#8 - Hale o Keawe

Restored and reconstructed by the NPS, Hale o Keawe remains an active place of worship.

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

West end of the Royal Grounds

Significance:

Heiau & Royal Mausoleum

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

Amenities

3 listed

Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Perhaps the most iconic setting here at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Hale o Keawe is named for one of Hawai‘i island’s paramount aliʻi, Kalani Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku. Today this wahi kapu remains an active place of worship.

Unique to the island of Hawaiʻi, Hale o Keawe is one of two known examples of a hale poki or royal mausoleum. Hale o Keawe’s namesake chief reigned throughout the late 1600’s and early 1700’s and came to be celebrated for his prosperous and peaceful rule over the island of Hawai‘i. He is also a celebrated ancestor to many famous aliʻi including our first king, Kamehameha the Great. Today descendants of Keawe are known across the island chain, many of whom engage in leadership roles within their own communities. The legacy of Keawe’s dynasty was represented at Hale o Keawe by 23 prominent aliʻi who were laid to rest inside the mausoleum alongside its namesake. Today, the aliʻi i hala (or the royal dead) from within Hale o Keawe retire in their eternal slumber at Mauna ʻAla in the Nuʻuanu valley on the island of Oahu.

At one time suffering from deterioration, Hale o Keawe was restored and reconstructed in the 1960’s and continues to be maintained by the National Park Service and its native caretakers.

As your eyes fall upon the carved temple-images called kiʻi, remember that you are being offered an exclusive glimpse into a world once strictly reserved for those of the highest rank and that Hale o Keawe is still a wahi kapu where communities come to practice Ka Hoʻomana Kahiko or the cultivation of spirit. The kiʻi placed around the temple and throughout the grounds at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau have been carved by the skilled hands of native craftsmen, and today a new generation of sculptors have taken up the ko‘i pāhoa, the carving-adze in an effort to retain this storied tradition.

You may notice hoʻokupu (offerings) left at the site, please refrain from entering past the gate or disturbing any offerings placed here.