Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills) in the Hawaiian language, is the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii (also called Royal Mausoleum State Monument) and the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.

Background

In the early 19th century, the area near an ancient burial site was known as Pohukaina. It is believed to be the name of a chief (sometimes spelled Pahukaina) who according to legend chose a cave in Kanehoalani in the Koʻolau Range for his resting place. The land belonged to Kekauluohi, who later ruled as Kuhina Nui, as part of her birthright.

After 1825, the first Western-style royal tomb was constructed for the bodies of King Kamehameha II and his queen Kamāmalu near the current ʻIolani Palace. They were buried on August 23, 1825. The idea was heavily influenced by the tombs at Westminster Abbey during Kamehameha II's trip to London. The mausoleum was a small house made of coral blocks with a thatched roof. It had no windows, and it was the duty of two chiefs to guard the iron-locked koa door day and night. No one was allowed to enter the vault except for burials or Memorial Day, a Hawaiian holiday celebrated on December 30.

thumb|220px|left|Kamehameha Dynasty Tomb

Robert Crichton Wyllie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, was buried here in October 1865. Over time, the remains of almost all of Hawaii's monarchs, their consorts, and various princes and princesses would rest at the Royal Mausoleum.

Kamehameha I and William Charles Lunalilo are the only two kings not resting at the mausoleum. Lunalilo, the shortest-reigning Hawaiian monarch (one year and 25 days only), was buried in the Lunalilo Tomb in the church cemetery in the courtyard of Kawaiahaʻo Church. Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena and Queen Keōpūolani are buried on Maui at Waiola Church.

thumb|right|Mausoleum as seen in 1958

Kamehameha I's remains were hidden in a traditional practice to preserve the mana (power) of the aliʻi at the time of the Hawaiian religion.

Additional modifications

On November 9, 1887, after the main mausoleum building became too crowded, the caskets belonging to members of the Kamehameha Dynasty were moved to the newly built Kamehameha Tomb, an underground vault commissioned by Charles Reed Bishop, husband of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The Territory of Hawaii built a second underground crypt, the Wyllie Tomb (formerly known as the Queen Emma Tomb) in 1904 to separate the caskets of Robert Crichton Wyllie and the relatives of Queen Emma. In 1907, the Territory of Hawaii allocated $20,000 for the construction of a separate underground vault for the Kalākaua family. Queen Liliʻuokalani and Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole were consulted in the construction process. On June 24, 1910, the caskets from the Kalākaua family were moved to newly constructed Kalākaua Crypt in a torchlit nighttime ceremony supervised by the former queen.

In 1922 the main building was converted to a chapel after the last royal remains were moved to tombs constructed on the grounds. The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 7, 1972.

Mauna ʻAla was removed from the public lands of the United States by a joint resolution of Congress in 1900, two years after the annexation in 1898 of Hawaii by the Newlands Resolution and President William McKinley.

The Mausoleum is one of the only places in Hawaii where the state flag of Hawaii can officially fly alone without the flag of United States. The other three locations are ‘Iolani Palace, the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau Heiau and Thomas Square.

Kahu of the Royal Mausoleum

These are the keepers or kahu of the Royal Mausoleum at Mauna Ala:

  • Nahalau, till 1873
  • Joseph Keaoa, from July 10, 1873
  • Haumea, from May 3, 1878
  • Pius F. Koakanu, until March, 1885
  • Lanihau, from March 6, 1885
  • Keano, from July 31, 1886
  • Naholowaʻa, from September 17, 1888
  • Poʻomaikelani (1839–1895), from October 15, 1888

:*Wiliokai (mentioned in Queen Liliʻuokalani's diary entry), until March 24, 1893

  • Maria Angela Kahaʻawelani Beckley Kahea (1847–1909), from March 24, 1893, to July 11, 1909
  • David Kaipeʻelua Kahea (1845–1921), from March 24, 1893, to 1915 (jointly with wife)
  • Frederick Malulani Beckley Kahea (1882–1949), from 1915 to 1947
  • William Edward Bishop Kaiheʻekai Taylor (1882–1956), from 1947 to 1956
  • Emily Kekahaloa Namauʻu Taylor, from 1956 to 1961
  • ʻIolani Luahine, from 1961 to 1965
  • Lydia Namahanaikaleleokalani Taylor Maiʻoho, from 1966 to 1994
  • William "Bill" John Kaiheʻekai Maiʻoho, from 1995 to 2015
  • William Bishop Kaiheʻekai "Kai" Maiʻoho, from 2015 to May 1, 2023

See also

  • List of burials at the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
  • Thomas Nettleship Staley First Anglican Bishop of Honolulu

References

Bibliography

  • Interactive Map
  • Mauna ʻAla, Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii Photo Gallery
  • Royal Mausoleum State Monument