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Hawaii is not only the newest member of the United States, but it’s arguably also the state with the most distinctly unique culture. Set about 2,000 miles from the mainland US, the state consists of a series of volcanic islands that were originally settled by the Polynesians in about 300 AD. Its first European contact only occurred in 1778 with the arrival of British explorer James Cook. Needless to say, Hawaii’s traditional funeral customs developed much differently than those in European countries.

Among the notable differences:

• Funerals were typically held at night and surrounded by secrecy
• Bones of important people were saved and bodies of commoners were tightly bound
• Natural grave sites were common, including sand dunes and caves

Care of the Corpse

After a native Hawaiian died, there are several ways in which their body might be handled and prepared for burial. According to the Hawaiian publication Coffee Times:

“Bodies…were either laid extended straight out and wrapped in tapa, or else were in a flexed position. According to historian Malo, ‘A rope was attached to the joints of the legs then being passed about the neck, was drawn taut until the knees touched the chest. The body was then done up in a rounded shape and at once closely wrapped in tapa and made ready for burial.’ Other bodies were disemboweled and filled with salt in order to preserve them for a longer time before burial.”

Hawaiians thought that bones (known as the iwi) of a deceased person had great significance and power. When a king died, his skull and leg bones would be removed and preserved. A priest would set them afire while chanting and praying. Once the ceremony was complete, it was believed that the king would have become a god.

Secret Nighttime Funerals

One of the most notable things about Hawaiian funerals is that they occurred after dark, often without much ceremony.

English Missionary William Ellis spent time in Hawaii between 1822 and 1824. In his journals, he writes about secret burials that were held without much fanfare. He says:

“Their funerals take place in the night, to avoid observation; for we have been told, that if the people were to see a party carrying a dead body past their houses, they would abuse them, or even throw stones at them, for not taking it some other way, supposing the spirit would return to and fro to the former abode of the deceased by the path along which the body had been borne to the place of interment.”

In 1990, the US government passed the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act, which protected burial sites. As part of that act, bones of Hawaiians that had been in museums and at universities were brought back to Hawaii to be buried. Even then, the group that arranged for the transport ensured that the bones only traveled at night and in secret.

Gravesites

Native Hawaiians preferred natural gravesites. For many, this meant sand dunes, coastal caves or even burial at sea.

According to Coffee Times:

“Archaeologists have surmised that bodies buried in sand dunes, such as have been found at Mokapu on Windward O’ahu, Keauhou on the Big Island and Kapalua on Maui, were primarily those of warriors engaged in battle, a theory that has come into question as the remains of females and small children have been uncovered in some of these same areas.

“Burial caves have been found on every Hawaiian Island. Unfortunately, by the time many of the caves were catalogued by authorities, they had already been discovered earlier and looted. Most chiefly families are believed to have had their own secret burial caves, the location of which was closely guarded by the kahu, or family retainer. Sometimes stone walls that looked like the surrounding cliffs were cleverly constructed to hide a cave entrance. At Ka’awaloa, Hawai’i, entrances to burial caves still can be spotted high on the cliffs of a bluff known as Pali Kapu o Keoua.”

Funerals Today

Today’s Hawaiian funerals have become much more westernized, but may still incorporate native traditions. For example, mourners will often wear brightly-colored aloha wear—you’re unlikely to see anyone dressed in black at a Hawaiian funeral. You’ll also see mourners leave a lei, or flower garland, for the deceased as a way to say goodbye.

The proximity to the ocean also has a strong influence on Hawaiians in death as it does in life. Many cemeteries offer ocean views, and it’s common for bodies to be cremated, with the remains scattered at sea.

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