The cliffs of Makana, where fire was hurled forth
From the Hawaiian Dictionary, the quote above tells of a practice on Kauaʻi wherein bonfires on pali-top of Makana were shoved off and cascaded to the ocean near Kēʻē. Some say watchers in waʻa would attempt to catch the burning sticks, lending a definition to “firebrand.” Pāpala (Charpentiera obovata) and/or hau were apparently both used to produce the spectacle.
Pāpala is a shrub or tree of mesic (not too dry, not too wet) forests. It blooms as very loose panicles (branched clusters of flowers) that are nearly thread-like, with tiny pua. And although they’re pink, because they’re so delicate, you may miss them if you don’t pay attention.
The very large ahupuaʻa of Kapāpala on the southeast flank of Maunaloa on Hawaiʻi was perhaps named for the plant. Perhaps. We often ask “why?” as we wonder, and although uncommon these days, maybe pāpala was once plentiful enough, or had other uses, commemorated by the name of the land division.
