Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau State Monument: Difference between revisions

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau

| nrhp_type = nhl

| image = Ruins of mahuka heiau.jpg

| caption = Main platform at Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau

| nearest_city = [[Haleiwa, Hawaii]]

| locmapin = Hawaii

| area = {{convert|2|acre|m2}}

| built = 17th century

| architect =

| architecture =

| added = October 15, 1966

| designated_nrhp_type = December 29, 1962<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=183&ResourceType=Structure|title=Puu O Mahuka Heiau|access-date=2008-07-04|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511180434/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=183&ResourceType=Structure|archive-date=2011-05-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>

| refnum = 66000292<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>

'''Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau''' State Historic Site on the [[North Shore (Oahu)|North Shore]] of [[Oahu|Oʻahu]] is the largest [[heiau]] (temple) on the island,<ref name="Hawaii_Rasa">{{cite web|last1=Fournier|first1=Rasa|title=Hiking Puu O Mahuka Heiau|url=https://www.hawaii.com/oahu/things-to-do/hiking/puu-o-mahuka-heiau/|website=Hawaii.com|access-date=27 May 2018}}</ref> covering {{convert|2|acre|m2}} on a hilltop overlooking [[Waimea Bay, Hawaii|Waimea Bay]] and [[Waimea Valley]]. From its commanding heights, sentries could once monitor much of the northern shoreline of Oʻahu, and even spot signal fires from the [[Wailua Complex of Heiaus]] on [[Kauaʻi]], with which it had ties. It was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1962, when it became the center of a {{convert|4|acre|m2|adj=on}} [[state park]]. It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1966.<ref name="HSP">{{cite web |url=http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/index.cfm?park_id=28 |title=Hawaii State Parks: Oahu: Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site |access-date=2010-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315215838/http://hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/Index.cfm?park_id=28 |archive-date=2010-03-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

'''Puʻu o Mahuka''' means "Hill of Escape." Hawaiian legends have it that from this point, the volcano goddess [[Pele (deity)|Pele]] leaped from Oʻahu to the next island, [[Molokaʻi]].

The highest of the heiau's three walled enclosures may date to the 17th century, with the lower two enclosures perhaps added during the 18th century. These were times of great conflict, and the upper platform appears to have functioned as a [[luakini]] heiau (asacrificial temple) to bring success in war. During the 1770s, the overseer of this heiau was [[Kaʻopulupulu]], the high priest of the last independent [[Alii Aimoku of Oahu|high chief of Oʻahu]], [[Kahahana|Kahāhana]]. In 1792, [[George Vancouver]]'s ship, [[HMS Daedalus|HMS ''Daedalus'']], anchored near Waimea Bay to collect water. Three men in his shore party were killed in a skirmish with [[Native Hawaiians]], 1930's archeologist J. Gilbert McAllister noted it was "probable" that the bodies of the three men were then taken to the heiau as [[human sacrifice]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last = McAllister| first = J. Gilbert| title = Archaeology of Oahu| place= Honolulu| publisher = Bishop Museum| year = 1933}}</ref> After [[Kamehameha I]] conquered Oʻahu in 1795, his high priest [[Hewahewa]] led religious ceremonies here and the heiau remained in use until the traditional [[Kapu (Hawaiian culture)|kapu]] system was abolished in 1819.<ref name="HSP"/>

At the start of [[Makahiki]], the four months of Hawaiian New Year, an observer standing at [[Kaʻena Point]] would see the [[Pleiades]] ([[Makaliʻi]]) rising out of Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau just after [[sunset]].

File:Oahu-PuuoMahukaHeiau-topcorner-toward-Kaena.JPG|View from top corner toward [[Kaʻena Point]]

File:Oahu-PuuoMahukaHeiau-Waimeavalleywall.JPG|View across [[Waimea Valley]]

File:Oahu-PuuoMahukaHeiau-altarwithrooster.JPG|Visitor altar with guardian [[rooster]]

{{commons category|Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau}}

{{Registered Historic Places}}

{{Protected areas of Hawaii}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Heiau]]

[[Category:Protected areas of Oahu]]

[[Category:State parks of Hawaii]]

[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Honolulu County, Hawaii]]

[[Category:1962 establishments in Hawaii]]