On the Island of Hawaii, lies the Hawaii Volcano National Park. On over a mile of boardwalk trail, overlooking the shoreline, you can look upon petroglyphs. Hawaiians of old created these pictures by chiseling them into the hardened lava. You can find shapes of concrete things or what looks like abstract art.
The signage was interesting. Circles within circles were said to mark where umbilical cords had been stored. “Families with genealogical ties to these lands come here to place the piko (umbilical cord) of their child. Their hope is that the mana (spiritual guiding energy) of Pu`uloa would bless that child with a long and properous life, and root them to their ancestral lands.” –posted at scienceviews.com on May 22, 2020.
The earliest pictures or designs were said to be from the 1500s. You can find more photos here. A brochure said that petroglyphs are called k’i’i pohaku in Hawaiian. I hope those artists were working in the cool part of the day. When I walked about admiring them, it was oh so hot, even next to the ocean!
Later, sipping my Macadamia Coconut Coffee, I considered this site. Back at the Lyman Museum, I had encountered an exhibit on piku (umbilical cords) which commented that these were traditionally kept and stored in a family place. Now, I had seen them referenced at the Petroglyph Trail. Umbilical cords don’t seem to merit any reverence where I come from. Hmm…Such a token of our birth connection…it is something to think about.
the cords that bind
TATTOO—Journeys on My Mind by Tina Marie L. Lamb is available at Amazon and BarnesandNoble and iBooks and Audible.
Buy it. Read it. Let me know what you think. –TMLL
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