So, my group finally finished, and submitted, our project yesterday so I figured I'd chat a bit about it. We were looking at Polynesian burial practices, focusing on Hawaii. It was fascinating. I was looking up details about symbolism in Hawaiian burials, but unfortunately I kept hitting research walls. You'd think there would be more out there because it's a really cool topic and falls under both cultural and mortuary categories, but apparently not! All I could find was about leis, which, while being very interesting, wasn't what I was hoping for or expecting.
Here's what I did find out:
1. You never throw a lei in the garbage or compost. You either place it on a grave or toss it into the water in hopes of it floating back to shore which would mean that one day you will return to the island.
2. Hala flower leis are given at the end of a journey, such as death, and as such are considered bad luck if given in any other context, though they are quite beautiful.
3. Shell leis were used in place of floral ones on Salt Spring Island in order to mark Hawaiian graves as traditional flowers were not available.
4. Leis in a mortuary context are a huge part of ancestor worship and a way of asking for favor.
