The Story of King Kamehameha I
A great warrior, diplomat and leader, King Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810 after years of conflict. Kamehameha I was destined for greatness from birth. Hawaiian legend prophesized that a light in the sky with feathers like a bird would signal the birth of a great chief. Historians believe Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year Halley’s comet passed over
Hawaiʻi.
Given the birth name
Paiʻea, the future king was hidden from warring clans in secluded
Waipiʻo Valley after birth. After the death threat passed,
Paiʻea came out of hiding and was renamed Kamehameha (The Lonely One). Kamehameha was trained as a warrior and his legendary strength was proven when he overturned the Naha Stone, which reportedly weighed between 2.5 and 3.5 tons. You can still see the Naha Stone today in Hilo.
During this time, warfare between chiefs throughout the islands was widespread. In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived in
Hawaiʻi, dovetailing with Kamehameha’s ambitions. With the help of western weapons and advisors, Kamehameha won fierce battles at lao Valley in Maui and the
Nuʻuanu Pali on
Oʻahu. The fortress-like
Puʻukoholā Heiau on the island of
Hawaiʻi was built in 1790 prophesizing Kamehameha’s conquest of the islands. In 1810, when King
Kaumualiʻi of
Kauaʻi agreed to become a tributary kingdom under Kamehameha, that prophecy was finally fulfilled.
Kamehameha’s unification of
Hawaiʻi was significant not only because it was an incredible feat, but also because under separate rule, the Islands may have been torn apart by competing western interests. Today, four commissioned statues stand to honor King Kamehameha’s memory. Every June 11th, on Kamehameha Day, each of these statues are ceremoniously draped with flower lei to celebrate
Hawaiʻi’s greatest king.
Downtown Honolulu, Oʻahu
The most recognized
Kamehameha statue stands in front of
Aliʻiōlani Hale (the judiciary building) across from
lolani Palace and a short walk from the eclectic art galleries and restaurants of Chinatown. Dedicated in 1883, this was actually the second statue created after the ship delivering the original statue from Europe was lost at sea.
Kohala, Island of Hawaiʻi
The original statue was miraculously recovered and in 1912, the restored statue was installed near Kamehameha’s birthplace at
Kapaʻau on the island of
Hawaiʻi. Visit North Kohala to see some of
Hawaiʻi’s most sacred places like
Puʻukoholā Heiau.
National Statuary Hall, Washington D.C
In 1969, the third Kamehameha statue was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall where statues of historic figures from all 50 states are on display. A statue of
Molokaʻi’s Saint Damien joins the Kamehameha I statue in this amazing collection of art.
Hilo, Island of Hawaiʻi
Hilo was Kamehameha’s first seat of government and this statue (pictured above), dedicated in 1997 at Wailoa State Park, is the tallest of the four statues at fourteen feet. Hilo is also home to the Naha Stone, which a young Kamehameha was said to have overturned in a feat of incredible strength. Legend said that whoever had the strength to move the Naha Stone would rule the Hawaiian Islands. Today, the Naha Stone is located in front of the Hilo Public Library.
King Kamehameha