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King Kamehameha the Great
Part lKing Kamehameha was born in North Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii. The exact year of his birth is unknown, but it was sometime between 1748-1761.
When Kamehameha’s mother, Kekuiapoiwa, was pregnant with him, she had a very unusual craving. She wanted to eat the eyeball of a chief. This disturbed the ali’i (chief) at the time, Alapainui, and he asked his advisors what this meant. Their answer was that the child would grow to be rebel, a killer of chiefs. Kahuna (Hawaiian priests) foretold that the boy would one day grow up to be a great leader. The chief made plans to kill the baby when it was born.
The baby was whisked away to a secluded part of Waipio valley, on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii. There he was raised by a local chief named Naeole. The boy was named Pai’ea, meaning “hard-shelled crab. He learned a lot from Naeole and was very well taken care of.”
After about five years, the ali’i no longer felt Pai’ea was a threat, and he was allowed to return to live with his parents in Kailua Kona. He was given the new name Kamehameha, or “The Lonely One,” because he was said to be a “child without laughter," and because he spent much of his time alone. He now had to learn the ways of the Kapu system.
Kamehameha was a very smart, resourceful young warrior, and was one of the few Hawaiians who boarded Captain Cooks ship, the HMS Discovery in 1779. While on board, he learned about foreign weapons, skills and technology that he later used to his advantage.
One story about the First King of Hawaii, includes the Naha stone. According to legend, the one who could move the Naha stone would be the greatest king of Hawaii. The stone (which is now located in front of the Hilo Library on the Big Island) is said to weigh 7,000 pounds. At the age of just 14, Kamehameha not only moved the stone, but completely lifted it and turned it over.
Between 1782 and 1791, before he became ruler, Kamehameha the First battled rival chiefs on his home island, and tried to conquer Maui, but with no victory. During this time he established trade with foreign countries. He was very proud of Hawaii's relationship with Great Britian, and as foriegn ships continued to pass through the islands, he and the other chiefs continued to get more and more weapons, such as canons and muskets.
The contact between Europe and Hawaii, caused a major decrease in population, mostly due to imported diseases, such as smallpox, pneumonia, measles, syphilis, and gonorrheaThe King had two wives. His favorite wife, was Kaahumanu, a six-foot 300-pound woman, who was also his counselor. She shared rulership with the son of King Kamehameha and his other wife, when he became king after his fathers death.
The King's other wife was the 11-year old Keopuolani. She was the highest ranking ali'i of all the islands during her time, and she became the mother of his three sons, Liholiho, kauikeaouli, and Nahi'ena'ena.
Kamehameha the Great Part ll
Leave Kamehameha the Great and go to Captain Cook
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