Death is part of life that unifies all humans regardless of race, tribe, religion or geographical area. Different communities view death in particular and unique ways. Explanations of the traditions of Hawaiians specifically rituals performed during death. The culture of human beings is mostly influenced by their geographical location e.g. nearness to large water bodies like lakes and oceans, physical features including mountains and valleys. Religion was a tool for answering the mysteries of life for instance death and acted as a unifying factor. Religion in most cases defined the rules and regulations of communities forming a tradition that was passed from one generation to another ( Akindes, 2001).
Hawaii being an island has a large area of land surrounded by water, and for this reason, most traditions focused on the nearness to the Pacific Ocean e.g. surfing. The ancient people developed different ways to find their directions including the use of waves patterns and the sun. These people viewed death as being sacred and taking one’s life was wrong according to their traditions. There were different methods in which they treated the dead depending on the how and where the death occurred.
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The Hawaiians also treated the dead differently depending on some social factors e.g. the size of the family and whether the family members were available or not. Families had different spiritual guardians who were mostly animals. For instance, if a family’s guardian were an animal from the sea, then the body would be disposed of in the sea. On the other hand, if a family’s spirit guardian were an animal on land the body would be disposed land in particular places e.g. forests (Walter, 2013).
Respectable people in the society among the Hawaiians were buried under their houses or near home. Sand and earth burials were the most common method of burial. In some instances, the bodies were buried in caves, and this was mostly done secretly to preserve the bones. According to the Hawaiian tradition, the bones of the deceased were accorded high respect due to some specific cultural reasons. Some particular families preferred burning the body of the dead person and then some would keep the ashes to act as remembrance while others would dispose of the ashes in a particular place.
Those that kept the ashes would after some time dispose of them by the traditions at that point. The Hawaiians believed in the existence of spirits who would come back to torment them if not treated with the required respect. This is mostly the reason why they treated the bones of the dead with a lot of respect. These spirits would take the form of humans and be able to communicate with the living. They were viewed as being powerful since the living could not attack or control the life but they were able to manipulate the living to perform certain things.
Among the fishermen, they would throw the bodies of the dead into the ocean which were later eaten by sea animals e.g. sharks to be in peace with the guardian spirit. This was donewith a view to protect the fishermen in their daily fishing activities e.g. from high waves in the sea or from being attacked by sharks. They believed that the spirits of the dead fishermen would enter into the sharks and control their hostility to human interferences in the ocean. When provoked or not given the necessary respect frequent attacks would be experienced in the sea. In this case, religious leaders would be called upon to cleanse the sea and prevent future attacks.
The bodies of the dead would undergo a special ritual before they are disposedof. Religious leaders would officiate These rituals in the presence of family members or close friends to the deceased. In a situation where the deceased died in the house, those people around would assemble to clean the body. If the deceased was a parent, then the spouse was the one responsible for dressing the body. In situations where the spouse was dead or not available, then the favorite son or daughter to the deceased was in charge of dressing.
Communication to other people about the death of an individual was through wailing and screaming. However, if the deceased died in the house, it was a taboo to wail before the body was washed and dressed. This is because they believed that the spirit of the dead was still in the house and it would be disturbed by wailing and crying. This would result to the living being haunted by the dead. A messenger was used in most cases to communicate the death of an individual to close friends and relatives who lived in long distances from where the death took place.
The body of the dead would be cut and the internal organs removed before washing. Thiswas doneto prevent bad smell in the house since burials didn’t take place immediately after death ( Hamilton, 2016) . After the internal organs, have been removed and the body washed, salt would be sprinkled on and in the body for preservation. The body was preserved in different ways depending on the gender of the deceased. The body would then be placed on top of the wood and covered with large leaves e.g. banana leaves. The body would then stay in that state for three to four days.
In situations where the deceased died in an open place, wailings would be made immediately after the realization of death. This is because the spirit would not be disturbed since it is a public place. The processes of cleaning and dressing the body would then take place at the exact place where the death occurred. After that, the body would then be stored well in his or her house. The days given before burial were to give enough time for friends and relatives to arrive.
On the day, the body is laid to rest, all the people who would be involved in the funeral are cleansed by being sprinkled with salty water. This activity would start early in the morning just in case the numbers of those attending the funeral increased. Different activities or behavior would be portrayed as a way of the morning. Shaving of hair on one side would take place while other people would sway their bodies back and forth and tightening their hands around their necks.
After cleansing the people, the body is then wrapped in a black piece of cloth and rolled on a piece of animal skin. The legs of the body are tired together using a rope then the chest is also tightened to prevent the hands from moving. All these depends on how the body was to be disposed of since some were put in a cave, others threw in the ocean while others buried in the sand. The ground was dug to a reasonable depth and the body lay inside. Only close relatives were allowed to carry the body to the grave.
Upon arrival to the grave site, a meal was prepared for the mourners who were optional. No sacred rituals were performed on this meal. The body was to be laid in the grave including some of the belongings of the dead. Thiswas doneto prevent bad memories of the deceased especially if he or she was sick. The spirits of the dead would be back to claim some their properties especially those cherished by the deceased was a belief in the community ( Green & Beckwith, 1926).
After the burial, all people gathered for the final purification before they left. Again, this was done by a sprinkling of salty water on the mourners’ heads. After that, the house where the body was laid before burial was also purified to prevent the spirit from coming back. It was believed that if the final purification were not done, the spirits would come back and bring disease to the remaining family members.
The culture views death in a celebratory manner because there is a feast prepared before the body is laid to rest. The Hawaiians also remember the death of their members by preparing a feast for the exact date when one of their own died. Subsequent feasts were not compulsory, but it was a tradition for the member to commemorate their loved ones ( Sprain & Boromisza-Habashi, 2012) . Failure to do this there were disasters which would befall the community.
Culture and religion have been connected to a certain aspect of life e.g. birth and death in many societies. This is because people react differently to these occasions. Among the Hawaiians,these practices have brought about security and stability in the society.
References
Akindes, F. (2001). Pahala’s Last (Bon) Dance: The Dead Are Not Dead. Qualitative Inquiry , 7 (1), 21-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107780040100700102
Green, L. & Beckwith, M. (1926). Hawaiian Customs and Beliefs Relating to Sickness and Death. American Anthropologist , 28 (1), 176-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/aa.1926.28.1.02a00030
Hamilton, K. (2016). Death in a consumer culture. Consumption Markets & Culture , 1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2016.1195095
Sprain, L. & Boromisza-Habashi, D. (2012). Meetings: A cultural perspective. Journal of Multicultural Discourses , 7 (2), 179-189. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2012.685743
Walter, T. (2013). Organizations and death – a view from death studies. Culture and Organization , 20 (1), 68-76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2013.866731
