Image: Coat of Arms (2856237729)

Description: The coat of arms for the Kingdom of Hawai`i, which was used in the design of the state seal and state coat of arms, is placed on the gates to the palace grounds. Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono. Translation,The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness. The Hawaii motto is generally attributed to King Kamehameha III who presided over the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 until his death in 1854. The Hawaii Kingdom Coat of Arms, designed by native Hawaiian Timothy Haalilio, was adopted as the official coat-of-arms in 1845. At the very center is the triangular flag of ancient Hawaiian Chiefs, a symbol for kapu and place of refuge consisting of pulo'ulo'u and crossed spears on flag. The kapu, a tapa covered ball on a stick, was carried before a Chief as a symbol of taboo. This triangular flag, or puwalu, represents a flag raised at sea above the sail of the chief's canoe and symbolized the Law of the Splintered Paddle or Mamala Hoe Kanawai decreed by Kamehameha I, circa 1782, to protect travelers from attack. The first and fourth quarters of the center seal contain white, red, and blue stripes, alternating in color for the national banner and believed to represent the eight largest islands in the Hawaiian chain. The second and third quarters contain a kapu; the tapa covered ball and stick. Above the royal center seal is a crown, on the left, Hawaiian Chief Kamanawa, wearing a feather cloak and helmet, bearing a spear, and on the right, Hawaiian Chief Kameeiamoku, in the same dress but bearing a kahili. Both face inward toward the Royal Seal. The two figures are thought to represent the warrior twins instrumental in Kamehameha I endeavors to unite the Hawaiian Islands.
Title: Coat of Arms (2856237729)
Credit: Coat of Arms
Author: Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes