evil influences, was a most attractive and
promising character. She was the daughter of Keopuolani and
younger sister of Kamehameha III, and came to her untimely
death in 1836. The name was compounded from the words _na_,
the, _ahi_, fires, and _enaena_, hot, a meaning which
furnishes the motive to the mele.
[Page 210]

XXVII.--THE HULA KIELEI

The hula _ki-e-lei_, or _ki-le-lei_, was a performance of
Hawaii's classic times, and finds mention as such in the
professedly imperfect list of hulas given by the historian
David Malo.[395] It was marked by strenuous bodily action,
gestures with feet and hands, and that vigorous exercise of
the pelvis and body termed _ami_, the chief feature of which
was a rotation of the pelvis in circles and ellipses, which
is not to be regarded as an effort to portray sexual
attitudes. It was a performance in which the whole company
stood and chanted the mele without instrumental
accompaniment.

[Footnote 395: Hawaiian Antiquities, by David Malo; translated
by N.B. Emerson, A.M., M.D. Honolulu, the Hawaiian Gazette
Company (Limited), 1903.]

The sacrifice offered at the kuahu in connection with the
production of this hula consisted of a black pig, a cock of
the color termed ula-hiwa--black pointed with red--a white
hen, and awa. According to some authorities the offerings
deemed appropriate for the sacrifice that accompanied each
hula varied with the hula, but was definitely established for
each variety of hula. The author's studies, however, lead him
to conclude that, whatever may have been the original demands
of the gods, in the long run they were not overparticular and
were not only willing to put up with, but were well pleased
so long as the offering contained, good pork or fish and
strong awa.

_Mele_

Ku piliki'i Hanalei-lehua,[396] la;
Kao'o[397] 'luna o ka naele,[398] la;
Ka Pili-iki i ka Hua-moa, la;
E ka mauna o ke a'a lewalewa[399] la.
5 A lewa ka hope o ko'u hoa, la,
[Page 211] A ko-u ka hope o