1

Hilo [Hiro]

'narrow rim' of light

...the first night of each month and the day following it was a good one for planting. Water-melons, gourds, bananas, sugar-cane, taro, potatoes and so on, if planted on this day, would bear well. It was a day highly valued for planting.

On the evening of Hilo there is a low tide until morning. On this night the women fished by hand (in the pools left by the receding sea) and the men went torch fishing. It was a calm night, no tide until morning. It was a warm night without puffs of wind; on the river-banks people caught gobey fish by hand and shrimps in hand-nets in the warm water. Thus passed the famous night of Hilo. During the day, the sea rose washing up on the sand, and returned to its old bed, and the water was rough.

2

Hoaka[Hoata]

'clear'

It is a favorable day for planting, but in the old days it was a day of prayer. The hoaka, or arch over the door of a house, was named after the shape of the Moon on that night, that is, concave with the points curving up on both sides like horns...

On the evening when Hoaka rises there is low tide until morning, just like the night of Hilo.

But if a man is born that night, or perhaps during the day, he will be one who grumbles about not getting his share, a trouble-maker, stingy, unmerciful, conceited. He will be clever about getting things out of others, suave, but uncourteous at heart, a person who has some lovable qualities, however, and is efficient. A woman born on that day will be one to show her teeth, although she will conceal her temper under cover of affable ways. She will be dignified and appear unassuming but be in reality a hypocrite, a vain woman, a woman always loitering about housedoors. These are the laws of birth on this day...

3

Ku-kahi[Tu-tahi]

...the Moon is to be seen in the western sky.

A man born on that day will be dauntless, strong, brave, unyieldning, kind-hearted, always making mistakes, strong of body. A woman born on that day will be an ensnarer, one who handles filth and eats what is left over by others.

In old times that was the second day of the tapu of the god. Like Hilo, therefore, it was a day of death to man as a sacrifice for others. On one of those days the wrongdoer would be put to death. Such faults were punishable by death as breaking the chief's tapu, or a temple tapu, putting on himself the malo [maro = girdle] of the chief, or the skirt of a chiefess, murmuring against a chief, and so forth. The offender must surely die. Also if he was a traitor he died. In the old days if no offender could be found as offering to the images, they took one born a slave and sacrificed him to the images.

4

Ku-lua [Tu-rua]

On that evening the wind blows, the sea is choppy, there is low tide but the sea is rough. The next morning the wind blows gently and steadily. It was a day of low tide. The sea receeded and many came down to fish.

On that day in old times the tapu was freed, the commoners could relax from the dread of the tapu and think of life, for they were now shielded. The kahuna [tahunga = priest] prayed with a loud voice, saying, 'You are spared! You live!' and the people shouted all together from one place to another, 'Live!'

5

Ku-kolu [Tu-toru]

...is the first night of the rising of the Moon. It is valueless to the farmer for planting potatoes, bananas, gourds; they would just shoot up like coconuts.

A day of low tide; but the wind blows until the ole [ore] night of the Moon. Many fishermen go out during these days after different sorts of fish. The sea is filled with fleets of canoes and the beach with people fishing with poles and with women diving for sea-urchins, the large and small varieties, gathering limu [rimu], spreading poison, crab fishing, squid spearing, and other activities.During the wet season these are stormy days rather than clear; it is only during the dry season when these low tides prevail, that fish are abundant, the sea-urchins fat and so forth...

6

Ku-pau [Tu pau]

End of the four days sacred to the god Ku [Tu]

It is a day of low tide like the others until the afternoon, then the sea rises, then ebbs, until the afternoon of the next day. The wind blows gently but it is scarcely perceptible. The sand is exposed.

The boy born on Ku-pau will be a man who cleaves to what he is taught. If he is properly taught, he will be a good man. If he has evil teachings he will be bad. Nothing can change the character of the man born on that day.A woman born on that day is a virtous woman. Her thought is on her work. She is ashamed to ask for anything or to go about to the homes of others. She will have enemies without cause and other women will find fault with her. She will be a woman who works hard for gain and has prosperous and good-looking sweet-hearts. These are some of the characteristics of this Moon.

7

Ole-ku-kahi [Ore-tu-tahi]

The farmer does not plant on this day.

It is a day of rough sea which washes up the sand and lays bare the stones at the bottom. Seaweed of the flat green variety it torn up and cast on the shore in great quantity.

A man born on that day is one who is secretive about his own gains and denies them with his mouth. He gains little, is lazy, a glutton, fond of pleasure, a drunkard, a gambler, a poor provider, one who is not ashamed to depend upon a woman. He has a hard heart and will take from the patch of a woman or from that of the children. He is the kind who will loiter about the door at mealtime. If he is taking care of a child for someone else he will expect to be paid for it, and if he is not paid will grumble. He will send children to other people's houses to ask for taro, potatoes and so forth. A woman born on that day is virtous. She will work with her hands but she will be a grumbler, quick-tempered, and one who forces others to work.

8

Ole-ku-lua [Ore-tu-rua]

Farmers generally dislike it for planting but it is favorable to some to make green things grow in the field.

...the second [night] of rough seas. It is a good night for torch fishing, for the sea ebbs a little during the night.

A man born on that day is fond of pleasure, but also a good worker. A woman born on that day is bad-tempered but will do some work. She will be talkative, a gossip, eager for praise, fond of associating with chiefs, self-willed, assuming to herself honour that is not her own, one who is criticized by other women.

9

Ole-ku-kolu [Ore-tu-toru]

The farmers think little of the day.

The sea is rough as on the first two days of this group. The tide is low and there is torch fishing at night when the sea is calm. Some nights it is likely to be rough.

A man born on that day is acquisitive adn som with a woman. What ge has he gets from others. He will be a merciless man and a stingy one; so with the woman born on that day.

10

Ole-pau [Ore-pau]

On this night farmers who are on the lookout for good crops plant their fields. It is a productive day, say the cultivators. On Ole-pau the breadfruit puts its strength into bearing, and so it is with other plants. No other days of the group are like this one. Cultivators do not think anything of the other days, but this i important to them.

A man born on that day is prosperous and it is the same with a woman.

11

Huna [Hunga]

It is a day much liked by cultivators, a productive day, they say.

A man born on that day or on that night is modest, kind, hospitable, a man of wisdom. He will have many enemies who plot against him, many who speak unkindly of him because of his good name, a man despised causelessly, a man troubled by others causelessly. A woman born on that day will be the same; she will be one whose name is famous.

12

Mohalu [Moharu]

It is a good day for the farmers.

There is a low tide and the night is the sixth of the group.

A man born on that day is a sceptical person, without faith but a good worker. So with a woman born on that day, but she will be indolent.

On that night begins the tapu of the gods in the heiau (temple) and everyone goes to pray inside the heiau.

13

Hua

...in these new days the farmers like to plant on this day anything that bears fruit (hua). ...The Moon on the night of Hua is rounded like an egg (hua).

The tide is low on that day and it is the seventh of the group. Such is the nature of this night.

A man born on this day will be prosperous and so will a woman. The man will be loved by everyone, kind-hearted, popular. He will be one with a famous name, not so the woman.

In old days it was a day of prayer...

14

Akua [Atua]

'god'

This is the eighth of this group of nights. It is a day of low or high tide, hence the saying: It may be rough, it may be calm.

A man born on that day is wealthy, but one who has no regard for his parents, a bad-hearted man, his acts are disgraceful. He will give everything away that he has, like a spendthrift. And it is the same with a woman born on that day. But if the man is born in the daytime, then he will be a man who loves everyone, and so with a woman.

The name indicates a great Moon, beautiful and well-rounded, because on this night it is separated from the great earth made by Kane [Tane], hence it is that the Moon appears so clear on this night, say the Hawaiian stories. That night and that day are tapu.

15

Hoku [Hotu]

...a day well liked by farmers.

A man born on that day will become famous, rich, and so forth, but he will have enemies; and so with the woman, she will be active.

16

Mahea-lani [Mahea-rangi]

The day is liked by the farmers.

It is a day of low tide.

A man born on this day will be a striver; so will the woman.

17

Kulu[Turu]

The farmers put their trust in this day. The potato or the melon will swell large if the plant is set out on this day, so say the farmers.

This is the eleventh of the nights of this group and on this night the sea gathers up and replaces the sand.

The person born on this day will prosper, he will be affectionate and loved by everyone.

18

Laau-ku-kahi[Raau-tu-tahi]

...a day rejected by the cultivator. The potato vine, bananas, melons, gourds, if planted on that day, become woody and do not form fruit. Some like it, however...

There is sea, indeed, but it is only moderately high.

The man or woman born on this day will be a person of fine character, eager for knowledge and to hear and know new things.

19

Laau-ku-lua[Raau-tu-rua]

It is a day much esteemed by the farmer.

The sea is rough.

The birth signs are like those of Laau-ku-kahi.

20

Laau-pau[Raau-pau]

It is a day for planting.

A day of boisterous seas.

21

Ole-ku-kahi[Ore-tu-tahi]

These are the days for planting potato slips, banana suckers, and gourd seeds.

A day of rough seas so that it is said: 'Nothing (ole) [ore] is to be had from the sea.'

This is the fifteenth day of the group and a person born on that day will be inefficient.

22

Ole-ku-lua [Ore-tu-rua]

The day is good for planting...

...a day of rough seas.

The birth signs for that day are those of a good person, modest and quiet.

23

Ole-pau[Ore-pau]

Its characteristics are like those of Ole-ku-lua [Ore-tu-rua]. On that day begins the tapu.

24

Kaloa-ku-kahi[Taroa-tu-tahi]

It is a planting day but the potato vine, melon or banana will run to stem and the fruit will not develop quickly.

The weather is bad with a high sea. This is the last rough day, the sea now becomes calm.

The person born on this day will be a good man.

It is a tapu day of the god.

25

Kaloa-ku-lua[Taroa-tu-rua]

It is a good day for planting crops...

...and a good day for the birth sign of men.

On that day the tapu of the gods was freed in ancient days.

26

Kane[Tane]

That day and the day of Lono [Rongo] are good days for planting potatoes.

It is a day of very low tide but joyous for men who fish with lines and for girls who dive for sea-urchins.

Tane is the twenty-seventh night of the Moon. [What happened with the numbering? One day seems to be missing, because no. 25 was OK.] It was a day of prayer and on the day following, that of Lono [Rongo], the prayer was freed.

Lono[Rongo]

It is a day for planting crops.

The tide is low, the sea calm, the sand is gathered up and returned to its place; in these days the sea begins to wash back the sand that the rough sea has scooped up. This is one account of the night of Lono [Rongo].

28

Mauli[Mauri]

It is a very good day for planting...

...a day of low tide. 'A sea that gathers up and returns the sand to its place' is the meaning of this single word.

Mauli [Mauri] is the last night that the Moon is visible and the name means 'the last breath'. The Moon rises just a little before sunrise and it is the twenty-ninth night of the Moon.

29

Muku[Mutu]

It is a day for planting crops...

...a day of low tide, when the sea gathers up and returns the sand to its place, a day of diving for sea-urchins, small and large, for gathering sea-weed, for line-fishing by children, squid-catching, uluulu [uruuru] fishing, pulu [puru] fishing and so forth. Such is the activity of thisd day.

...the night on which the Moon does not rise. The name means 'finished' and it refers to the 'dying' of the Moon.