MO'OLELO (Story)

In Hawaiian Antiquities: Mo’olelo Hawaii, by Hawaiian writer David Malo (1838), the gourd was said to be compared to the world… “The seeds of the gourd, when scattered through the sky, become stars, and the pulpy mass inside the clouds, the cover belikened to the solid dome of heaven, ka lani” (pg.91).

To the importance of the ipu, our great aunt, kupuna Halani Berard relates, “The ipu was a very important part of sustaining life.., the ipu held our precious drinking water, and other items, as well as made music for our songs…and in Hawaiian culture, that which takes care of you, must also be cared for!”