Ke Kino Lau o Laka

Laka is the goddess of the forest and hula. Ke Kino lau o Laka, means “the many body forms of Laka.” Laka is embodied in many forest plants. The plants are the goddess herself and have special sacred significance for the hula dancer. The dancers will adorn themselves in the kino lau of Laka which include ‘ōhi‘a lehua,‘ie‘ie, hala pepe, maile, palapalai and other native ferns.

Laka gave the Hawaiian people hula, a way to communicate history, to express feelings, and entertain. The dancer on the card looks to Laka for inspiration before a performance. The dancer is the body, that which is moved. Laka is the inspiration that causes movement. The dancer and Laka merge in the dance.

The lama tree is the embodiment of all of the qualities of Laka. Before a performance hula dancers may build an altar with lama wood wrapped in yellow kapa cloth. Lama means “light,” and “enlightenment.” The altar is a tribute to the goddess so that she might move through the dancers and inspire their movements. Laka brings form and focus to the energy of nature.

The endemic lama, Hawaiian Ebony (Diospyros sandwicensis), is related to the ebony and persimmon trees. Like the ebony, it has beautiful dark wood; and like the persimmon, it has edible fruit, called pi‘oi. The dark wood of the lama tree was auspicious and used for special purposes. Black is considered a color favored by the Hawaiian gods. Lama wood was used to build special houses for healing, temples, and fences for sacred areas. It was used for torches for night fishing, and fish traps. Parts of it were also used medicinally.

If you are fortunate enough to go into the forest and be surrounded by nature, you may also feel the healing joyful spirit of Laka. Giving reverence and experiencing natural spaces as sacred is a way of being in the natural world that can enhance your life, and the natural world.

read about the dancer guide