4) CaNaaNite obsession with Fertility

Let's recap. Hawaiian society exhibits many traits criticized by the Quran: materialism and obsession with prosperity, the practice of cutting the ears of cattle, infanticide, particularly of girls, and the prohibition of women from entering men's homes on pain of death. There are also many prohibitions mentioned in Leviticus, particularly those related to menstruation and the « sexual abstinence period » following childbirth.

Let us now resume our exploration of Hawaii by delving into its beliefs. First and foremost is what is commonly referred to in the field as the « Ancestor Cult », or Aumakua in Hawaiian. Ancestors play an important role in providence: for example, certain fishing areas are known to be under the special protection of the Grandparents (P115), who ensure their preservation.

More generally, P318

The 'aumakua are the ancestral deities, the gods from whom the ancestors originated: « the 'aumakua gods were born, and man was born from them ». Death or suffering caused by witchcraft did not affect them. Escaping these spells was called « obtaining life from the 'aumakua ». These guardians were called upon when one had failed in one's religious duties, neglected the kapu, eaten or drunk in the company of unclean people, worn their clothes, or shared their bed. The cause of the problem was revealed in a dream , vision, or other sign sent by the god.

In a way, the ancestors thus play the role of intermediaries between the living and the celestial forces —a role we have already encountered among the SheReNTe with the astral angels. In the Quran, this is called ShiRK. The muShRiKun are those who believe in the power of certain intermediaries to bring them prosperity and guidance. This is strongly criticized dozens of times in the Quran.

And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided. Surah Al Baqara 2.48.

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray. Surah An Nisaa 4.116.

« And entice [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them ». But Satan promises them nothing but delusion. Surah Al Isra 17.64.

There are tons and tons of examples. The Quran is a powerful critique of the cult of intercessors- be they ancestors, celestial intermediaries, as in the case of the SheReNTe, or associated deities. We will come back to this later.

In Hawaii, the heads of the families are the ones who make the offerings to the Aumakua, usually in a communal house, which is of course forbidden to women. The chiefs play the role of Kahuna – priest – KoHeN in Hebrew. KaHuNa in Hawaiian. Yes, Pharisians! You see, in Hawaii there is a confluence between the chiefs who hold wealth and embody prosperity, and the role of those responsible for worshiping the ancestors who bestow this prosperity – the chiefs/priests themselves being intercessors between Heaven and Earth. We will return to this function of the chief/priest in stratified societies soon enough, as it is fundamental.

The cult of the Aumakua, the ancestors, can also take place around standing stones, serving as actual altar monuments, called « Stone of KaNe » — KaNe being the chief of the gods, the unifier. Ka-Ne, Ka-hu-Na. Yes, Pharisians... We will come back to this later. For now, let's read what Serge has to say about it:

The stone of Kane [...] represented a refuge [...] for each family, from generation to generation. It was not a temple, but a simple stone monument, an altar [...] surrounded by ki and other greenery. Men and boys of the family would go there if the god Aumakua had struck: death, illness or misfortune.

Several things spring to mind here for those familiar with their scriptures. First, the worship of sacred trees and groves, which is criticized at length in the Bible. Then there is the verse from Surah Al Maarij, 70:43, which mentions « The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening ».

But let's keep reading Serge:

The [stone of Kane] was a « celestial opening ». The god indicated it, in dreams or visions, even led people to it. Each ahupua'a had several ones, from Hawaii to Kaua'i. CoNical in shape, the Stone of KaNe measured between 30 cm and 2.45 m. It was erected bare or slightly carved. Sprinkled with water or coconut oil, it was dressed in tapa cloth during the ceremony. Beckwith compares this treatment of the phallic stone to that of statues.

Hmmm... it's well oiled. It slides well. It shines. Hmmm!

And yes, these standing stones sprinkled with water or oil, which are celestial openings through which the god communicates in dreams or visions, don't they remind you of anything? Of course, Jacob, that lover of standing stones, especially when they are anointed with oil: « I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a monument » Genesis 31:13. The same Jacob who, as he laid his head on stones, dreamed of angels ascending and descending a ladder, or rather « intercessors ». Genesis 28:10. Remember, we talked a lot about Jacob in my video ST2.

Finally, the last important « religious » institution in Hawaii is that of the construction of the Luakini, which was, according to Serge, P141

...a temple of war [...] that the king erected when he was preparing to fight another monarch or when he felt threatened. The sovereign could also erect a luakini to ensure a good harvest. In the case of new construction, rather than simple renovation, the kahuna [...] expert in sites and plans, gave his opinion. Men were chosen from among the king's companions [...] and the chiefs. The length of the construction varied according to the success of the propitiatory rite [...]. The carving of certain statues was entrusted to particular chiefs.

The Bible also recounts the construction of a temple by chiefs, coordinated by a Cohen, or a priest who was an expert in sites and plans – the MiShKaN or tabernacle – Sha KaNa. LuaKiNi. KaHuNa. KaNe. We’ve already came across this relationship between construction and feasts in my video ST2, about the restaurant that is co-constructed each season, remember? Yes, the same one where I told you about Jacob's standing stones.

Well, in Hawaii, the Luakini is also a restaurant that is restored, and where actual hecatombs were performed P342

800 pigs were cooked for the priests at both ends of the mana and 400 were served to the officiants at both ends of the temple. The slaughter continued and the kahuna asked the king for land.

This is very reminiscent of the Leviticus and its recurring mentions of sacrifices. Furthermore

A hole called « lua kini  » [...] was located inside the tower of the oracles [...]. This hole, [...] into which the remains of the sacrificed bodies were thrown, is called luapau, a wet hole, an expression referring to any place of destruction.

The bodies in question were either animals, particularly pigs, or humans, as human sacrifice was practiced in Hawaii in times of great danger. And, of course, the tabernacle also had a waste area where the remains of sacrifices were piled up and burned.

Finally, P150 « When the people and priests realized that the luakini rites were being performed properly, their confidence in the stability of the government prompted them to build other places of worship [...] to encourage rainfall and vegetation growth » — where we find this idolatrous impulse that « drives » men to run toward the standing stones mentioned in Surah Al Maarij, 70:43, which I just quoted to you, and which we find in the first epistle to the Corinthians, 12:2 « When you were pagans, you know, you were irresistibly drawn to mute idols.  »

Serge then recounts how dignitaries purified themselves during nights when the waning moon was slow to rise, by building temporary shelters covered with vines – a kind of sukkah, the huts that Jews build each autumn, which are adorned with hanging fruits. This evocation of vegetal fertility is also found in Hawaiian huts, where women would sing a prayer to Lono, the god of fertility: « Bring down the beneficial rains, O Lono, the rain of life, precious gift ».

Here we find the motif of beneficial rain that we mentioned among the SheReNTe — and which is of course central to the Quran, where rain is associated with divine providence — just as providence and prosperity are central to Hawaiian rituals. But let us return to our Hawaiian ritual. The priest, smeared with red clay, approached the altar and prayed to Lono:

O Lono of the blue sky. Here are vegetables, meat, a prayer, a sacrifice, a gift of rich things! Make the harvests of this ahapuaa flourish.

Once again, we see this obsession with fertility, which I will return to at length.

For now, I will simply quote this verse from Surah An Nahl 16:10:

It is He who sends down water for you from the sky, from which comes a drink for you, and the shrubs that you feed to your animals. With it He grows for you crops, olives, palms, vines, and all kinds of other fruits. There truly is a sign in this for those who reflect.

Yes — but who really reflects?

This same Hawaiian and Quranic obsession with fertility is, of course, nothing more than a fig leaf — for it is indeed the feminine that is at stake. Serge was not mistaken when he drew a parallel between the name of the « tabernacle  » P341, the Lua Kini, and that of the pit where the debris ended up, noting that « this wet hole evokes the female sex » while the red paint with which the priest smears himself is « feminine by definition. The water-soluble colloidal ochre signals sexual danger. The red color of the pigfish evokes menstruating women associated with corpses ». Here we find the central place of menstruation in rituals, which I discussed at length in S4. Serge concludes by revealing the hidden meaning of the « luakini ceremony [...]: men believe they can surpass female fertility by exerting their phantasmatic grip ». As always. There is nothing new under the sun.