Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: The Sacred Songs of the Hula (Kindle Edition)

by Nathaniel B. Emerson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Emerson's classic study of the Hula is a gold-mine of information for explorers of Hawaiian language, music, dance and culture. He gives the full annotated Hawaiian text of the songs, along with a free English translation.

As in many other traditional cultures, Hawaiian art, dance, music and poetry were highly integrated into every aspect of life, to a degree far beyond that of industrial society. The poetry at the core of the Hula is extremely sophisticated. Typically a Hula song has several dimensions: mythological aspects, cultural implications, an ecological setting, and in many cases, (although Emerson is reluctant to acknowledge this) frank erotic imagery. The extensive footnotes and background information allow us an unprecedented look into these deeper layers. While Emerson's translations are not great poetry, they do serve as a literal English guide to the amazing Hawaiian lyrics.

While Emerson does not describe the Hula dance per se as much as one would like, he does provide very detailed background information on the cultural setting in which the Hula was performed, including ritual procedures of the Hula schools, or halau. One other weak point is that the illustrations are primarily sketches of plants mentioned in the songs, musical instruments and so on; only two of them portray Hula dancers (one of which is fully clothed!). The book notably includes musical transcriptions of a number of songs, including the Hawaiian anthem, Hawai'i Ponoi.

This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to acquire a deep understanding of traditional Hawaiian culture.--J. B. Hare

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2300 KB
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Evinity Publishing Inc; 1.0 edition (April 2, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0024FAH3E
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,945 in Kindle Store (See Bestsellers in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hula Essential, June 1, 2008

By	P. Buddeke "Hula Girl 61" (Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: The Sacred Songs of the Hula (Paperback)

This is an amazing history written as it was about to be lost forever, (Due to the shortsightedness of the missionaries to recognise the chants as the essence of the Hawai'ian people), at the turn of the century. Thanks to the insight of this son of a missionary in chronicling what he was able to find himself privy to, this vital information will live on. For anyone who is now or in the future involved in hula, this is an incredible resource of knowledge of the Hawai'ian chants, legend, and the essence of the beautiful Hawai'ian people. Another valuable resource is: Myths and Legends of Hawaii also written around the turn of the century and is also a first hand account of history.