Liloa

Līloa was a legendary ruler of the island of Hawaii in the late 15th century. He kept his royal compound in Waipi'o valley. Līloa had two sons; his first bornn Hākau from his wife, Pinea, (his mother's sister), and his second son, ʻUmi-a-Līloa from his lesser ranking wife, Akahi a Kuleana.

Liloa's Kāʻei is the sacred feathered sash.

Birth and early life

Līloa was the first born son of Kiha-nui-lulu-moku, one of the noho aliʻi (ruling elite). He descended from Hāna-laʻa-nui. Līloa's mother, Waioloa, his grandmother, Neʻula and great grandmother, Laʻa-kapu were of the ʻEwa aliʻi lines of Oahu. Liloa's father ruled Hawaii as aliʻi nui and upon his death would leave the rule of the island to Līloa. Kiha had had four other sons, brothers to Līloa. Their names were Kaunuamoa, Makaoku, kepailiula and a later son named Hoolana, whose descendants are the Kaiakea family of Molokai, distant relatives of Abraham Fornander's daughter.

Rule

In his book, David Malo describes how Liloa originated the practice of moe āikane, the sexual relationship between males. The relationships had no social stigma and were accepted practice beginning with the aliʻi and then copied by the other classes. Warriors would engage in the practice and then fight along with their counterparts without issue. The relationships cannot be defined using modern concepts of bisexuality. in many cases the men involved felt it an honor and responsibility to the honor their hana lawelawe.