Orion as a celestial representation of Wākea as determined from Kūkaniloko on O’ahu in the Hawaiian Islands

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates whether in Hawaiʻi, Orion – one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky – represents Wākea, the best known cosmogonic male progenitor of Hawaiian cosmogony. Wākea, commonly referred to as Sky Father and the ‘wide expanse of the sky,’ is noted in the name for the celestial equator, Ke ala i ka piko o Wākea (the path to the navel/center of Wākea), with the star Mintaka of Orion’s Belt representing Wākea’s celestial piko.

KEYWORDS:

• Hawaii’
• Kūkaniloko
• cultural astronomy
• Wākea

Acknowledgements

The author owes great gratitude to Tom Lenchanko, kahu of Kūkaniloko, to his sister Jo-Lin Kalimapau, and to Glen Kila, all of whom are lineal descendants of Kūkaniloko and who have been generous with their time and conversation. Above all, the author owes great gratitude to Kūkaniloko herself.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martha H. Noyes

Martha H. Noyes has lived in Honolulu on the Island of O’ahu in the Hawaiian Islands since 1965. For more than 20 years she has been researching pre-contact (before 1778) Hawaiian cultural astronomy centered at Kūkaniloko, the royal birthing site and piko (center, navel) of the Island of O’ahu. She received a Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of Hawaii’ at Mānoa and a Master’s Degree in Cultural Astronomy from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.