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CHAPTER XIII THE SACRIFICE
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 N the morning after the battle word was brought to the palace that Aa had been found on the field still alive. Aelani commanded that he should be taken to the heiau, or temple, to be sacrificed, and that the spearmen should be assembled there to witness the sacred rites1. So Aa was taken to the heiau, and awaited the coming of Aelani and Hiwa and Kaanaana and the spearmen of Kohala.
 
Then Aelani’s servants put on him the great mamo that had been the state robe of moi kanes of the blood of Wakea and Papa time whereof the memory of man ran not to the contrary. It reached from his shoulders to his ankles, and enveloped2 his whole body. [92] It was made entirely3 of the yellow feathers of the mamo, and, as the mamo was a small bird, and lived in the mountains, and was wild and scarce, from being constantly hunted, and, moreover, had but few of the sacred feathers, the collection of feathers for that cloak had been the life-work of nine generations of hunters. Aelani also wore a helmet of the still more priceless feathers of the oo. The niho palaoa was on his neck, and in his hand he carried spears red with the blood of his enemies.
 
Hiwa wore a mamo like Aelani’s, broad and long, extending to her feet, priceless as the crown jewels of England. Upon her head was a lei, or wreath of yellow ilima and dark-green maile, and, crowning all, a lei of the fluffy4, yellow feathers of the oo, feathers worth many times their weight in gold. Kaanaana, too, was richly clad, as became a mighty5 high-chief. A cloak of yellow and red feathers, only less rare and costly6 than the mamo, covered him from head to foot, and a yellow and red helmet adorned7 his head.
 
Before they left the palace Hiwa embraced [93] Aelani and Kaanaana, kissing them and shedding tears, as if she were parting from them forever, so that they greatly wondered, not dreaming of what was in her mind. Then, when the chiefs had assembled—all who had the right to stand in presence of the moi—Hiwa made a signal that Kaanaana should kneel before her. So he kneeled before her, and she, in presence of them all, took the feather lei from her head and twined it around his helmet.
 
“Mighty konohiki,” she said, “thou art greatest of the chiefs, noblest among men, my own and only love, the father of my child. Thy rank shall be above all other men not goddess-born, and, in token thereof, thou and the konohikis of thy line shall have the right to deck their helmets with the yellow feathers of the oo as long as the sun shines and water flows. I, Hiwa, daughter of the gods, have said it, and my son, The Chosen of Ku, confirms this royal honor.”
 
The occasion of the sacrifice was a great one, for Aa was of the blood of Wakea and Papa. Never before in the solemn and bloody8 rites of consecrating9 a new moi had [94] such an offering been made to Ku. The heiau was an immense, irregular, stone parallelogram, open to the sky. The interior was divided into terraces, the upper one paved with flat stones. The south end was an inner court, the most sacred place, corresponding to the Holiest of Holies of the Jews. Here were the idols10, great and small. Here was the high-priest’s station. Here the gods were consulted, and their oracles11 made known. At the entrance to this court was the sacrificial altar of Ku.
 
When Aelani and Hiwa and Kaanaana and the chiefs and warriors12 had gathered in the temple, and Aa, grievously wounded, was brought before the altar where he had long officiated as high-priest, his proud and cruel spirit flashed forth13, and he said:—“If I had won the battle I would have gone to Kohala and put every man, woman and child to the spear, save Aelani and Hiwa and Kaanaana and all of noble birth, whom I would have kept for the sacrifice; I would have made Kohala fat with slaughter14; I would have drenched15 Ku’s altar with the blood of the goddess-born. Then Ku would have had [95] more cause for rejoicing than in the sacrifice of one old man. Yet, although my bones will be put to shame, I am content, knowing that Ku’s heavy wrath16 will fall upon my enemies, and that I shall glory in their destruction, and mock them in the other world. If Hiwa had been slain17 when she committed the unpardonable sin against Ku his anger might have been appeased18; but now that it has been growing these sixteen years, the whole people are doomed19, for they are her people and her son’s. Behold20 I, Aa, high-priest of Ku, proclaim that his implacable wrath rests upon the whole kingdom, and shall eat up its inhabitants. My revenge is sure. Therefore I rejoice, and shall return rejoicing to the gods from whom I came!”
 
As the high-priest ceased speaking Kaanaana sprang towards him, crying “Aa, you lie! You invented this damning lie as a pretext21 for slaying22 the moi wahine! Now, in the hour of her triumph, you repeat it to ruin her before gods and men!”
 
Hiwa restrained him with a gesture, and said in a loud, clear voice that all might hear: “Aa does not lie. Sixteen years ago [96] I forgot the law which almighty23 Ku gave to Wakea and Papa—the law creating the sacred tabu, which our nation has kept age after age, and I ate of the fruit of which Ku has declared, ‘In the day a woman eateth thereof she shall surely die.’”
 
Upon hearing this confession24, the high-priest burst into a fierce, mocking laugh, and the spearmen shrank back aghast, and Kaanaana hung his head in shame and sorrow.
 
But Hiwa mounted the altar and stood above them, tall, straight and proud, crowned with ilima and maile, clothed with the royal robe that only a moi might wear and live, holding a spear in her hand.
 
“Sixteen years ago,” she said, “I committed the unpardonable sin, and now the hour of my atonement has come. Ku spared my life. Kneeling under the rainbow, beside my new-born babe, I confessed my sin to him, and bound myself by an irrevocable vow25 that, if he would let me train the boy to lead the chiefs in battle for his throne, I, Hiwa, goddess-queen, with my own royal hand, would shed my sacred blood upon his [97] altar. Ku heard the vow, and answered me with thunder from the mountains. He has kept faith with me. Now I must keep faith with him, or else his heavy wrath will fall on all I love, on all who follow me. Therefore, to save my son, Aelani, The Pledge from Heaven, to save his father, my lover, Kaanaana, who is a thousand times dearer to me than life, to save my people, whom I would not have destroyed, I keep my oath and lift the curse of Ku.”
 
With a swift stroke she buried the spear in her own heart.
 
Kaanaana leaped upon the altar, crying: “Eternal Ku, although I am not goddess-born, I am a great noble. Accept my life also in atonement for her sin!” He stabbed himself, and, falling on Hiwa, died kissing her dead lips.
 
Then Laamaikahiki, wild with grief and rage, thrust Aa through the throat. So the high-priest died a pig’s death, and his bones were put to shame.
 
Hiwa’s bones and Kaanaana’s were hidden in a cave, at dead of night, by Aelani himself, for he would not intrust this pious26 [98] duty to meaner hands, that touch of mortal might not profane27 them so long as the world should endure. Hiwa had made such atonement, lifting Ku’s curse from all the people, that they revered28 her memory and worshipped her as a goddess even as if she had not committed that great sin.
 
Aloha, Hiwa! She was nobler than a goddess-queen, for she was one of God’s noblest creatures—a noble woman. Her frailties29 were those of human nature and of the remote and barbarous land in which she lived. Her virtues30 were those of a brave, generous, and lovable people.
 
Aloha, Hiwa! Aloha, nui!

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1 rites 5026f3cfef698ee535d713fec44bcf27     
仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • to administer the last rites to sb 给某人举行临终圣事
  • He is interested in mystic rites and ceremonies. 他对神秘的仪式感兴趣。
2 enveloped 8006411f03656275ea778a3c3978ff7a     
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
  • Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
4 fluffy CQjzv     
adj.有绒毛的,空洞的
参考例句:
  • Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
  • The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。
5 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
6 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
7 adorned 1e50de930eb057fcf0ac85ca485114c8     
[计]被修饰的
参考例句:
  • The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
  • And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。
8 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
9 consecrating 7b18429f1ddaddd35e6368474fd84a37     
v.把…奉为神圣,给…祝圣( consecrate的现在分词 );奉献
参考例句:
  • Participant of Consecrating Wat Ling Khob Amulet. WLK佛牌(光辉之佛)加持的参与者。 来自互联网
10 idols 7c4d4984658a95fbb8bbc091e42b97b9     
偶像( idol的名词复数 ); 受崇拜的人或物; 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物; 神像
参考例句:
  • The genii will give evidence against those who have worshipped idols. 魔怪将提供证据来反对那些崇拜偶像的人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
  • Teenagers are very sequacious and they often emulate the behavior of their idols. 青少年非常盲从,经常模仿他们的偶像的行为。
11 oracles 57445499052d70517ac12f6dfd90be96     
神示所( oracle的名词复数 ); 神谕; 圣贤; 哲人
参考例句:
  • Do all oracles tell the truth? 是否所有的神谕都揭示真理? 来自哲学部分
  • The ancient oracles were often vague and equivocal. 古代的神谕常是意义模糊和模棱两可的。
12 warriors 3116036b00d464eee673b3a18dfe1155     
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
  • The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。
13 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
14 slaughter 8Tpz1     
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀
参考例句:
  • I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
  • Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。
15 drenched cu0zJp     
adj.湿透的;充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体)
参考例句:
  • We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨,淋得浑身透湿。
  • The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 wrath nVNzv     
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒
参考例句:
  • His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
  • The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。
17 slain slain     
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
  • His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。
18 appeased ef7dfbbdb157a2a29b5b2f039a3b80d6     
安抚,抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 ); 绥靖(满足另一国的要求以避免战争)
参考例句:
  • His hunger could only be appeased by his wife. 他的欲望只有他的妻子能满足。
  • They are the more readily appeased. 他们比较容易和解。
19 doomed EuuzC1     
命定的
参考例句:
  • The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
  • A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。
20 behold jQKy9     
v.看,注视,看到
参考例句:
  • The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
  • The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。
21 pretext 1Qsxi     
n.借口,托词
参考例句:
  • He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
  • He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口,没参加那个会议。
22 slaying 4ce8e7b4134fbeb566658660b6a9b0a9     
杀戮。
参考例句:
  • The man mimed the slaying of an enemy. 此人比手划脚地表演砍死一个敌人的情况。
  • He is suspected of having been an accomplice in the slaying,butthey can't pin it on him. 他有嫌疑曾参与该杀人案,但他们找不到证据来指控他。
23 almighty dzhz1h     
adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的
参考例句:
  • Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
  • It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。
24 confession 8Ygye     
n.自白,供认,承认
参考例句:
  • Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
  • The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
25 vow 0h9wL     
n.誓(言),誓约;v.起誓,立誓
参考例句:
  • My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿,每星期日都去做礼拜。
  • I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。
26 pious KSCzd     
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的
参考例句:
  • Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
  • Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。
27 profane l1NzQ     
adj.亵神的,亵渎的;vt.亵渎,玷污
参考例句:
  • He doesn't dare to profane the name of God.他不敢亵渎上帝之名。
  • His profane language annoyed us.他亵渎的言语激怒了我们。
28 revered 1d4a411490949024694bf40d95a0d35f     
v.崇敬,尊崇,敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例,现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句
29 frailties 28d94bf15a4044cac62ab96a25d3ef62     
n.脆弱( frailty的名词复数 );虚弱;(性格或行为上的)弱点;缺点
参考例句:
  • The fact indicates the economic frailties of this type of farming. 这一事实表明,这种类型的农业在经济上有其脆弱性。 来自辞典例句
  • He failed therein to take account of the frailties of human nature--the difficulties of matrimonial life. 在此,他没有考虑到人性的种种弱点--夫妻生活的种种难处。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
30 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
参考例句:
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。


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