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Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
Is a United States National Historical Park located on
the west coast of the island of Hawai´i in the U.S. state of
Hawai´i. The historical park preserves the site where, up until
the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu (one of
the ancient laws) could avoid certain death by fleeing to
this place of refuge or pu´uhonua. The offender would be
absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors
and non-combatants could also find refuge here during
times of battle. The grounds just outside the Great Wall that
encloses the pu´uhonua were home to several generations
of powerful chiefs.
The 420 acre (1.7 km2) site was originally established in 1955
as City of Refuge National Historical Park and was renamed
on November 10, 1978. In 2000 the name was changed by
the Hawaiian National Park Language Correction Act of 2000
observing the Hawaiian spelling. It includes the pu´uhonua
and a complex of archeological sites including: temple
platforms, royal fishponds, sledding tracks, and some coastal
village sites. The Hale o Keawe temple and several thatched
structures have been reconstructed.
Hale´o Keawe heiau
The park contains a reconstruction of the Hale o Keawe heiau,
which was originally built by a Kona chief named Kanuha in
honor of his father King Keawe´īkekahiali´iokamoku. After
the death of Keawe´īkekahiali´iokamoku, his bones were
entombed within the heiau. The nobility (ali’i) of Kona
continued to be buried until the abolition of the kapu system.
The last person buried here was a son of Kamehameha I in
1818.
It was believed that additional protection to the place of
refuge was received from the mana in the bones of the
chiefs. It survived several years after other temples were
destroyed. It was looted by Lord George Byron (cousin of the
distinguished English poet) in 1825. In 1829, High Chiefess
Kapi´olani removed the remaining bones and hid them in the
Pali Kapu O Keōua cliffs above nearby Kealakekua Bay. She
then ordered this last temple to be destroyed. The bones
were later moved to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in 1858.
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