Ancient Hawaiian Law Breakers Swam Through Shark-Infested Waters to Reach This Sacred Sanctuary

Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau, Hawaii

On Hawaii’s Big Island, ancient lava rock walls mark the borders of Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau, once a safe haven for Hawaiian lawbreakers and defeated warriors. The restored royal grounds include original wooden ki’i statues, a temple platform, and the massive Great Wall – all with the Pacific surf rolling in just feet away.

A Refuge for Kapu Breakers and

A massive stone wall stretches for 1,000 feet through the park standing 12 feet tall and 18 feet wide. Ancient Hawaiians built this wall without using any cement – they simply stacked large chunks of lava rock, some weighing as much as a car, in a precise pattern.

The wall is built with two outer walls faced with volcanic stones, often water-worn and with smooth faces. The interior of the structure has two distinct masonry design techniques: Pa’o (caverned) and Haka haka (where vacant spaces are filled with broken, angular stone rubble).

Reaching the Sanctuary Could be Deadly

If you broke a law in ancient Hawaii, you had to cross through shark-filled waters to reach safety at the sanctuary. Once you made it to shore, priests called kahuna would perform special ceremonies to cleanse you of your wrongdoing. After completing these ceremonies, you were free to go home without punishment, even if you had committed a serious crime.

A Second Chance for Lawbreakers

In ancient Hawaii, you could be killed for something as simple as eating the wrong kind of fish or letting your shadow touch a chief’s path. But there was a way out – if you could outrun the people chasing you and reach the sanctuary, your life would be spared.

This system of forgiveness made ancient Hawaii special, as it gave people a second chance instead of automatic punishment. People used this sanctuary system until 1819, when King Kamehameha II got rid of the old kapu laws.

The Sanctuary Had Two Very Different Parts

A section of the park served as a significant residence for the royal chiefs, located next to a protected canoe landing on Honaunau Bay. The other section, the Place of Refuge, isolated from the rest of the island by the stone wall.

Furthermore, if war was declared, the families of fighters could seek refuge and safety within the Puʻuhonua, with the guarantee that they would be able to return home unharmed once the conflict ended, regardless of the outcome.

A Special Cove Only Chiefs Could Use

Keone’ele Cove is a small, narrow inlet at the far end of Hōnaunau Bay. It is bordered by a small stretch of white sand that was reserved exclusively for Hawaiian royalty or ali’i as a canoe landing site.

On the southern end, the cove is surrounded by a grove of coconut trees, which was originally planted in the early 1900s. Keone’ele Cove is occasionally visited by Hawaiian Monk Seals and frequently used by threatened green sea turtles for resting, basking and foraging.

Games at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau was not only a sacred refuge but also a place for cultural activities and games. Hawaiians played Kōnane, a strategy game similar to checkers, on stone boards, which sometimes helped settle disputes. ʻUlu Maika, involving rolling stone discs, was another popular game.

In addition to these, Hawaiians enjoyed swimming, canoe racing, surfing, and games of skill like Puhenehene and Noʻa, often with gambling involved. These activities were an important part of Hawaiian culture, fostering both physical skill and social bonds.

You Can Still See the Ancient Game Boards

In the royal grounds, you’ll find a game board carved right into a lava rock. This board was used for a game called kōnane, which was like a Hawaiian version of checkers played with black and white pebbles. Young chiefs spent lots of time playing this game because it taught them how to think like leaders.

The largest documented kōnane board sizes, according to historical accounts, were around 14 rows by 17 columns, or even larger, with some boards described as being about two feet long with 238 squares.

This Temple Housed Royal Family Remains

A special temple called Hale o Keawe once held the bones of 23 chiefs including Keawe-i-kekahi-aliʻi-o-ka-moku, the great-grandfather of Kamehameha. The temple was 15 feet tall and 17 feet wide. It used to suffer from deterioration but was later restored and reconstructed in the 1960’s and continues to be maintained by the National Park Service and its native caretakers.

Some of the bones were placed in wicker caskets woven in anthropomorphic shapes, which were likely used to protect the remains. Hawaiians believed these bones held powerful spiritual energy that made this one of the most sacred places in all of Hawaii.

Guards Kept Watch From Special Platforms

Along the great wall, guards stood on six raised stone platforms where they could spot incoming boats or people. They used clever ways to send messages across the sanctuary – burning special hau wood to make smoke signals during the day and lighting kukui nut torches at night.

Wildlife at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau

Throughout the area, you’ll see a lot of geckos. These reptiles are considered sacred guardians, by the Hawaiians it was believed that the great mo’o could simply use the body of the gecko for one of its many manifestations.

Asides from the geckos, you’ll also come across green sea turtles called Honu. During a low tide, a honu would bask in the sun while it takes a break from foraging. Honu can also be seen in the water, twisting and flipping with the current, as these ocean vegetarians scrape algae from the rocks.

The Wooden Guards of Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau

The wooden statues, known as ki’i, serve as symbolic embodiments of the akua (gods) and aumākua (personal or family guardians). These figures also embody the spiritual presence that ancient Hawaiians felt around the sacred refuge. While most commonly made from wood, kiʻi can also formed out of pōhaku (stone), carved into pūnohunohu (sea urchin spines), or as ornate feathered images.