In a name

[la_belle_laide]

Since I lost my bracelet at Kung Fu, I've been semi-waiting for someone to find/return it, and semi-accepting of the fact that it is gone for good. Someone out there has a $140 silver bracelet with a Hawaiian name on it that is meaningless to them. Or, it's under a rug somewhere and will be turned up years from now when the school gets a reno or something.

I mentioned that the name on it--my name—was sacred to me and that I felt really weird about the idea of it being lost out there. It's weird, because it's just a bracelet, but the name was mine. There was only one Kapunua. It's such an uncommon name, I don't think it's actually a name at all.

And over the many years people have mangled it, changed it, mispronounced it, misspelled it, shortened it, and in the case of the Mayo Hags, kind of ruined it, too. (One abbreviated version I never minded was "Kapu" because it means "sacred." I actually quite liked that version even though it's totally wrong, because the real name was two separate words: Ka Punua, the fledgling bird.)

Well, the bracelet is gone and I feel like the name actually left before then, too. When I received that name from Auntie Kai, ten years ago, I had only just started dancing professionally. Since then, I've done tons of Hula shows, been to Hawai'i, traveled all over to different seminars, learned to speak a good deal of the language, learned to chant, and I've taught Hula too. On a personal level, I've also lost a lot in a really short time, had to deal with some stuff, gone back to school, got out of the crap-job I was stuck in for so long etc.

I'm not the fledgling bird anymore.

With that in mind, I asked a Hula Sister from Orlando, whom I've known since around the time I started dancing, to grant me a favor:

A few years ago I was dancing in Auntie Kau'i's class. Auntie is like an angel to me. She's helped me so much, taught me a great deal of what I know now, shown me different styles, and been my advocate in dance for nigh on ten years now. My family adores her. My Dad was crazy about her, and she about him. She used to tell my Dad, "Your daughter dances like an angel!" and my Dad would beam at her. I have absolutely the best pictures of Auntie, my Mom, Dad, me, my cousin, and so many memories.

Anyway. After her classes she would put on a Hula show in the lobby of the Polynesian and she would always get me to go up and dance. She'd say "Surprise baby, you're doing a solo!" (Of course by the, like, tenth time or so it was never really a surprise anymore. ^_^ ) One year, really early on, I did a Sonny Ching kahiko. Afterward she called me over and said, "Do you have a Hawaiian name yet?" I told her that I did and she said, "Drat. I thought of one I wanted to give you."

All these years I've been burning to know what name she'd thought of, but she felt it bad luck to give me a different name on top of the one I already had.

SO! I asked my Hula Sister who works with Auntie Kau'i to ask her if she remembers the name she wanted to give me back then. And if not, she can make one up now, if she likes.

And then, I'll just bite the bullet and get a new bracelet with my new name on it. I feel a little weird and I'm not giving up "Kapunua" because it's part of who I am. That would be like giving up my childhood. It'll always be mine and, regardless of where my bracelet is, it's still only mine.

Oh, for anyone curious, the entire name was Kapunuaimililanihoalohaokeola. It is not unusual for Hawaiian names to be that long and longer. And yes, I can pronounce it. ;) It means "The fledgling bird, the highest-praised friend of life."

So I'm really very curious and excited to find out what Auntie will think up, or if she remembers her original idea. Most names given to dancers are common, such as Laka, Kanani, Ku'uipo, Makanani, Mahealani, etc. I'll really be pleased with any of that.

Of course the obvious is just Manu, which means "bird." But we'll see. I love 'Iolani, which is "hawk of the skies," but I already know an 'Iolani. Ke'alala is pretty awesome: The crow. Oooh, I'd like that.

But! It's important for me to know what Auntie thinks. :D

So there's the soap opera of my Hawaiian name.

Comments

[vamp-seamstress.livejournal.com]

I'm interested to know what she comes up with! How did you get Kapunua, by the way?

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

From my Auntie Kai, because I raise baby birds and also because Jules means "like the down of a baby bird" or something like that. Which is quite interesting!

[torkell]

Out of curosity, what is the correct pronounciation? I've always read it as "ka-poon-na", which hopefully isn't too mangled. I'm not going to even try pronouncing the full version!

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

Everyone misses the second "U". It's pronounced exactly how it's spelled: Ka-Pu-Nu-A, with the accent on the second syllable. :)