Unwritten Literature Of Hawaii

by Nathaniel B. Emerson

This classic study of the Hula is a gold-mine of information for explorers of Hawaiian language, music, dance and culture. Gives the full annotated Hawaiian text of the songs, along with an English translation. As in many other traditional cultures, Hawaiian art, dance, music and poetry were highly integrated into every aspect of life, to a degree far beyond that of industrial society. The poetry at the core of the Hula is extremely sophisticated. Typically a Hula song has several dimensions: mythological aspects, cultural implications, an ecological setting, and in many cases, (although Emerson is reluctant to acknowledge this) frank erotic imagery. The extensive footnotes and background information allow us an unprecedented look into these deeper layers. While Emerson's translations are not great poetry, they do serve as a literal English guide to the amazing Hawaiian lyrics.

Genres: History

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 1989

About the author

Nathaniel Bright Emerson was a medical physician and author and translator of Hawaiian literature, lore and customs.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection and translation of several Hawaiian songs traditionally performed during the hula and other activities. As a longtime visitor (and soon to be resident) of the Big Island, it was cool to recognize so many place names within the songs, and to gain some insight into how the ancient native Hawaiians thought of their leaders, their environment, and the daily dramas of love and adventure. The translator, while he makes several semi-progressive defenses of Hawaiian poetry and thought circa the late 1800s, also makes several ugly comments about how Hawaiian women were too fat to be beautiful. It was also frustrating (though also kind of funny) to witness his Victorian prudishness in directly translating some of the sexier hula songs--you really had to read in between the lines.

[Carol Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well -- either Emerson missed something (likely) or left a lot out, because these are very abbreviated and mostly ambiguously related to sex. He gives an acceptable survey of the types of songs and their setting and a good description of the instruments, costumes and rituals involved, but like many Westerners in the 1800s he is a bit snide about the cultural level of these people. I kept getting distracted by the somewhat unpleasant tone of his remarks. Still -- worth the read, especially if you make the attempt to read the Hawaiian, which sounds much more musical than his translations.

[Patty]

This is another of Nathaniel B Emerson's early 1900's books. It is considered one of the essential books for anyone who is a serious student of hula.