Honolulu
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Why do hawaiians wear those neckless (necklaces)?
20th May 2007
Alexia wrote:
Why do hawaiians wear those neckless?
I’m going to asume you mean necklaces here.
The native hawaiians didn’t have gold and silver to work with so they used what was at hand to make necklaces to adorn themselves with. These included flower leis, bones, shark teeth, Puka shells (and other shells) for necklaces and also seeds (Kukui) leis.
History of the Lei:
The leis of Old Hawaii were made of both semi-permanent materials - hair, bone, ivory, seeds, teeth, feathers, and shells; and the traditional flower and leaf leis - twined vines, seaweed and leaf stems, woven and twisted leaves, strung and bound flowers of every description.
Leis were symbols of love, of a spiritual meaning or connection, of healing, and of respect. There are many references to leis, or as the circle of a lei, being symbolic of the circle of a family, embracing, or love itself.
Leis have remained a very visible part of modern island life, incorporating many plants, flowers, and techniques from the many cultures that make up present-day Hawaii. Some of the most common introductions are the many varieties of orchid leis, scented flowers introduced from as far away as Mexico to India, new twining techniques from other areas of Polynesia, new seeds and nuts, and long-lasting flowers such as the Cigar (kika) flower.
Source: A Short History of Hawaiian Leis
Puka Shells
Puka shells are pieces of a Cone Snail shell. Puka is the Hawaiian word for “hole” and refers to the naturally occurring hole in the middle of the shell fragment.
As the name implies, the shell of the Cone Snail is cone-shaped, being closed at the larger end. While the abandoned shell is tossed in the surf and coral rubble, the pointed end is ground into sand. The “puka” is formed when the minor apex of the large end is eroded by the same forces that wears off the point.
Necklaces, bracelets and anklets are a perfect use of the “shells” because they already have a hole for stringing. Puka jewelry first became popular in Hawaii though the Cone Snail is found throughout the Indo-Pacific ocean.
Puka shell jewelry used to be fairly expensive due to the labor involved in collecting enough naturally formed “shells” for a suitable string. Currently the Cone Snail shells are often harvested and other types of shells may also be used for faux puka jewelry.
Source: Wikipedia