Kamehameha the Great, king of Hawai‘i

Kamehameha I (ca. 1758 – May 8, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaiʻi's independence under his rule. Kamehameha is remembered for the Kanawai Mamalahoe, the "Law of the Splintered Paddle", which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle. Kamehameha's full Hawaiian name is Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kamehameha-1

Legendary birth---

Although there is some debate as to the precise year of his birth, Hawaiian legends claimed that a great king would one day unite the islands, and that the sign of his birth would be a comet. Halley's comet was visible from Hawaiʻi in 1758 and it is likely Kamehameha was born shortly after its appearance. Other accounts state that he was born in November 1737.

He was known as Paiea, which means "hard-shelled crab". His father by blood was Chief Keōua Nui. His mother was Chiefess Kekuʻiapoiwa of the Kohala district on the island of Hawaiʻi. In ancient Hawaiian culture it was common for royalty to mentor or "adopt" other children, so they can have another honorary parent. The ruler of the adjacent island of Maui, Kahekili II took Kamehameha into his court.

His father Keōua was the grandson of Keaweikekahialiʻiokamoku, who had once ruled a large portion of the island of Hawaiʻi. When Keaweikekahialiʻiokamoku died, war broke out over succession between his sons, Kalani Kama Keʻeaumoku Nui and Kalaninuiʻamamao, and a rival chief, Alapaʻinuiakauaua. Alapaʻi emerged victorious over the two brothers, and their orphan sons (including Kamehameha's father) were absorbed into his clan. He may also be the son of the chief of Maui named Kahikili.

When Kamehameha (Paiea) was born, Alapaʻi ordered the child killed. One of his priests (kahuna) had warned him that a fiery light in the sky would signal the birth of a "killer of chiefs". Alapaʻi, nervous at the thought of this child eventually usurping his rule, decided to take no chances. Paiʻea's parents, however, had anticipated this. As soon as he was born, he was given into the care of Naeʻole, another noble from Kohala, and disappeared from sight. Naeʻole raised Paiʻea for the first few years of his life. Five years after his birth, Alapaʻi, perhaps remorseful of his actions, invited the child back to live with his family. There under the guidance of his kahu (teacher), Kekuhaupiʻo, he learned the ways of court diplomacy and war. Kekuhaupiʻo remained a faithful and trusted advisor to Paiʻea until the accidental death of the loyal kahu during a sham battle.

Another story says the name Paiʻea was given to Kamehameha after he first distinguished himself as a warrior in a battles between Maui and Hawaiʻi island in 1775–1779.

Paiʻea is said to have had a dour disposition, and acquired the name he is best known for today: Kamehameha, from the Hawaiian language for "the lonely one".

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_I

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then, there is the story of an "own true" father that is NOT.... the one we all know was officially Kamehameha I's father for most of his life.

I will leave it to others to tell this story.  

Will return soon with information and reference thereof, and if no one has told the story by then, I just might venture into such waters.../ /

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Purportedly: Kahekili (II) (Kahekilinuiahumanu III) (Mo'i, Ruler of Maui) was born in 1737. He died in Jul 1794.

		mated with sister, Ku (Kuhooheiheipahu, Kauwahine, Ku-wahine, Ku-ali'i I).

Source: Dean Kekoolani's much respected database. Check it out for the "own true" line for Kamehameha I. Lptm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I suspect there are others who also are reluctant to speak of this other father, because there is some controversy over whether the reported story is true or not. Lptm

The point I make: Only God knows Absolute Truth, but is that going to stop us from researching and hypothesizing? I think....NOT!

Genealogical research is so very fascinating especially when investigating Oral Family History clues, questions and hypotheses still being discussed by descendants today at various gatherings. So maybe we should begin checking out the second, less accepted genealogy for Kamehameha I as well?

Just an idea..../ / Lptm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The reason I bring this up is because I know how the Kanaka valued having more than one father. For aspiring, ambitious and rising-in-renown ali'i, like Kamehameha I.... it could have been a "plus," had he known earlier...perhaps?

I know that being hanai ('d) for the ali'i was usual, so two fathers or two sets of parents...were common.

Yet I also wonder if hanai was sometimes effected to prevent sibling rivalry that might lead to one brother attacking the other for his position in the kingdom. The story of Kiha-a-Piilani and his older brother comes to mind. In my opinion...such fraternal conflicts are regrettable.

How ironic that Kamehameha might have been sent to another Kingdom to ensure the safety of his purported Maui Kingdom brother, Kalanikupule,..... only to end up sacrificing him anyway on O'ahu. Might the ali'i have said, "That the Gods had Spoken?"

Sometimes I feel so sad at how much sibling rivalry and killing took place in ancient times.

That is why I am so reluctant to enter rivalries today between one cousin camp and another. I cannot stand the thought that I might find myself a part of one group and seriously endangering another group over rank, genealogical claims, reclamation of the aina, and so forth. Lptm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 25, 2017...Tuesday...8:51 am: Mahalo for sending me a repetitive reminder to re-examine this page once more. Yes, I am of the opinion....pending future research....that 1856 is a better birth date than 1836 or 1841. Yet, we are not privileged with Absolute Knowledge, so all we can do is keep researching. And my opinions and beliefs are no better than ancient ohana cousins above. Is why I love these opportunities for us to coordinate our information on the same website. Thank you. Geni.com Lptm

Major: This Mo'i and Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kunuiakea Mela Kamehameha...are one-and-the same. Puanani/Nani Ontai Tilton Matsumoto (Lptm)

I dare not merge on just my research/account. Lptm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

However, my wondrous internet mentor, Dean Kekoolani, does assert that King Kamehameha I had two sets of parents, which is going farther than I dared.

But then he has better credentials than do I. Lptm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read Dean's webpage on King Kamehameha and his two sets of parents and/or one mother with two mates.

The latter version is the preferred mo'olelo of descendants of Kamehameha's retainers, uncles.

I can accommodate both versions; my only option at this point in time anyway.

Only God Almight knows absolute truth.Lptm

By ancient ali'i design, in accordance with the Maui Kingdom Royal Family practice....he was to be the son of powerful ali'i from a neighbor Kingdom, this second ohana then being his dynastic and forever family.

Stroke of good luck, for this second ohana was immensely powerful and seems to have been the means through which Kamehameha Paiea was able to conquer other Kingdoms and unite the archipelago by 1810 for all practical purposes.

The goal in sending Kamehameha/allowing him to become the son of this second Kingdom/ohana? By sending one of two equal-ranked sons to another kingdom of relative ali'i...that son's future is seemingly assured plus there is seemingly assurance that incidences where brothers killed brothers to succeed to power and higher rank within the same Kingdom are minimized or prevented.

Ha! Men/ali'i propose! God Supreme DISPOSES, as He Wills! At least Kamehameha's own true father died before Kamehameha went to war against his half-brother, Kalanikupule, and won with Kalanikupule's death on O'ahu.

Comment: This is why we need to understand the Hawaiian from ancient premises, rather than judge by our biased American "mainland" perspective given to us in our childhood. And we must not judge; that privilege is for the One who died on the cross for mankind's salvation. Judge not, lest you be judged in like manner. Forgive, for then our Father in Heaven will forgive us... our sins, through His Only Begotten Son! Lptm

It was the great ohana and kingdom of this second set of parents that nurtured, preserved, secured, and advanced the fortunes of Kamehameha I... to ultimate victory and kingship of all that mattered.

It was their ohana soldiers and ali'i who hid him, trained him, advised him and died for him, as needed.... as they loyally followed him to war-after-war...on the battlefield, in the valleys and down the gulches.

Only at the death bed of his most warlike and protective, body guard of an uncle, Ke'eaumoku, father of his wife (Ka'ahumanu)...

did Kamehameha find out who had been his "own true, biological" father and from what rival/enemy kingdom.

Stunning for Kamehameha. (Lptm)

GEDCOM Note

Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A statue of him was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, D.C. by the state of Hawaii as one of two statues it is entitled to give.

I am not actually Paiʻea Kamehameha, but I am a genealogist working on his aliʻi (royal) family tree and those of many other aliʻi.