1.  PŪ `ALI is one of the Hawai'an terms for warrior.  It refers to the practice of warriors tying their malo (loincloth) tight so there would be no loose ends to yank in battle.         

An old Hawai`ian discipline command to children who are whining and complaining is to say "E pū`ali `oe" which in the context of the hidden meaning is the same as saying "Warriors don't whine, tighten up your malo, tough it out, suck it up!"

Other names for warrior                                            HOME PAGE

2.  KOA is the common term for warrior.

3.  LEHUA is another term for warrior based on a Chief's lament after a battle.  The lehua blossom is bright red and after one battle the field was covered with fallen warriors.  The Chief reflected, poetically, on the bloody battlefield as fallen lehua.

4. MÂKAKAUA refers to a group or company of warriors.  There is the old Hawai`ian organization HUI MÂKAKAUA or Daughters and Sons of Hawai`ian Warriors.  It's membership is made up of nui na kama`aina (old families that trace their genealogy back to prehistoric warriors).  We are HUI MANUWÂ A MANU`Â, a family that traces it genealogy to Chief Manu`â (Manuwâ) of Hilo, Manu`â/Manuwâ son of Ahu, son of `Ī.  (see Emerson Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: Sacred Songs of the Hula, page 100 for chant about Manu`â and princess Wanahili; see Hawaiian newspaper Ka Nupepa Kuo Koa December 12, 1874 for Manu`â/Manuwâ geneaology published by Unauna.

5. Double meanings, Kaona or hidden meanings: Hawaiians of old used words or phrases in a poetic and metaphorical sense in many ways.  So it was with warrior. 

    CRAB - Describing them as crabs is an example.  Look at "Moloka`i Koa Upu`upe`i" chant in the warrior chants page.  The third verse says "pu`ali ōhiki."  ōhiki is the sand crab.  (click on to warrior chants below).

Another crab metaphor was "a`ama kua lenalena" - the swfit black crab with a yellow back.  This was a compliment paid to a swift moving formation coming up the sands of an amphibious landing and probably made up of ali`i warriors since only ali`i could wear the yellow feathered capes.

    MOA - Another descriptive word was moa or the fighting cock.  Look at the Moloka`i warrior chant again and you find the verse about the moa - the chant even crows like a cock.  Fighting roosters and betting on them was an old Hawaiian past time in the days of old (See David Malo's book Ka Mo`olelo Hawaii).  A warrior referred to as "moa mahi" is a fighting cock, mahi meaning strong in this sense.  Moa kâkala is "fighting cock with spurs" but is used to describe a warrior who is a good fighter.  Some just called them moa referring to a fighting cock.

Pûko- a great warrior who no one can beat; again taken from chicken fights as this describe the champion fighting cock, Ho`okahi nō peku `ana a ka moa mahi, Pûkō ana - a single kick of the chicken champion, driven off.

6.  Pû koa - a great unbeatable warrior.

7. Hulâ, hula`a, `ula`a - a rare form to describe an action that pierces or penetrates

8. Wakawaka - another rare form of metaphor; meaning pointed or sharp; puhi niho wakawaka meaning the eel with sharp teeth referred to "a mighty warrior."

9. Laumeke - a saying that goes He koa ia e laumeke ai kahawai o Hilo meaning "A warrior who lessens the flow of Hilo streams" meaning a mighty warrior.  Probably derived from the legend of Umi's army attacking Hilo from the Mauna Kea mountain trail and was delayed by a warrior who fought at a narrow pass; the blood from the skirmish flowed down the Wailuku river and alerted the Hilo forces that there must be a battle upstream (this is conjecture and speculation only, a chant has not been located yet to connect the saying with Umi's attack).

10.  Holopapa - to overcome or defeat, used in an old Hawaiian saying to refer to a mighty warrior.   HOME PAGE    Warrior chants page