King Kamehameha

King Kamehameha

When Kamehameha was born

in 1758, Halley's Comet appeared over the Hawaiian skies. Legend prophesied

that a light in the sky with feathers like a bird would signal the birth of a

great chief. Kamehameha would grow up to be a strong ruler who succeeds by

eliminating all the rival chiefs. Warring clans saw him as a potential threat

because Alapa´inui feared he would take away his throne, so Kamehameha had the

equivalent of a price on his head from the day he was born. For this reason,

the child would grow up to be a mighty warrior who one day would overthrow

Alapa´inui, so he can be chief of the Hawaiian Islands.

King Kamehameha the

Great, which meant, “The Lonely One,” was “born [during] 1750 in the mountains

of Kohala, the island of Hawaii,” (Mellen 13) where he was born into royalty. A

bright star called, Kokoiki, appeared before Kamehameha’s birth, which was

during the Halley’s Comet, it is prophesied that a great leader will one day

defeat all his rivals and become king over all the Hawaiian Islands.

Alapaí’nui, a rival chief, believed Kamehameha could one day overthrow him, so

he demanded the child to be killed. Consequently, when Kamehameha was born, he

had a price on his head. Keku’iapoiwa’s, “[knew] that her uncle wanted to kill

the baby, Keku’iapoiwa hid him with the chief Nae’ole” (Potter 1). Nae’ole and

Keku’iapoiwa’s cousin, Kaha’opulani, became his foster parents. Kamehameha was

his name that everyone knew him by, but he was originally named Pai’ea, meaning

“hard-shelled crab.” When Pai’ea was five years old, he returned to live with

his parents. His father was Keoua, chief of Kohala, and his mother was high

chief Kekui’ap’iwa, daughter of a Kona chief. “As soon as the child was born,

he was taken by friends of his mother’s to a secret cave” (Rayson 1). He was

sent away to avoid being manslaughter by Alapa’inui because he “feared that the

child would take the island rule away from his someday, [so] the child [should]

be destroyed at birth” (Rayson 1). “After the danger seemed over, the friends

took the child to live in a quiet, secluded valley” (Rayson 1). Kamehameha was

hidden through his years to prevent an assassination. He lived away in

isolation on the Hamakua coast of Hawai’i. Kamehameha was his name, but he was

originally named Pai’ea, meaning “hard-shelled crab.” “Kaahumanu was one of

Kamehameha’s wives, who was called, “The Favorite Wife” (Mellen 17). Kaahumanu

was born in a cave on March 17, 1768. Her father was Keeaumoku, who was royalty

and became a fugitive and fled to Maui. When she was seven years old, she met

Kamehameha who was destined to become Hawaii’s greatest king of the Hawaiian

Islands. “She was always just and fair. Great was their love for her, and she

became the most important woman of her time” (Rayson 3).  Ten years later,

they were married. Kamehameha and Kaahumanu had an impassioned marriage; both

were possessive and strong-willed. Since Kamehameha and Kaahumanu had no kids

together, “he wished to have a son to rule after him, he married again” (Rayson

3). Kamehameha had many wives, but this wife he called her his “Sacred Wife,”

Keopuolani, meaning “gathering of the clouds.” They had eleven children, three

of them lived and two of them became known as Kamehameha II and Kamehameha III.

He had many more wives, but he also married his favorite wife’s sister,

Kalakua.  

“When Kamehameha was

about twelve, he was taken to the court of his uncle Kalani’ōpu’u, the ruling

chief of Hawaii. There he received training for battle from the famous warrior

Kekūhaupi’o” (Potter 1). He was a very shy, quiet child, nor did he talk much

but he listened very well. Kamehameha was discreetly trained in sports,

warfare, and the ways of being a chief. “He was taught chants, or mele, that

told the history of the islands and that Hawaiian God” (Rayson 1). A man who

was named Captain Cook arrived on the islands, along with an event that was a

turning point in Kamehameha’s life. In 1780 Kalani’ōpu’u knew he did not have

much time left in his life, so he called a meeting with the high-ranking

chiefs. “Even though he loved and respected Kamehameha, he named his son,

Kiwalao, as the right one to take his place” (Rayson 1). Kamehameha was given

the chance to take care of Kūka’ilimoku, the family war god. That honor of

taking care of Kūka’ilimoku was only given to high-rank chiefs. The young chief

was given a valuable treasure which was a magic conch shell. The legend about

the shell went way back to the past where no one knew who discovered the shell,

but