Puuhonua o Honaunau
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historic Park, also known as the "City of Refuge" is located on the Island of Hawai‘i in the Hawaiian Islands. Located on lava flats at Hōnaunau Bay, this national park demonstrates many aspects of traditional Native Hawaiian life while preserving ancient structures and artifacts.
Pu‘uhonua is a walled compound—separated from the royal grounds by a massive rock wall constructed around 1550—that served as a place of refuge for defeated warriors, noncombatants, and citizens (kanaka maole) that violated a kapu. Protection was offered to anyone that could reach the sanctuary, and absolution was given, even to enemies in time of war once the war was over. Those so absolved owed their allegence to the victor. In the case of persons breaking a kapu (social rule), absolution could be obtained in a matter of hours.
The protective sanctity of the area within the surrounding wall came from the mana of the sacred bones of powerful chiefs kept there. Hale o Keawe, a heiau built in 1650 to honor the powerful chief, Keawe‘ikekahiali‘i o kamoku (a great-grandfather of Kamehameha I), held his bones and these protected the entire pu‘uhonua.
