Aloha mai kākou,
To follow in the footsteps of yesterday’s word, which was Kāne, I
couldn’t help but choose today’s word as wahine. Wahine (pronounced
Wah-hee-nay) of course, stands for female, woman, or wife. The Maori of
New Zealand have the same word, wahine, for woman as well. While you're
in Hawai’i, it is common to see some wahine, with a flower behind their
ear. Of course, we are appreciative of our tropical flowers, but there is
a reason for adorning such lovely blooms. If you encounter a wahine with
a flower behind her left ear, she is most likely married, taken, or playing “hard
to get”. Lol. If it is behind her right ear, she is single. Now,
that doesn’t mean you should approach her for a date…. Times have changed, and
that could lead a fella to some trouble! (Ha ha ha. I’m kidding.)
It’s similar to the tradition of wedding ring…. Left is taken, and right means
single.
Since I mentioned the Hawaiian god Kāne yesterday, I should also
mention that Na Wahine was his wife, the female divinity of life. Together,
they had three sons: Kū, Kanaloa, and Lono, who are three of the four major Gods.
(The other major god is Kāne). They also had daughters: The Godesses
Laka, Hina and Kapo. I will share those stories in the future. ‘Til
then, I hope you enjoyed today’s short lesson.
A hui hou,
Haunani
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