User:Dparaz/Heiau

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A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. The word heiau has been defined as a large temple of idolatry but can be used to describe any place where worship or sacrifices were performed by Hawaiians to their akua (god) or ʻaumakua (ancestral spirits).

There are heiau to treat the sick (heiau hōola), offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure the health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success in war (luakini). Heiaus were also used as places of sacrifice.

Luakini, also called poʻokanaka heiau was dedicated through human sacrifice. There are two types of luakini. They were called the ohia ko and hakuohia. These heiaus were the largest and were only to be used by royalty in worshipping akua and ʻaumakua, as well as to perform a ritualistic sacrifice. Most of the sacrifices came from the land and sea. This included bananas, dogs, pigs, red fish, kalo, ʻuala, and humans.