Pahu

For the village in India, see Paho.

Pahu

The word pahu is a generic term for drum of which there are several types. in order to make sense regarding the term pahu the following account must be made.

It seems that since the mid 1800's, the word hula has come into universal usage to include all aspects of Hawaiian dance. Previously however, there were two terms used by the ancients to describe movements (dance). Only humans in non-sacred contexts performed hula as a formalized movement system. In sacred or mourning contexts, formalized hula movements performed by humans was termed ha`a. Ha`a (not hula) was also performed by gods and non-humans, including natural forces or objects (which might be personifications of gods, such as flowers, birds, trees, winds or lava), as well as puppets (ki`i). Emerson never distinguished hula from ha`a and is largely responsible for the confusion about the "sacred nature" of dance in early written accounts.

Examples: In a chant for Queen Emma;

Pa ka makani, naue ka lau o ka niu The wind blows, the leaves of the coconut sway

Ha'`a ka pua kowali i ke kula The morning glory blossoms dance/move on the plain.

Aia la o Pele i Hawai`i ea Pele is in Hawai`i

E ha'`a mai la i Maukele ea. She is ritually moving at Maukele

The use of both ha’a and hula in the following texts reveals usages of the terms:

1. Ke ha`a la Puna i ka makani la, Puna is dancing ni the breeze

2. Ha`a ka ulu hala i Kea` au The hala groves of Kea'`au are dancing.

3. Ha`a Ha`ena me Hopoe Ha`ena and Hopoe dance

4. `Ami i kai o Nanahuki e Swaying by the sea of Nanahuki

5. Hula le a wale i kai o Nanahuki e Just a delightful dance in the sea of Nanahuki

Based on these facts the terms hula pahu and pahu hula seemingly are oxymorons, and experts in hula do not pass on this information to their students but it is not intentional. Below is what is widely believed today among hula pratitioners.

The pahu is a traditional musical instrument found in Polynesia: Hawaii, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tokelau. Carved from a single log and covered on the playing end with a stretched sharkskin, the pahu is played with the palms and fingers of the hand. It is considered a sacred instrument and was generally kept in a temple (heiau), and used to accompany a repertoire of sacred songs called hula pahu/ura paʻu.

The Hawaiian term Pahu translates into 'drum,' ‘Niu’ being the Hawaiian word for ‘coconut.' Although there are a number of specific types of percussion instruments used in Hawaiian cultural expressions of music, the Pahu is perhaps one of the most important percussion devices known to Hawaii, both ancient and modern, of the four main indigenous musical types (wooden drums, knee drums, calabash drums, and bamboo pipes).

Pahu may be found in the Hawaiian Islands in two main and distinctly different, but contextually related forms. The first is regarded as the Heiau Pahu, or religious drum (also known as the Pahu Pu’ule, or 'prayer drum'). The second has come to us in the form of the Hula Pahu, or musical accompaniment drum (sometimes referred to as the Pahu Mele, or song accompaniment drum). Both types of drum have a common ancient historical source.

The Pahu drum is a staple in traditional Hawaiian dance, providing a basic rhythmic accompaniment. The drums' tall, narrow body is carved from wood, usually from a segment of a coconut tree trunk, and the head is made from dried sharkskin. The traditional Hawaiian Pahu was made from a sectioned and seasoned wooden tree trunk, preferably of coconut wood, although possibly other types of native wood may have been used. The original material used for the Pahu's waha (head) was either shark or ray skin. Heiau Pahu tended to be originally made with a waha of ray skin, while non-religious Pahu often used sharkskin. The Pahu is played with the bare hands and fingers.

See also

• Hula
• Pate (musical instrument)