"Near the end of the month preceding that in which he renamed the yacht — on 24 April 1823 — Liholiho began a lavish two-week festival in commemoration of his father's death and his own ascension.
Among the guests was Hiram Bingham, leader of the first group of ABCFM [American Board of Commisioners for Foreign Missions] missionaries to Hawaii, who had arrived in 1820.
In his 1847 memoirs, Bingham describes the ceremonies of 8 May, the final day of the celebration, stressing that, while European carriages and dresses, as well as Christian prayers, had been included in the opening day's events, the rites observed on the final day were "chiefly Hawaiian, quite imposing . . . and as a display of aboriginal taste and customs . . . striking and interesting.”
Particularly impressive was the grand entrance of "the favorite queen, Kamamalu," who was "borne in state by about seventy subjects, upon a singularly constructed carriage — whale-boat upon an extensive wicker-work scaffold of transverse poles and light spars lashed together, and supported on the heads, hands, and shoulders of a column of men in their martial dress . . .
'Seated . . . in the middle of the boat, having a scarlet silk robe around her waist, a coronet of brilliant feathers on her head, and a large and superb umbrella of scarlet silk, fringed and tasselled, supported over her by a warrior chief, who was girded with a scarlet girdle, and had on a lofty feathered helmet, she rode, a queen, above the heads of the admiring multitude.' (DiPasquale quoting Bingham 1847, 184)”
********
"The annual feast in commemoration of Liholiho's accession to the throne was celebrated this year (1823) with barbaric in agnificence.
In the grand procession of the last day (May 8th), each of Liholiho's wives and his younger brother and sister were borne in state with all the pomp and splendor that the country could furnish.
The head queen, Kamamalu, was seated in a whaleboat, fastened to a platform of spars, and borne on the shoulders of seventy men.
The boat and platform were covered with fine broadcloth, relieved by richly colored native cloth.
The bearers marched in a solid phalanx, the outer ranks of which wore scarlet and yellow feather cloaks and helmets.
The queen wore a scarlet silk pau and a coronet of feathers, and was screened from the sun by a huge umbrella of scarlet damask, supported by a chief wearing a scarlet malo and a feather helmet.
On one quarter of the boat stood Naihe, and on the other Kalanimoku, similarly clad, and each holding a scarlet kahili or plumed staff of state, thirty feet in height.
[One of the queen-dowagers wore seventy-two yards of orange and scarlet kerseymere, which was wrapped around her waist until her arms were sustained by it in a horizontal position, and the remainder was formed into a train supported by her attendants.]
Meanwhile the king and his suite, nearly naked; and intoxicated, rode from place to place on horses without saddles, followed on the run by a shabby escort of fifty or sixty men.
[Companies of dancing and singing girls, to the number of several hundreds, met the procession in different places, encircling the highest chiefs. and chanting their praises.] (Alexander, 1891, 181-182)”
Sources:
1891, Alexander, W. D., A brief history of the Hawaiian people. Published by order of the Board of education of the Hawaiian Islands. Web Page: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/abe4397.0001.001/199?page=root;size=100;view=image
2013/2014, DiPasquale, Theresa M., Shakespeare and the Ali'i Nui. From: Borrowers and Lenders, The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation. Webpage: http://www.borrowers.uga.edu/971/show#nr10
Notes on Sources:
Sources are from English language research using English language publications from Hiram Bingham leader of the first group of ABCFM missionaries to Hawaii, who had arrived in 1820 (and W. D. Alexander a self-proclaimed patriotic Hawaiian writing for citizens of the Hawaiian Kingdom “rather than for foreign reader” (Alexander, 1891, iii). It would behoove all of us to look at Hawaiian language accounts. The English language speaking and documenting population only made up 6% of the population therefore we are only getting the perspective of 6% of the population. What about the other 94% of the Hawaii National population? They were writing, reading and sharing as well as a 100% literate nation at the time. It’s up to us to take up these kuleana together.
Among the guests was Hiram Bingham, leader of the first group of ABCFM [American Board of Commisioners for Foreign Missions] missionaries to Hawaii, who had arrived in 1820.
In his 1847 memoirs, Bingham describes the ceremonies of 8 May, the final day of the celebration, stressing that, while European carriages and dresses, as well as Christian prayers, had been included in the opening day's events, the rites observed on the final day were "chiefly Hawaiian, quite imposing . . . and as a display of aboriginal taste and customs . . . striking and interesting.”
Particularly impressive was the grand entrance of "the favorite queen, Kamamalu," who was "borne in state by about seventy subjects, upon a singularly constructed carriage — whale-boat upon an extensive wicker-work scaffold of transverse poles and light spars lashed together, and supported on the heads, hands, and shoulders of a column of men in their martial dress . . .
'Seated . . . in the middle of the boat, having a scarlet silk robe around her waist, a coronet of brilliant feathers on her head, and a large and superb umbrella of scarlet silk, fringed and tasselled, supported over her by a warrior chief, who was girded with a scarlet girdle, and had on a lofty feathered helmet, she rode, a queen, above the heads of the admiring multitude.' (DiPasquale quoting Bingham 1847, 184)”
********
"The annual feast in commemoration of Liholiho's accession to the throne was celebrated this year (1823) with barbaric in agnificence.
In the grand procession of the last day (May 8th), each of Liholiho's wives and his younger brother and sister were borne in state with all the pomp and splendor that the country could furnish.
The head queen, Kamamalu, was seated in a whaleboat, fastened to a platform of spars, and borne on the shoulders of seventy men.
The boat and platform were covered with fine broadcloth, relieved by richly colored native cloth.
The bearers marched in a solid phalanx, the outer ranks of which wore scarlet and yellow feather cloaks and helmets.
The queen wore a scarlet silk pau and a coronet of feathers, and was screened from the sun by a huge umbrella of scarlet damask, supported by a chief wearing a scarlet malo and a feather helmet.
On one quarter of the boat stood Naihe, and on the other Kalanimoku, similarly clad, and each holding a scarlet kahili or plumed staff of state, thirty feet in height.
[One of the queen-dowagers wore seventy-two yards of orange and scarlet kerseymere, which was wrapped around her waist until her arms were sustained by it in a horizontal position, and the remainder was formed into a train supported by her attendants.]
Meanwhile the king and his suite, nearly naked; and intoxicated, rode from place to place on horses without saddles, followed on the run by a shabby escort of fifty or sixty men.
[Companies of dancing and singing girls, to the number of several hundreds, met the procession in different places, encircling the highest chiefs. and chanting their praises.] (Alexander, 1891, 181-182)”
Sources:
1891, Alexander, W. D., A brief history of the Hawaiian people. Published by order of the Board of education of the Hawaiian Islands. Web Page: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/abe4397.0001.001/199?page=root;size=100;view=image
2013/2014, DiPasquale, Theresa M., Shakespeare and the Ali'i Nui. From: Borrowers and Lenders, The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation. Webpage: http://www.borrowers.uga.edu/971/show#nr10
Notes on Sources:
Sources are from English language research using English language publications from Hiram Bingham leader of the first group of ABCFM missionaries to Hawaii, who had arrived in 1820 (and W. D. Alexander a self-proclaimed patriotic Hawaiian writing for citizens of the Hawaiian Kingdom “rather than for foreign reader” (Alexander, 1891, iii). It would behoove all of us to look at Hawaiian language accounts. The English language speaking and documenting population only made up 6% of the population therefore we are only getting the perspective of 6% of the population. What about the other 94% of the Hawaii National population? They were writing, reading and sharing as well as a 100% literate nation at the time. It’s up to us to take up these kuleana together.