History of Keoua Kalanikupuapa-i-kalani-nui: Father of Hawaiian Kings

(Hardback)

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History of Keoua Kalanikupuapa-i-kalani-nui, Father of Hawaiian Kings is a genealogical history by Elizabeth Kekaaniau Laanui Pratt. Written towards the end of Pratts life, the book was intended as a tribute to her familys history and influence in Hawaii. Raised as a member of the House of Keua Nui, she was closely related to the first rulers of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Engaging with traditions and stories from before the arrival of Protestant missionaries in the islands, Pratt provides a link to the past, before Christianity and written language usurped the oral tradition of her people. Comely of person and gracious to all he met, Keoua as he verged toward manhood became an attractive personage. While yet awaiting the fulfillment of the plighted troth of his childhood, rumors of events in Maui royal circles were wafted across he waters of Alenuihaha channel which stirred his ambition. Born the son of High Chief Keeaumoku Nui, Keoua was known for his sacred power, or kapu, of determining the safety and danger of his people by observing the formation of rain clouds. With his wisdom and leadership, he proved an excellent role model for his son Kamehameha I, the first ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom who unified the islands in 1795. Detailed and enriched with Elizabeths personal relation to the figures she describes, the History of Keoua Kalanikupuapa-i-kalani-nui, Father of Hawaiian Kings is an essential study of one of Hawaiis most important leaders. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Elizabeth Kekaaniau Laanui Pratts History of Keoua Kalanikupuapa-i-kalani-nui, Father of Hawaiian Kings is a classic work of Hawaiian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Author Bio

Elizabeth Kekaaniau La'anui Pratt (1834-1928) was a Hawaiian high chiefess and historian. Born in Waialua, she was named after Queen Ka'ahumanu, her grandmother by adoption, whose baptized name was Elizabeth. Raised in the inner circle of Kamehameha I, Elizabeth was educated at the Chiefs' Children's School, where five of her sixteen classmates would go on to serve as monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A close friend of Emma, queen consort of Kamehameha IV, she eventually served as her lady in waiting and was active in the royal court. In 1864, she married Franklin Seaver Pratt, an American businessman and naturalized citizen of the kingdom. A lifelong ally of Queen Emma, Elizabeth supported her failed candidacy for the royal election of 1874, which led to rioting after popular support for the Queen was ignored by the assembly gathered at Honolulu Courthouse. During the period of political unrest preceding the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the Pratts moved briefly to San Francisco, where Franklin acted as Hawaiian Consul General in the Pacific states. Toward the end of her life, she participated in numerous ceremonies to honor the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and in 1920 wrote her History of Keoua Kalanikupuapa-i-kalani-nui, Father of Hawaiian Kings, a genealogical study of the House of Keua Nui.