"Who are you to tell us our history?" Kultur och religion i ... - Anpere

The belief, that the priests had power to pray any person to death, has been deeply rooted
and universal among this people, and cannot easily be eradicated. But we hope the time is
near, in which this magic mode of execution will be no longer dreaded; nor prayer be
regarded as a bloody engine of government, of malice, or of priest craft, for the destruction
of those, who fall under the condemnation of justice or caprice. 530
Missionären Hiram Bingham tar även han upp fenomenet:
In addition to this conceded power of the priests and rulers, it was claimed and believed,
that by a species of witchcraft, incantations, and tricks of sorcery, or intercourse with
malevolent spirits, the priests and sorcerers could, and would, in an invincible manner,
accomplish the death of any that might fall under their displeasure; and, therefore, every
member of the community was deemed liable, and many felt themselves liable to perish any
day, by the unseen agency of their fellow-men, who were above, or without law. 531
Dr. Holmans skepsis är tydlig i hans brev till hemlandet där han beskriver i sin dagbok hur
han som västerländsk läkare uppfattade de hawaiianska ”medicinmännen”, eller läkarna:
The native Physicians are extremely superstitious, and they know little or nothing of how
distinguish one disease from another; but generally administer the same medicine in all
disorders—and if the person to whom they give the medicine dies, they suppose him to
have been prayed to death by some enemy. Indeed this people do not believe in any natural
death, but that they are prayed to death, killed by Ah’-hoo ‘-ah-ena (evil spirit) or some
unforseen [sic] casualty.
The medicine they give seems to be more for the purpose of driving Ah-hoo-ah- [akua] out
of the person, than of healing the disease, which are composed principally of cathartics, and
those of the most drastic kind. I have known several instances of death from their
operation. The cathartic offset frequently continues for several days, and oftentimes
terminates in inflammation and death. 532
Missionären Charles Stewart gjorde en intressant iakttagelse då han en morgon för första
gången kommer i kontakt med utövandet av pule ‘anā‘anā. Han beskriver det i sin dagbok:
My attention was attracted by a collection of persons near the path along which I was
passing. On approaching them, I saw in the midst a small mat covered with several
thicknesses [sic] of tapa or native cloth, on the top of which were placed two very large
trees, of a plant called by the natives api arum costatum. These seemed to have been
prepared for the occasion with much care, each being nicely divided through the stem, half
the length of the leaf, and one placed exactly over the other. They were firmly held by a
man kneeling at one end of the mat, while the sorcerer kneeling at the other, and holding
two of the divided stems in each hand, muttering his prayers over them. A few of the
persons present, besides those immediately engaged in the ceremonies, were solemnly and
intently occupied in the subject before them: but the greater number seemed disposed to
make sport of it, and turned to me with the exclamations “ino, pupuka, debelo”- wicked,
foolish, devilish.”
On inquiring what was meant by it, they answered, that some one had stolen the tobaccopipe
of the man holding the leaves, and that the sorcerer was discovering the thief, and
praying him to death. When reproved for their superstition and wickedness, they became
evidently confused, and some unlucky movement of the leaves being made, the principal
performer said the effect was destroyed, and ceased praying apparently in a fit of vexation.
530 Journal of the Missionaries May 20. 1820.J/HMCS. Även i MH, april, 1821(17): 138.
531 Bingham 1849/1969: 24.
532 Brev: Thomas Holman till Prudential Committee of the Board for Foreign Missions, Kauai,
den 21 november, 1820. MsL/HMCS.
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