their ancient beginning, there had not been any brainwashing by other peoples or cultures. They never mixed with other races. That makes, that what we still can see today.....is pockets of a very original tradition. One that reflects pre-historic culture almost unchanged. Therefore the astonishing conclusion that for understanding Sumer you have to go to Hawai'i (and vice versa). That doesn't mean, however, that all key mythologies of pre-history have been preserved. During more than 2500 years that lie between the first "exodus" from Mesopotamia and their arrival on Hawai'i (500-800 AD) even central issues like "death and rebirth" seem to have been lost. Patriarchal linear thinking had replaced the ancient cyclic universe. Ever since the culture produced an abundance of stories and narratives, all confirming the status quo. In times where the MotherGoddes as the Origin of all was forgotten for a long time already. An important factor was the fear of death. In "cyclic times" this didn't pose any problem, for every creature returned to the Cosmic Womb of the Mother. A striking fact in this regard: in earliest times Hawaiians buried their dead in a "fetus position", indicating their belief in the return to the Cosmic Womb. Later, bodies were put into the graves with their legs stretched, a transition mark from cyclic (feminine) to linear (masculine) culture! By the way: linear awareness is accompanied by fear, because of death as the irrevocable end.....Therefore, it is the origin of, and on a par with taboo, fear of women, fear of evil spirits.....

True Healing

Healing in the Sumerian sense is to continuously returning to the Origin - the Deep Darkness of the Womb - in order to become reborn" as a New Self.

This is the optimal healing formula for modern ego-dominated Westerners. "Death" of the ego being the condition for Renewal.

Ego is to be cut off from the Whole. As an isolated entity it knows no limits. Therefore, it blows itself up more and more, eventually destroying the entire earth.

Without curbing the ego, all other healing efforts - however "spiritual" - are in vain. The latter all beat about the bush.

The New Self subsequently "incarnates", becoming part of the Whole: "Heaven, earth and the community", once again.

This is a universal principle. I call it "Existential Consciousness". On Bali people call it "Tri Hita Karana". A similar Hawai'ian concept for it could be "pono".

Hawai'ians of course also suffer from ego. The difference with common US citizens is the very strong religious and cultural background of the former.

It means that the necessity of "dying" is much less. They therefore can make a shortcut by "simply" living in harmony with the "Gods, with nature and their communities".

Westerners on the other hand don't realize that their inner condition is much worse, not "similar" to traditional Hawai'ians at all.

They indiscriminately take over Hawai'ian culture, not realizing that their big ego's (often together with "idealistic" overtones) are standing in between.

It has led to all kinds of "healing practices" that ignore the necessity of "dying to your ego" first. The result is a lot of self-deception, pretention and hypocrisy.

However, there is still hope. For like in Sumer, in Hawai'ian culture the Origin is considered to be the Dark Depth, the unique Source of Renewal and Regeneration.

Therefore, sincere people seek their healing through first surrendering to the Original Darkness, in order for their inner Light to be born.

Only the Deep Dark Depth (DDD) can curb the ego. Everything else is only giving the ego food for new identifications.

I call it Original Hawai'ian Healing (OHH), stressing the necessity of giving up your ego, before identifying yourself with other healing aspects of Hawai'ian culture.

Ultimately, healing consists of becoming part of the Whole - Heaven, earth and the community - once again. This is exactly what the Hawai'ians have been practising for many millennia already.

According to Pali Jae Lee the only Hawai'ian religion in ancient times was "Oneness with all things: nature, plants, trees, animals, the gods and each other. All was "pono".

There is hardly a place on earth where one can find such an optimal environment. Instead of seeking "self-empowerment" Hawai'ian culture teaches us to "fitting yourself in" into the greater Whole.

With your Spirit as part of Heaven, with your body as part of the earth and with your soul as part of the community, that is where it is all about.

It is the core of True Healing.

Epilogue

This essay has been written with great enthusiasm. Hawai'ian Culture is the unique LIVING expression of the oldest mythology on earth, indeed, part of a universal tradition. Through it the circle is closed.

In order to come to the Essence - to "prove" the interconnectedness - many aspects and narratives of Hawai'ian culture had to be neglected. I apologize for that. My hypothesis is necessarily provisionary.

I would personally be eternally grateful, if I could contribute to Hawai'ian Culture in the future. I am convinced that further study along the lines of this essay could bring great benefit.

Through it Hawai'ian prestige in the world could be greatly enhanced, for the results of further studies would have a great impact on the world as a whole. The Original Story of the Hawai'ians is the Story of us all.

Moreover, my Mission "Cosmic Mother Healing the Planet" couldn't find a better place for enfolding its activities. Hence my motto "Healing the Planet, to start with Hawai'i!".

This article has been born out of the Deep Depth (Po), was carried on the wings of Light (Ao), while subsequently supported by various distinguished authors, to whom I want to express great gratitude.

Han Marie Stiekema Sermes
New Teacher, "Green Man", Wholistic physician (since 1972)
www.healingtheplanet.info

Utrecht, the Netherlands, October 7, 2013

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