A family lineage? Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve,
Puako, Hawaii. Photo: Ellen Belef, September 2012.
A family lineage? Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve,
Puako, Hawaii. Photo: Ellen Belef, September 2012.
These photos are but two from a wealth of material
generously shared with me by a friend, Ellen Belef, after her recent trip to
Hawaii. They are from the Waikoloa Petroglyph Reserve, Puako, Hawaii. This is a
petroglyph site where the images are carved on the surface of an ancient lava
field, some dating back to the 16th century.
“These petroglyphs, or stone inscriptions,
were etched into the face of the mountain centuries ago. Featuring thousands of
facsimiles of turtles, canoes, and other mysterious carvings, the Waikoloa
Petroglyph Preserve is one of the most fascinating ways to witness the unique
culture of native Hawaii. The petroglyphs can be found along the Mamalahoa
Trail, named for King Kamehameha's "Law of the Broken Paddle," a
humanitarian law that has been enshrined into Hawaii's constitution.” (Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve, www.homeandabroad.com)
In both these images we can see groups of stick figures,
many of them connected. The touching of the figures may represent actual
relationships between the people portrayed. Some years ago Carol Patterson
suggested that these images can be interpreted as intergenerational
representations of family lineages. In a culture that we know was conscious of family descent
and lineage this suggestion makes considerable sense to me as a possibility
that deserves further consideration.
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