Aloha,

Well since I am on a roll.....I just finished a paper  published in 1942
by Mary Kawena Pukui-----Hawaiian Beliefs and Customs During Birth,
Infancy, and Childhood.  I found it very interesting and I'd like to
mention some things of note.

Since I am rounding the 7 month corner of pregnancy, this next piece
caught my eye.  Hope you don't mind my sharing it with you all.

Some kahunas (midwives---could be male or female) knew a way of giving
the labor pains to someone else allowing the mother to have a painless
birth.  The recipient of the birth pains could be human or animal.

The author mentioned that the birth of her older sister was the last
painless birth in the family.  Her uncle was the kahuna, and he directed
that the pain be given to his lazy brother-in-law.  He apparently awoke
from his sleep moaning and groaning until the birth of the baby!


Aloha,
Gloria Thai  Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i  located 20 degrees North of the
Equator