Synopsis: In the past, different types of rainbows were known by Hawaiians, and they were signs and omens that were interpreted by the priests, the prophets and the commoner alike. The interpretation depended on the individual observer. Traditional Hawaiian knowledge is gradually disappearing and needs to be perceived as a way to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and worldview during this overbearing technological time that we live in today.
E ku‘u mau makamaka heluhelu, eia au ke noho nei ma ka lānai ma mua o ko‘u hale. Aia ia ma nā ihona o ke kuahiwi ‘o Haleakalā. He hālona maika‘i ia no ka nānā ‘ana i ka lewa, nā hōkū, a me ka moana. He kakahiaka mālie maoli nō kēia, ha‘aha‘a ka lā i kona kūlana ‘o Kahikikū ao, e pā aheahe ana ka makani, a lehulehu nā ao e puewa ‘ūpalu ana i ka lewa. I kēia manawa e ho‘ohihi mai ana ko‘u mana‘o i ka nani o kekahi ānuenue e ‘ō‘ili a‘e nei ma ka lewa, a pili i kekahi ao. He hunauhuna ānuenue wale nō ia nona ka waiho‘olu‘u piha ‘ula‘ula. ‘O ia ho‘i, he ‘ōnohi ‘ula ia. He mea kamaha‘o nō ho‘i, a i ka wā kahiko, he hō‘ailona pili i ka nohona o kekahi ali‘i, kekahi kupua, kekahi akua ‘uhane, a i kauwahi mea hou aku.
‘O ia ‘ōnohi ‘ula, ‘o ia kekahi o nā ‘ano ānuenue he nui i ‘ike ‘ia i ka wā kahiko, a he mau hō‘ailona ‘ano nui ia no ka po‘e Hawai‘i o nēia pae ‘āina. Ua unuhi ‘ia nā ‘ano ānuenue like ‘ole e nā kāhuna kilokilo, nā kāula, a me nā maka‘āinana kekahi. Nui ‘ino nā hō‘ailona o ke ānuenue, eia na‘e, kauka‘i ka mana‘o o ka hō‘ailona i ka unuhi a ka mea nānā. ‘O ia ho‘i, he mau hō‘ailona ko ke ānuenue. Hiki ke nānā ‘ia ho‘okahi ānuenue e ‘elua mea nānā, a no kekahi mea, he hō‘ailona pōmaika‘i ia ānuenue, a no kekahi mea nānā, he hō‘ailona ‘ino ia ānuenue. Eia kekahi, ‘a‘ole i like loa ka ‘ike a me ka unuhi ‘ana a nā kāhuna no kekahi ānuenue. Mana‘o ‘ia e kekahi kahuna, inā aia ke ānuenue i kahi kūlana maika‘i, a laila, he hō‘ailona maika‘i ia. Eia na‘e, ma ka mana‘o o kekahi kahuna, he hō‘ailona maika‘i ‘ole ia ānuenue ho‘okahi.
Ua ‘ike ‘ia kekahi mau ‘ano ānuenue he iwakālua kumamāiwa a ‘oi e nā kūpuna i ka wā kahiko, e la‘a ka pūnohu, ka lehopulu, ka pūlo‘u, ke kāhili, a ia mea aku ia mea aku. He lolilua nō ke kūlana lewa o lākou e kau a‘e ai, a ua kapa ‘ia nā pō‘ai lewa. ‘O ia ho‘i, ka lewa ho‘omakua, ka lewa lani lewa, ka lewa nu‘u, a me ka lewa lani. Kupu pinepine a‘e nā ‘ano ānuenue nona nā waiho‘olu‘u he ‘ehiku i kēia ka‘ina: ma ka wēkiu o ka pi‘o, ‘o ia ka ‘ula‘ula pua rose, a laila, ka ‘ōlenalena ‘alani, ka lenalena maoli, ka ‘ōma‘oma‘o, ka uliuli, ka ‘inikō, a ma ke kumu, ‘o ia ka māku‘e (waioleka). Ke ‘ō‘ili kekahi pi‘o ‘elua ma luna o ka pi‘o mua, ‘ēko‘a ke ka‘ina waiho‘olu‘u o ua pi‘o nei. I kekahi mau manawa, kupu mai he mau ānuenue nona nā waiho‘olu‘u he nui, e la‘a ka hakahakaea, ka uakoko, ka pūnohu ‘ula, ka ‘ōnohi ‘ula, a pēlā aku.
Aia he ‘ōlelo no‘eau e pili ana i ka ‘ō‘ili ‘ana o ke ānuenue ma luna o kekahi alahele ma ke ‘ano he hō‘ailona pō‘ino: “‘Akāhi ka ho‘i ka paoa, ke kau nei ka mākole pua he‘o.” Inā e ‘ō‘ili ana he ānuenue ma mua o kekahi kanaka e hele aku ana ma luna o ke alahele, he hō‘ailona ia nona e kū ai a ho‘i aku i kona wahi i hele mai ai. ‘O ia ho‘i, aia kekahi mea pō‘ino ma luna o ia alahele. I ka wā ma mua, he mea ‘ano nui ka ho‘omaopopo ‘ana i ka mana‘o o nā hō‘ailona like ‘ole i ‘ō‘ili mai i ka lewa. Eia na‘e, e koli‘i a‘e ana nō ia ‘ike Hawai‘i ku‘una i ka noe o ka wā i hala. No laila, aia ka pono ‘o ka mālama ‘ana i ka ‘ike o ko kākou mau kūpuna i mea e ho‘omau ai i ka mo‘omeheu Hawai‘i, a me ke kuana‘ike Hawai‘i, ‘oiai kēia au ‘enehana e noho ka‘aluna ana i ka nohona o kākou a pau.
