Once upon a time, beyond the mountains, beyond the woods, in a beautiful palace surrounded by flowers and peacocks, there lived a princess… This is how a fairy tale about the exotic Kaʻiulani could begin. But first of all, it wasn’t all that long ago, but at the end of the 19th century, and second, the life of the Hawaiian heiress to the throne was hardly a fairy tale. If it in any way resembled one, it was one that featured black magic, deceitful people, death, and no happy ending. As if an evil fairy stood next to her noble sisters by the cradle of little Kaʻiulani had cast the most powerful spell – a spell that could not be reversed.
Victoria Kawēkiu Kaʻiulani Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Cleghorn was born 16th October 1875 in Honolulu. Her mother, princess Miriam Kapili Likelike, was the younger sister of the king of Hawaiʻi, David Kalākaua, and the last queen of the islands, Lydia Kamakaʻeha. Her father, Scotsman Archibald Scott Cleghor grew up in New Zealand and arrived in Hawaii as a teenager. He came from a much humbler background: his grandfather was a shopkeeper and once he died, his resourceful grandson took over the business. Before Archibald married into the royalty, he had three daughters with his first wife. The youngest, Anne, was Kaʻiulani’s beloved stepsister.
Back in his home country, Cleghorn would certainly never have gotten a chance to marry a princess, but in the increasingly white-dominated islands such marriage was not seen as a mésalliance. On the contrary, the relationship with a Haole (a white foreigner) added grandeur to the Hawaiian royal family. Ever since their arrival (James Cook was the first to come to Hawaii in 1778), the Haoles have treated the indigenous inhabitants with characteristic superiority. They considered them ‘savages’ and pagans that should be ‘civilized’. Since 1820, Western missionaries and teachers have gradually – and efficiently –ousted traditional beliefs and customs, spreading faith in the one and only God instead. Aliʻi –the royalty descended from the old chiefs (and, according to local beliefs, also gods) – and many ‘ordinary’ Hawaiians let themselves be told that true religion and civilization have a white face.
The entire centuries-old paradise morality – including premarital sex, polygamy of both men and women, and the belief that land is common property – has become the symbol of sin and backwardness, alongside the growing dependence of islanders on colonizers. When in 1848 the Great Mahele (‘division’ or ‘portioning’) project was ratified, wealthy foreigners (especially Americans) were able to purchase vast plots of land, and the indigenous people, who up until then shared all property, lost the homes in which they had lived for generations. The Haole enjoyed enormous benefits stemming from the sandalwood trade, sugar cane plantations, fishing and the whaling industry. They brought with them not only monotheism, but also diseases previously unknown to the Hawaiians, such as the flu, measles and smallpox. In the 19th century, the population of native inhabitants was literally decimated and went from 300,000 to around 35,000.
The guards keep the sharks away
Kaʻiulani grows up as a Christian and attends mass celebrated at the St. Andrew’s church each week. While she can see the traditional airy robes and flowers worn by indigenous women, she herself is constrained by a tightly laced corset and Victorian dresses; a non-negotiable bonnet adorns her head.
However, the missionaries do not succeed in eradicating all tradition. Although Kamehameha II, the successor of the great Kamehameha I (who in 1810 united the Hawaiian islands and gave rise to a dynasty that ruled until 1872), abolishes the most severe kapu – the rules determining what is considered taboo and the punishments for breaking them – some beliefs do survive. Situated on the ocean, on the island of Oʻahu, the ʻĀinahau estate where Ka’iulani and her parents live is marked with kapu signs letting trespassers know that entry without a special invitation is not possible. The princess herself is also a kapu – nobody can touch her without permission, and she herself cannot, among other things, bend down. Every time she is writing and drops a pen, she has to call a maid to retrieve it. Kapu also requires that guards accompany her during daily swims on Waikiki beach – they swim ahead of her to scare off the sharks if necessary. Like all Hawaiians, Kaʻiulani loves to surf. Although she is great on the waves, she envies and admires her cousin Kūhiō, raised according to the old hānai customs. For him, no wave is too great, and it is said that Kū, the god of man’s instinctive powers and ability to fight, must have touched him.
But as the 11-year-old Kaʻiulani learns, the old gods are not always this kind. Her mother, Princess Miriam Likelike, dies at just 30 or so years old. She simply locks herself in her room, refuses food, and stops getting out of bed. The doctors summoned by Archibald cannot help and the servants gossip about ʻanāʻanā (praying for someone’s death) and anai (curse). The only way to alleviate the gods’ anger is for a kahuna (priest) to pray for someone’s death, and no death can appease the gods as effectively as the death of a member of an aliʻi family. As if to confirm these beliefs, the volcano Mauna Loa erupts during Miriam’s mysterious illness – a reliable sign that the goddess Pele is angry. As if this isn’t enough, an ominous shoal of akule – the red fish heralding the death of a highborn – appears in the bay next to Hawaii, the Big Island. Miriam dies, leaving her only child in despair. And yet, this is not the last tragedy that Kaʻiulani will experience.
The island of rain
In January 1889, Kaʻiulani is a 13-year-old. Although she still longs for her mother, her only concern (apart from choosing a dress for the garden party at Aunt Lydia Liliʻuokalani’s) is the upcoming departure to a school in England. For now, she is still schooled by governesses. The lessons take place in the cool palace veranda smelling of jasmine. After school, the princess rides Ghost, her beloved pony, takes part in parties and picnics, and talks with Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish traveller, poet and novelist, the author of the Treasure Island and Kidnapped, under her favourite banyan tree.
During this time, dark clouds begin to gather over Kaʻiulani’s own ‘treasure island’. In place of the former chiefs – who saw caring for their subjects as a duty, the fulfilment of which would be a violation of the sacred aloha principle (compassion, love, peace) – the white colonizers are becoming increasingly dominant. In 1887, members of the Hawaiian League, governed by the grandson of one of the first missionaries, Lorrin Thurston, force King Kalākaua (threatening him with death) to sign a new constitution, henceforth adequately known as the Bayonet Constitution. According to this document, the political cabinet can now be made up of legionnaires only, and the king no longer has any real power. Hawaiians are largely deprived of the right to vote unless they own large areas of land, and the Americans and Europeans decide everything. Kaʻiulani is worried about all this, but she is also consumed by the daily preparations for a great overseas journey.
Although she tries to think and behave like a distinguished princess, she often shows her unruly, teenage side. Laughing loudly, she fools around with her half-sister Anna, and excitedly tries on the new, warm wardrobe that she’ll wear in cold, rainy England. Stevenson dedicates a farewell poem to her: “From her land to mine she goes / The island maid, the island rose / Light of heart and bright of face / The daughter of a double race […].” In May 1889, Kaʻiulani, her father, Annie, her guardian Theo Davies and her chaperone board the SS Umatilla. They sail to San Francisco. Throughout the entire journey, the princess suffers from seasickness and with great difficulty swallows biscuits with small amounts of water. Visiting the great American city with Archibald helps her quickly to forget about discomfort. For the next leg of the journey – to New York – she travels by a train, but without her father, who returns to Hawaii. Next, she crosses the Atlantic, again facing a ship and ocean waves. In June, she arrives in Liverpool. Kaʻiulani spends the summer in London and seaside resorts, and begins September in Northamptonshire, as a student of the renowned Great Harrowden Hall school for girls.
Dark clouds
The English weather turns out to be even worse than Kaʻiulani expected. She misses sunshine and warmth, as well as the flowers and fruit omnipresent in Hawaii – she would give anything for a fresh mango or a juicy pineapple. Meanwhile, the school kitchen is full of heavy dishes consisting of mashed potatoes, sausage and bland puddings. In January 1891, King Kalākaua dies. Aunt Lydia, now Queen Liliʻuokalani, assumes power and Ka’iulani is officially proclaimed heir to the throne. The new queen wants to restore strong royal power and limit the influence of the Haole. The whites, however, have entirely different plans – they want Hawaii completely dominated by the United States. The bad news soon reaches Kaʻiulani. In vain, she waits to be called back to the country; she cannot sleep, and is tormented by nightmares. She dreams of Ka Huaka’i Po – the torch-carrying Nightmarchers that wander the night in search for souls to capture. Whoever sees Po, or even just hears the ghastly sound of their drums, dies immediately.
Meanwhile, the night demons are hardly required to destabilize Hawaii. The Annex Club is established to overthrow the Hawaiian royalty and take away the island’s independence. The annexation is openly supported by John L. Stevens, the U.S. Minister to Hawaii. When Liliʻuokalani proposes a new constitution to replace the disastrous Bayonet Constitution, the government rejects the document. A peaceful demonstration of Hawaiians supporting the queen gathers in front of ʻIolani’s royal palace. Then Stevens, “fearing for the safety” of American citizens, orders armed marines to disembark the USS Boston sitting at berth in the port of Honolulu. Sanford B. Dole, one of the members of the Annex Club, becomes president of the Provisional Government of Hawaii. The atmosphere becomes increasingly dense. To avoid bloodshed, Liliʻuokalani relinquishes the throne on the condition that the US, rather than the rebel interim government, takes over the country. Dole and his supporters ignore this, however, and Hawaii becomes a US protectorate.
Supported by Theo Davies, the 17-year-old princess decides to act. She cannot stand what is being reported in the American press – that the Hawaiians are unruly, primitive savages, so reigning over them is the “duty” of the US. Kaʻiulani wants justice and freedom for her country and embarks on a journey to Washington to meet with the President of the United States.
“Who gave them the authority to break the Constitution?”
On her way, in New York, she reads a statement in front of a wide audience: “Seventy years ago, Christian America sent over Christian men and women to give religion and civilization to Hawaiʻi. Today, three of the sons of those missionaries are at your capitol asking you to undo their father’s work. Who gave them the authority to break the Constitution, which they swore they would uphold?” Kaʻiulani asks in confident voice, miles different from the shy voice of the well-behaved young lady who took social graces and decorum lessons in England. Met with a storm of applause, Kaʻiulani becomes a sensation. She gives interviews and complains that the newspapers focus on describing her outfit and manners. It seems that even before her visit to the White House, the journey is successful – President Grover Cleveland asks the Senate to revoke the annexation of Hawaii. The meeting with the friendly presidential couple strengthens Ka’iulani’s conviction that Hawaiian independence will be restored, especially once Cleveland decides to send a special presidential envoy to investigate and report back on what happened on the islands. Following the investigation, the President recommends that Liliʻuokalani be reinstated on the throne. Unfortunately, Congress is opposed to this and on 4th July 1894 the former kingdom officially becomes the Republic of Hawaii, with Dole becoming its President. On the islands, the indigenous peoples are furious. The royalists provoke an uprising, which unfortunately turns out to be unsuccessful. Some are killed and others arrested. Liliʻuokalani, in whose palace weapons were discovered, is also imprisoned. She spends many months under house arrest, composing music in search of consolation. She writes the famous song “Aloha Oe”, about bidding farewell and reuniting again. Years later, Johnny Cash will sing it in his deep, calm bass-baritone.
Nightmarchers
Devastated, Kaʻiulani remains in England. When her father joins her, they travel together across Europe. This is not a happy time. Hawaii has lost its freedom and its would-be princess is slowly losing her health. She is tormented by migraines and her eyesight is worsening – she can hardly see without glasses. The death of her stepsister Anna, at barely 29 years old, is a great blow. Finally, at the end of 1897 and after eight years of emigration, Kaʻiulani and Archibald return to their homeland. She attempts to live as if the kingdom were to be restored. She receives guests and makes public appearances. It is all for nothing. On August 12th 1898, the US officially and irrevocably annexes Hawaii. For the last time, the Hawaiian anthem is played, and for the last time the ocean breeze moves the Hawaiian banner over ʻIolani Palace. Soon, the American flag takes its place.
In the same year, Kaʻiulani loses another loved one, Theo Davies. The succession of bad events seems to be never-ending.
In the winter of 1899, the princess joins her friends on a long horseback trip in the mountains. On their way back, they are surprised by a tropical storm, and Kaʻiulani, soaked to the bone, gets a severe cold. For a long time, she suffers with fever and gradually fades. Despite the efforts of her father and doctors, her condition deteriorates. On 6th March 1899, the 23-year-old dies. There is no escaping the Nightmarchers.
It is said that for a long period following Kaʻiulani’s death, the muster of her beloved peacocks called in spasms. The entire Hawaiian people mourned. First, songs and poems, and then films and biographies of the heiress to the throne – the ‘Hope of a Nation, Heart of a People’ – were created. In 2017, Hawaii Magazine ranked Ka’iulani among the most influential women in Hawaiian history.
Translated by Joanna Figiel
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