Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau State Monument facts for kids
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Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau
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Main platform at Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau
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| Nearest city | Haleiwa, Hawaii |
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| Area | 2 acres (8,100 m2) |
| Built | 17th century |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000292 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962 |
Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site is a very old and important Hawaiian temple located on the North Shore of Oʻahu island. It's the biggest heiau (that's a Hawaiian temple or sacred place) on Oʻahu. This special site covers about 2 acres (0.8 hectares) on a hilltop. From here, you can look down over Waimea Bay and Waimea Valley.
Because it's so high up, people long ago could watch a lot of Oʻahu's northern coastline. They could even see signal fires from the Wailua Complex of Heiaus on Kauaʻi, an island nearby. Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962. It became part of a state park and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Contents
What Does Puʻu o Mahuka Mean?
The name Puʻu o Mahuka means "Hill of Escape." There's a Hawaiian legend that says the volcano goddess Pele once leaped from Oʻahu to the next island, Molokaʻi, from this very spot.
History of the Heiau
The highest part of the heiau, which has three walled sections, might have been built as early as the 1600s. The two lower sections were possibly added later, in the 1700s. These were times when different groups often fought. The top platform was likely used as a luakini heiau. This was a special kind of temple where important ceremonies were held to help win battles.
Important People and Events
In the 1770s, a high priest named Kaʻopulupulu was in charge of this heiau. He served Kahahana, who was the last independent high chief of Oʻahu.
In 1792, a ship called HMS Daedalus, led by George Vancouver, stopped near Waimea Bay to get water. During a small fight with Native Hawaiians on shore, three of Vancouver's men were killed. An archaeologist named J. Gilbert McAllister, who studied the site in the 1930s, thought it was likely that the bodies of these three men were brought to the heiau as part of a sacred offering.
After Kamehameha I took control of Oʻahu in 1795, his high priest, Hewahewa, led religious ceremonies here. The heiau continued to be used until 1819. That's when the traditional Hawaiian kapu system, which was a set of sacred laws and rules, was ended.
Connection to the Stars
At the beginning of Makahiki, which is the Hawaiian New Year season (lasting four months), something special happens. If you stood at Kaʻena Point just after sunset, you would see the Pleiades star cluster (called Makaliʻi in Hawaiian) appear to rise right out of Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau.
How to Visit
You can reach Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau from Pupukea Homestead Road (Highway 835). This road starts across from the Pupukea fire station on Kamehameha Highway (Highway 83).
Images for kids
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Panoramic view of Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau
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View from top corner toward Kaʻena Point
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View from top corner looking north
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View toward Shark's Cove
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Lower wall and pathway
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View across Waimea Valley
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Visitor altar with guardian rooster
