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47-637: The tradition of Kapaemahu, like all pre-contact Hawaiian knowledge, was orally transmitted. The first written account of the story is attributed to James Harbottle Boyd , and was published by Thomas G. Thrum under the title “Tradition of the Wizard Stones Ka-Pae-Mahu” in the Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1907 , and reprinted in 1923 under the title “The Wizard Stones of Ka-Pae-Mahu” in More Hawaiian Folk Tales. The Hawaiian name for

94-575: A British naval officer, who was one of the first foreign residents in Hawaii and Kamehameha I 's port pilot. Harbottle's wife, High Chiefess Papapaunauapu, was the adoptive granddaughter of Kamehameha I. Boyd's maternal grandfather, Alexander Adams , of Scottish descent, was another well-known foreign advisor of the King and has been credited by some historians as the designer of the flag of Hawaii . His paternal grandfather Robert Lopaka Boyd (1785–1870) had served as

141-419: A Scottish-born businessman who married Princess Likelike and fathered Princess Kaʻiulani , had for two decades noticed a stone outcropping on their beach property that he thought might have religious significance. The stone was located near Likelike's customary bathing spot, and she and her daughter placed seaweed lei on it before bathing in the ocean. While erecting a beach house on the property, Cleghorn had

188-457: A kiss and "one fond embrace". Helena G. Allen, in her biography of the Queen, The Betrayal of Liliuokalani, last Queen of Hawaii, 1838–1917 , disagrees. She maintains that the song was in fact based on a romantic affair between Boyd and Princess Likelike , who was his future wife's stepmother, during the aforementioned visit. Boyd is also credited as the conveyer of the first written version of

235-559: A long line of kahuna (priests) going back centuries. Pukui's maternal grandmother, Naliʻipoʻaimoku, was a kahuna laʻau lapaʻau (medicinal expert) and kahuna pale keiki (midwife) and a hula dancer in Queen Emma's court. She had delivered the child, and asked Pukui's parents for the child to raise in the traditional way, and her request was granted. Kawena was born into the Fire Clan of Kaʻu. Kawena and her grandmother were inseparable, and

282-560: A mixture of male and female attributes. The easiest recorded Hawaiian name of the stones was " Ka Pohaku Kahuna Kapaemahu ," or the Healer Stones of Kapaemahu, correctly interpreting "Kahuna" as an expert in any field, in this case healing; however, the translation given at that time was the "Wizard Stones," which seems disrespectful by current standards. The more recently coined name "Nā Pōhaku Ola O Kapaemāhū Ā Kapuni," which translates as “The Stones of Life of Kapaemahu at Kapuni," changes

329-409: A visit by the then-Princess Liliʻuokalani to Maunawili in 1877, as part of her tour of the island of Oahu in her first act as the newly appointed heir-apparent . As the riding party prepared to return to Honolulu, Liliʻuokalani glanced back at gates of Maunawili and witnessed Colonel Boyd receiving a wreath of lei and a loving "farewell" from a young Hawaiian girl on the ranch, which he returned with

376-470: A year, and the house soon fell into ruins. In 1887, he served as secretary and attaché to Col. Curtis P. Iaukea and accompanied Princess Liliʻuokalani, Governor Dominis, and Queen Kapiʻolani to England for the celebration of Queen Victoria 's Golden Jubilee . The Hawaiian party was graciously received and given the same honor as every nation in attendance. In London , James was reunited with his younger brother Robert Napuʻuako , who had been studying in

423-533: Is narrated in the Niihau dialect, the only form of Hawaiian that has been continuously spoken and is the closest to the language that would have been spoken by the healers. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Oscar at the 93rd Academy Awards. An historical account of the stones and their story was presented as a PBS documentary titled The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu , which

470-458: The Kingdom's legislature , so it was understandable that James would follow in his footsteps. In 1877, Boyd served as captain on the staff of the governor of Oahu, John Owen Dominis . He was elevated to colonel on the King's staff in 1880. During this period of service he became better acquainted with Princess Liliʻuokalani, the governor's wife. Boyd was quite popular and gained the confidence of

517-792: The annexation of Hawaii by the United States, Boyd served the Territorial government as Superintendent of Public Works from 1901 to 1902. Boyd died on August 14, 1915, in Waimea , on the Big Island. The funeral was held on August 18 in Honolulu, and he was buried in the Oahu Cemetery . On August 16, 1888, Boyd married Helen Caroline Maniʻiailehua Cleghorn (1863–1927), the second daughter of Archibald Scott Cleghorn and Elizabeth Pauahi Lapeka. Helen

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564-584: The 16th century Alii Aimoku of Oahu, to the modern era, two on the stretch of beach now known as Kahaloa, and two in the ocean at the surf spot called Kapuni. There they served as both a sacred site for healing and a marker for a dangerous section of the outer reef known as the “Cave of the Shark God.” The first printed mention of the stones occurred in The Pacific Commercial Advertiser in 1905. The article described how Archibald Scott Cleghorn ,

611-508: The Hawaiian crown as King Kalākaua 's special commissioner. Kalākaua had done this in response to frequent shipwrecks along the surrounding reefs, including the notorious 1870 wreck of the USS ; Saginaw . He ordered that a crude house be built on the island, with tanks for holding water and provisions for any other unfortunates who might be cast away there. But the provisions were stolen within

658-455: The Hawaiian royal family. During the coronation of King Kalākaua in 1883, he was trusted with the position of bearer of the royal crowns. He also served as Marriage License Agent in 1880, Private Ways and Water Rights in 1882, Captain Co. C, Prince's Own in 1885, and the King's Special Commissioner in 1886. On September 20, 1886, Boyd took possession of Ocean Island, later renamed Kure Atoll , for

705-469: The Honolulu Star Bulletin reported that the stones were to be removed to make way for an air-conditioned bowling alley called Waikiki Bowls. The proposed removal of the stones was protested by Native Hawaiians, who believed that "these stones should be preserved for their traditional value and in order to retain our individuality as a community.”. The developer of the bowling alley promised to place

752-561: The Italian Royal Naval Academy for seven years under Kalākaua education programs for Hawaiian youths. Robert requested to return home, and James agreed and sent a letter to Hawaii requesting for his return. It would take another three months before his brother could return to Hawaii. In the meanwhile, the royal party was to continue their tour in Europe , but their mission was cut short by the unrest back in Hawaii, where King Kalākaua

799-534: The King's shipbuilder , and it is believed that he came from Grenada in the British West Indies . The Boyds were considered among the most prominent families of Hawaii, and their residence in Maunawili was often frequented by Hawaiian royalty, visiting foreign dignitaries, and world-famous writers and artists. Boyd's father made his fortune as a merchant and cattle rancher and served many political posts in

846-462: The annexationists even more. After the King's death in 1891 and his sister Liliʻuokalani's accession to the throne, Boyd was reappointed as colonel on the Queen's staff. On January 14, 1893, a large crowd of Hawaiians gathered in front of ʻIolani Palace demanding for a new constitution , but Queen Liliʻuokalani addressed the crowd, saying that she couldn't give them the new constitution at that time because of her ministers' refusal to sign and ratify

893-413: The approximately eight-ton boulder excavated and placed on the surface. It was judged to be of a different class than typically found on or near the beach, more likely from the hills of Kaimuki behind Kapiolani park . Another large stone, estimated to weigh 10 tons, was discovered in an adjacent lot, followed by two more, all in a straight line. The four large boulders were unearthed and placed together in

940-449: The boulders were initially placed next to water and sewer pipes, and used by some beachgoers as a towel rack and sunbathing spot, but they were soon given a more prominent position marked by an historical plaque. In 1997, as part of an effort led by George Kanahele to "Restore Hawaiianness to Waikiki," the stones were lifted out of the sand and placed on the stone platform of a new City and County of Honolulu cultural site constructed under

987-519: The child was taught many things she needed to know. Upon the death of her grandmother, Kawena returned to live with her parents. Her mother continued her education in things Hawaiian and her father, who spoke Hawaiian fluently, spoke to her in English and taught her of his New England heritage. Pukui was educated in the Hawaiian Mission Academy , and taught Hawaiiana at Punahou School . Pukui

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1034-521: The definitive Hawaiian-English Dictionary (1957, revised 1986), Place Names of Hawaii (1974), and The Echo of Our Song (1974), a translation of old chants and songs. Her book, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau , contains nearly 3,000 examples of Hawaiian proverbs and poetical sayings, translated and annotated. The two-volume set Nānā i ke Kumu, Look to the Source , is a valuable resource on Hawaiian customs and traditions. In addition to her published works, Pukui's knowledge

1081-786: The document. The Queen insisted that they return home peacefully. This action would have a significant impact on the course of Hawaiian history. Three days later, two of her ministers betrayed the Queen to the Committee of Safety , and she was overthrown and the Provisional Government was established by the annexationists. Boyd's family strongly opposed the Provisional Government and the Republic of Hawaii that followed, because of Boyd's friendship with Liliʻuokalani and relation to Princess Kaʻiulani , as her brother-in-law. But after

1128-421: The dual male and female spirit of the healers under each one. The legend also states that “sacrifice was offered of a lovely, virtuous chiefess,” and that the “incantations, prayers and fasting lasted one full moon.” Once their spiritual powers had been transferred to the stones, the four mahu vanished, and were never seen again. The stones are thought to have remained at Waikiki from before the time of Kakuhihewa,

1175-477: The front yard of Cleghorn's beach property. According to the article, during the excavation the remains of a human skeleton with intact jawbone were discovered under the 10-ton rock. Also discovered were the remnants of four or five stone idols, two of which were cemented on top of the rocks. When Cleghorn died in 1910, his will stipulated that “the historical stones now upon the premises . . . shall not be defaced or removed from said premises.” Nevertheless, in 1941,

1222-464: The gods” were adept in the science of healing. They effected many cures by the “laying on of hands,” and became famous across O'ahu. When it came time for the healers to depart, there was a desire to construct a “most permanent reminder” so that “those who might come after could see the appreciation of those who had been succored and relieved of pain and suffering by their ministrations during their sojourn among them." The four mahu "gave their decision to

1269-420: The healers and provides a QR code for Kapaemahu.info, which includes an augmented reality guided tour of the monument. The contextualization of the site received local, national, and Hawaiian cultural news coverage. The literal interpretation of Kapaemahu is “a row of mahu”: Ka is the definite singular article; pae is a row, cluster or group; and mahu is a third gender category referring to individuals with

1316-560: The islands of Hawaii, they settled at Ulukou in Waikiki. According to the moolelo, the visitors were “unsexed by nature, and their habits coincided with their feminine appearance although manly in stature and bearing,” indicating that they were mahu – a Polynesian term for third gender individuals who are neither male nor female but a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit. They were also described as having “courteous ways and kindly manners”' and “low, soft speech.” The “quartette of favorites of

1363-501: The legend of Kapaemahu , which was recorded by Thomas Thrum, published in the Hawaiian Almanac and Annual of 1907, and subsequently turned into an animated film . Some historian believe Boyd heard the legend from Liliʻuokalani. Boyd's family residence at Mānoa was called Waola. His parents' estate at Maunawili was sold to William G. Irwin in 1893. The piece of land changed hands multiple time until its last resident vacated

1410-409: The original meaning of the stones as a memorial to the four visitors and de-emphasizes the connection of the site to mahu by adding on the name Kapuni at the end. The role of gender in the legend of Kapaemahu has been the subject of several interpretations and revisions. The mahu status of the healers was prominent in the original publication and 1941 newspaper description of the legend. However, when

1457-452: The people as a voice from the gods." On the night of Kāne , the people gathered near a famous “bell rock” in Kaimuki and selected four giant boulders which were moved to Waikiki. Two were placed in the ground near their living place and two in the sea at their bathing place. Kapaemahu began a series of ceremonies and chants to embed the healers' powers within the stones, burying idols indicating

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1504-710: The premises in 1985. Currently the estate is owned by HRT Ltd. The Boyd's house dating from the 1860s still stands and is called The Queen's Retreat (Boyd/Irwin Estate), but has suffered major vandalism in recent years due to inefficient surveillance. Efforts have been made to save and restore the historic site due its importance in Hawaiian history, as the alleged place where Queen Liliuokalani composed her immortal song Aloha ʻOe . Mary Kawena Pukui Mary Abigail Kawenaʻulaokalaniahiʻiakaikapoliopele Naleilehuaapele Wiggin Pukui (20 April 1895 – 21 May 1986), known as Kawena ,

1551-477: The site of the stones was an impetus for the community movement that led to the addition of new contextualizing signage to the stones in 2023. In an effort to restore the stones of Kapaemahu as a permanent reminder of this aspect of Hawaiian history, the original manuscript of the moolelo was used as the basis for an animated film depicting the contributions of the four mahu to healing and the subsequent suppression of their story. The animation, titled Kapaemahu ,

1598-509: The stones in a prominent spot, thereby gaining approval from the planning commission, but in fact the stones were buried in the foundation of the new building, where they remained for two decades. The City and County of Honolulu condemned the Cleghorn property for a public beach in 1958, and the stones were re-identified four years later when the bowling alley was demolished and the beach area restored. In recognition of their historical significance,

1645-478: The stones were embedded in the sand at the new Kuhio Beach Park and marked by a plaque titled “Wizard Stones of Kapaemahu.” The 1963 dedication ceremony was attended by Hawaiian language and cultural expert Mary Kawena Pukui and Honolulu Mayor Neal Blaisdell . The stones remained at this position until 1980, when they were moved about 50 feet further from the sea to make room for a new public restroom and concession stand. Some Hawaiian traditionalists were irate that

1692-466: The stones were first recovered on Kuhio Beach in 1963, during a period of legal discrimination against mahu, the accompanying historical plaque and newspaper article made no mention of the healers' gender. A 1980 newspaper article cited Leatrice Ballesteros, a Filipino fortune teller and “Madame Pele devotee”, describing the stones as representing the spirits of two males and two females. Although this speculation has no basis in Hawaiian history or culture, it

1739-399: The stones, described in the Hawaiian language newspaper Ka Nupepa Kuokoa , is "Ka Pohaku Kahuna Kapaemahu." The story begins with the journey of four mystical figures, identified as “wizards or soothsayers,” from “the land of Moaulanuiakea (Tahiti)... to Hawaii long before the reign of King Kakuhihewa.” Their names were Kapaemahu, who was the leader, Kinohi, Kahaloa, and Kapuni. After touring

1786-465: The supervision of a committee led by traditional healer Papa Henry Auwae and funded by the Queen Emma Foundation. The committeeʻs vision for the healing stones emerged from the goals of protecting, revitalizing and beautifying the stones as a wahi pana , or sacred site, and included ceremonies and rituals led by Papa Auwae at auspicious times. The resulting placement and arrangement of the stones

1833-499: Was a Hawaiian scholar, author, composer, hula expert, and educator. Pukui was born on April 20, 1895, in her grandmother's home, named Hale Ola, in Haniumalu, Kaʻu, on Hawaiʻi Island, to Henry Nathaniel Wiggin (originally from Salem, Massachusetts , of a distinguished shipping family descended from Massachusetts Bay Colony governor Simon Bradstreet and his wife, the poet Anne Bradstreet ) and Mary Paʻahana Kanakaʻole, descendant of

1880-550: Was a military official under the Kingdom of Hawaii . He served King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani and was the inspiration for the song Aloha ʻOe . Born in Honolulu , Boyd was the son of Edwin Harbottle Boyd (1834–1875) and Maria Punapanaewa Adams Boyd (1841–1891). His family background was of British and Hawaiian descent. His middle name honored his two-time great-grandfather John Harbottle (1781–1830),

1927-713: Was also preserved in her notes, oral histories, hundreds of audiotape recordings from the 1950s and 1960s, and a few film clips, all collected in the Bishop Museum. She is often credited with making the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s possible. She was named a " Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi " by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi in 1977. In 1995, she was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. In March 2017, Hawaiʻi Magazine ranked her among

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1974-474: Was enhanced with an altar and platform by artist and traditional sculptor Billy Fields as a sculptural public art installation titled The Stones of Life . In 2023, the City and County of Honolulu, at the urging of community groups and advocates, added new interpretive signage to the stones of Kapaemahu. A bronze plaque, mounted on a small stone from Kaimuki, remarks briefly on the duality of male and female spirit of

2021-510: Was fluent in the Hawaiian language , and from the age of fifteen collected and translated folk tales, proverbs and sayings . She worked at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum from 1938 to 1961 as an ethnological assistant and translator. She also taught Hawaiian to several scholars and served as an informant for numerous anthropologists . She published more than 50 scholarly works. Pukui is the co-author of

2068-457: Was forced to sign Bayonet Constitution . A few months afterwards, his brother Robert returned home along with other Hawaiian students who had been studying abroad under the financial support of King Kalākaua, which ceased because the new legislature refused to continue to fund the King's many ventures. A rebellion led by Robert and his classmate Robert William Wilcox failed to change the political atmosphere in Hawaii and only served to anger

2115-509: Was nationally broadcast on Pacific Heartbeat . The Bishop Museum presented an immersive multimedia exhibition, also titled The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu , that explored the relationship of the stones to healing and Oceanic history. Elements of the exhibit were subsequently put on permanent display at the Hawaii Convention Center . James Harbottle Boyd James Aalapuna Harbottle Boyd (July 4, 1858 – August 14, 1915)

2162-483: Was nevertheless widely repeated in subsequent accounts of the stones. During the 1997 restoration, Hawaiian tourism advocate George Kanahele asserted that “the name Kapaemahu reflects that, ' Kapae ' means 'to set aside'; mahu means 'homosexual desire", but this interpretation of Kapaemahu as “the non-homosexual stones” is inconsistent with Hawaiian usage and grammar and is not accepted by native speakers or Hawaiian scholars. The lack of any reference to mahu or gender at

2209-451: Was the half-sister of Princess Kaʻiulani , Cleghorn's youngest daughter with his second wife, Princess Likelike . His marriage brought Boyd closer to the King and the royal court. He and Helen had seven children: Cecil Archibald, James, Norman, Helen, Irene, Hilo, and Edwin Harbottle. Their descendants survived into old age. According to legend, the famous song Aloha ʻOe was inspired by

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