Pahu, The Drum

One Hawaiian proverb says, that "hula is pleasing because of the drummer". Drums are great inspirors. They pin you firmly to the ground, allow your feet to sink under the ground, so that rest of the body can safely follow rising energy and spirit touches the heights. Druming becomes your heartbeat, you melt with that beat and become one. One pulsing, one rhytm, one flow.

I like very much the Kumulipo story, Hawaiian creation chant, which says, that during the eighth period of creation, right after the birth of the first man and woman, the drums were born. In fact, all has it's own rhytm, our bodies, nature, whole universe, so this might be true :)

It is said, that hula dance and drum was brought to Hawaii by La'a mai Kahiki - La'a from Tahiti, who arrived to Oahu with his kahuna, an astronomer, a seer, a diviner and - a drummer. One man called Haikamalama heard the sounding and started to repeat the drummer's chant by beating his breast to get the rhytm. After La'a's arrival he pretended that the drum was well known on Oahu island. This allowed him to get close enough to have a proper look at the drum to make such one for himself.

On Hawaii, some drums were considered to be sacred and stored in a special houses for drums. Drums were believed to contain mana - power. They were given names as believed to have a voice...