Ku and Hina


Carved by Sand Collection

Ku and Hina

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Ancient Hawaii was a mythic land with frightening tiki masked warriors and many unique and interesting gods and legends.

One of the main ancient Gods that Hawaiians prayed to was Ku, the ancient tiki god of war and protection, the warrior .

The goddess Hina was Ku’s wife. They, together suggest the complementary dualism of  “war and peace”.

Ku vessel – 11″ h x 10″ w

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Male

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Hina vessel  – 13”h x 8.5” w  approx.

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Tiki F2
Tiki F
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In Hawaiian culture, KU and Hina, male or husband (kane) and female or wife (wahine), are invoked as great ancestral gods of heaven and earth who have general control over the fruitfulness of earth and the generations of mankind.

Ku means “rising upright,” Hina means “leaning down.” The sun at its rising is referred to Ku, at its setting to Hina; hence the morning belongs to Ku, the afternoon to Hina.

Prayer is addressed to Ku toward the east, to Hina toward the west. Together the two include the whole earth and the heavens from east to west; in a symbol also they include the generations of mankind, both those who are to come and those already born.

Ku is therefore the expression of the male generating power of the first parent by means of which the race is made fertile and reproduces from a single stock. Hina is the expression of female fecundity and the power of growth and production.

Through the woman must all pass into life in this world. The two, Ku and Hina, are hence invoked as inclusive of the whole ancestral line, past and to come

The universal character of Ku as a god worshiped to produce good crops, good fishing, long life, and family and national prosperity for a whole people is illustrated in a prayer quoted by J. S. Emerson as one commonly used to secure a prosperous year:

The Ku and Hina vessels were inspired by the recent events of the sacred mountain of Mauna Kea. To read more about what inspired the design of these vessels click here!