Kahekili Naue Ika Honua Archeologists studying the Hawaiians have concluded that the ancient Hawaiians had no written language. This, of course, is plausible. However, just because no written language has been discovered, does not mean that a written language did not exist in Hawaii before the coming of the white man. The absence of proof for the missionaries does not mean that there was no written language. In fact, the great chanter and hula master, John Kaimikaua tells the story of Kawahine Kawahele Ka Po Kane.

At age 14, he met one of his teachers, Kawahine Kawahele Ka Po Kane. He spent three years with her learning from her all about the ancient teachings. She was 92, still stood erect, was still very intelligent, and she still danced like a young woman. She was an incredible chanter — she could make her voice sound like what she was chanting about – the crashing waves, or the wind, or whatever she was chanting about.

John studied with her three years, and the last day, she gave him a genealogy of her lineage going back to roughly 900 A.D. to La’ila’i. She told John he could add to the genealogy, and she made many predictions. She said all the chants, ceremonies were all Kapu, but @ death, she would make them all free, and take the Kapu with her. The time of the Kapu has been fulfilled, and this generation is, for the first time free, for the ancient ways to come back.

One of the legacies she left to John was a written language. It is not possible to verify that this language predated the coming of the white man, but we believe that it did. It is very possible that, in spite of what the archeologists have told us, the ancient Hawaiian had ways to symbolize his thoughts.

What follows is another description of a complex system of symbolizing someone’s thoughts that we also believe predated the advent of the westerners to Hawaii. At very least it provided this function, or… it may have been more than that!

THE SYMBOLS: Na Ao Opua – Kilokilo, Ka Haiki A Na Lani are a series of 36 symbols which were discovered in a series of manuscripts of a Kahuna, Kuauhaoali’i. The manuscripts are estimated to be from approximately 1860. The manuscripts came into the hands of Kiaina’auaomaikalani (Tad James) in September of 1990. When asked, Uncle George (Lanakilakeikiahiali’i) said, “I’m not sure who Kuauhaoali’i was, but I remember Auntie Io (Iolani Luahine) telling me that he was heavy!!” The manuscripts were copied for preservation.

FOR PREDICTION: As we looked at the manuscripts, at first glance the symbols look as though they are for Kilokilo or prediction. Kahuna of Hawaii in earlier times were experts in prediction, and one of the ways was through the process of reading the Opua or clouds. In fact, the surface level meaning of Opua hides the real meaning. So let’s look at the deeper level meaning of Opua and of the symbols:

DEEPER LEVEL: So, “Na Ao Opua Kilokilo — Ka Haiki A Na Lani” could be a process by which one experiences enlightened states as a result of gods or energies of the Noho category — The means of Noho is by bringing down the light from the heavens through the supreme Mana riding on the breath.

Our research into the nature of the symbols allowed us to realize that the symbols were intended for more than just divination — they were for personal transformation and evolution.