Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: The Sacred Songs of the Hula (1909) is
a collection of hulas and essays by Nathaniel B. Emerson. Translating
previously unwritten songs, interviewing native Hawaiians, and
consulting the works of indigenous historians, Emerson provides an
entertaining and authoritative look at one of Hawaii's most cherished
traditions. "For an account of the first hula we may look to the story
of Pele. On one occasion that goddess begged her sisters to dance and
sing before her, but they all excused themselves, saying they did not
know the art. At that moment in came little Hiiaka, the youngest and the
favorite. [...] When banteringly invited to dance, to the surprise of
all, Hiiaka modestly complied. The wave-beaten sand-beach was her floor,
the open air her hall; Feet and hands and swaying form kept time to her
improvisation." As an American born in Hawaii who played a major role in
the annexation of the islands as an author of the 1887 Constitution of
the Hawaiian Kingdom, Emerson likely saw himself as a unifying figure
capable of interpreting for an English-speaking audience the ancient and
sacred tradition of the hula, a Polynesian dance often accompanied with
instruments and chanting or singing. Combining critical analysis with
samples of popular hulas in both Hawaiian and English, Emerson works to
preserve part of the rich cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Nathaniel B. Emerson's Unwritten Literature of Hawaii:
The Sacred Songs of the Hula is a classic of Hawaiian literature
reimagined for modern readers.
