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Worship in Hawaii

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Religion And Worship in Hawaii : Past and Present


wor·ship/ˈwərSHip/

Verb:
Show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.
Noun:
The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity: "ancestor worship".
Synonyms:
verb.  adore - idolize - deify - venerate - revere
noun.  adoration - cult - veneration
Christian influence in Hawaii
Worship while in Hawaii

Traditional Beliefs

Around 1000 A.D, when the people of Polynesia came to Hawaii, they brought with them traditional beliefs in dieties whos names are still well known in Hawaii. Later, the people of Hawaii, impressed by the power of the volcanoes, came to believe that Pele, the goddess of the volcano actually lived in the lava of Kilauea. Though Hawaiian males were dominant in war and hunting, there were several female dieties to be reckoned with. Laka was the godess of the forest and Kihawahine ruled the waters. Haumea ruled the soil and rendered it fertile at her will..

History

Around the year 1820, King Kamehameha 2 began opposition to the severely enforced religious practices of the Hawaiians. Christian missionaries camei at about that time and won many converts. A few years later, large numbers of Chinese and brought their religions with them. They were followed by Japanese, who brought with them their Shinto and Buddhist traditions. Over the years, there have been significant imigrations of people from Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and Portugal. Today, all these religions are represented in the diverse religious traditions of Hawaii. The ancient religions are nearly gone, but their legacy is found in place names and ceremonies.
Today, there are more Christians in Hawaii than any other single group. For statistics on this, please see http://www.imagine-hawaii.com/people.html .

Places of Worship

In early Hawaiian religion, there were no buildings equivalent to churches or temples. The Hawaiians built heiau, areas inside stone walls and featuring an altar and carved statues. The ruins of many of these heiau, most now only rough, rings of stone, can be seen in many places in Hawaii today.

Today, because so many people have come to Hawaii from so many places, there are many and varied styles of buildings for worship reflecting their origins in Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, and mainland America ( especially New England )

Reconstructed heiau

Copyright Imagine Hawaii 2011 Contact me : stephen@imagine-hawaii.com
Updated Nov 9, 2011