The Tapas, Malos, Paus and Mats of the Hawaiians
Tapa was the fabric that formed the clothing of the Hawaiians. It was made from the bark of certain plants, wauke, mamake, maaloa, and poulu, the skin of young bread-fruit…
From: Unknown To: 1903 C.E.
Location: Hawaii
The Tapas, Malos, Paus and Mats of the Hawaiians.
From Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo, 1903.
Tapa was the fabric that formed the clothing of the Hawaiians. It was made from the bark of certain plants, wauke, mamake, maaloa, and poulu, the skin of young bread-fruit shoots. Wauke (Broussonetia papyrifera) was extensively cultivated and the preparation and manufacture of it was as follows: It was the man's work to cut down the branches, after which the women peeled off (uhole) the bark and, having removed the cortex, put the inner bark to soak until it had become soft.
After this it was beaten on the log (kua) with a club called i-e (or i-e kuku. The round club, hohoa, was generally used in the early stage of preparation) until it was flattened out. This was continued for four days, or much longer sometimes, and when .the sheet (being kept wet all the time) had been worked until it was broad and thin, it was spread out and often turned, and when dry this was the fabric used as blankets, loin-skirts (pa-u) for the women, and, when made into narrower pieces, as loin-cloths (malos) for the men.
The mamake (Pipturus albidus) was another of the plants whose bark was made into tapa and used as blankets, malos and pa-us. This was a tree that grew wild in the woods. It was collected by the women who stripped off the bark and steamed it in the oven with pala-a, (a fern that yielded a dark-red coloring matter). If not steamed and stained with pala-a the tapa made from it was called kapa-kele-wai.
Like wauke, it was first soaked until pulpy, when it was beaten on the tapa-log with a club until it had been drawn out thin this might require three or four days after which it was spread out to dry in the sun, and was then used as sheets or blankets, clothing, malos, paus. The mamake made a very durable tapa and could be worn a long time.
The bark of the maaloa and po-ulu, the bark of tender bread-fruit shoots were also beaten into tapa. The method of manufacture was the same as that of wauke and mamake. There were many varieties of tapa, sheets, blankets, robes, malos, pa-us, etc., which the women decorated in different patterns with black, red, green, yellow and other colors.
If, after being stained with the juice of kukui-root, called hili, it was colored with an earth, the tapa was called pu-lo'u; another name for it was o-u-holo-wai.
If the tapa was colored with ma'o (Gossypium tomentosum) it was called ma'o-ma'o, green. If stained with the hoolei, (Ochrosia sandwicensis) it took on a yellow color. If unstained the tapa was white. If red cloth was mixed with it in the beating, the tapa was called pa'i-ula, or red-print.
There was a great variety of names derived from the colors (and patterns) stamped upon them by the women.
The loin-skirts (pau) of the women were colored in many different ways. If stained with turmeric, the pau was called kama-lena, if with cocoanut, it was called hala-kea Most of the names applied to the different varieties of pau were derived from the manner in which the women stained (and printed) them.
In the same way most of the names applied to varieties of the malo were likewise derived from the manner of staining (and printing) them. If stained with the noni (Morinda citrifolia) it was a kua-ula, a red-back, or a pu-kohu-kohu, or a pua-kai, sea-flower. A pau dyed with turmeric was soft, while some other kinds of pau were stiff. The names applied to paus were as diverse as the patterns imprinted on them; and the same was the case with the malo, of which one pattern was called puali and another kupeke.
These were the fabrics which the ancient Hawaiians used for their comfort, and in robing themselves withal, as loin-girdles for the men, and as loin-skirts for the women.
They braided mats from the leaves of a tree called the hala (pandanus). The women beat down the leaves with sticks, wilted them over the fire, and then dried them in the sun. After the young leaves (muo) had been separated from the old ones (laele) the leaves were made up into rolls.
This done (and the leaves having been split up into strips of the requisite width) they were plaited into mats. The young leaves (mu-o) made the best mats, and from them were made the sails for the canoes. Mats were also made from the makaloa, a fine rush, which were sometimes decorated with patterns inwrought (pawehe). A mat of superior softness and fineness was made from the naku, or tule.
These things were articles of the greatest utility, being used to cover the floor, as clothing, and as robes. This work was done by the women, and was a source of considerable profit; so that the women who engaged in it were held to be well off, and were praised for their skill. Such arts as these were useful to the ancient Hawaiians and brought them wealth.
From the time of Kamehameha I down to the present reign of Kamehameha III we have been supplied with cloth imported from foreign lands. These new stuffs we call lole (to change). It has many names according to the pattern.
Malo, David. Hawaiian Antiquities: (Moolelo Hawaii). Translated by Nathaniel Bright Emerson, Hawaiian Gazette Co., 1903.
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