A gift brought by the first Polynesian voyagers, the Lāʻī is one of Hawaiʻi’s most abundant plants, found throughout the islands and revered by the Hawaiian people. Lāʻī has long been used for protection, both seen and unseen. It shields bodies from the elements, woven into capes, thatching, sandals. The lāʻī is bound at the waist, draped over shoulders, wrapped around wrists, shielding the body and safeguarding the spirit. Lāʻī is used for medicine and healing, soothes fever and wraps wounds. It works as a thermal conductor, holding the balance hot and cold. Its leaves shelter food in the imu, sealing in nourishment, preserving sustenance. The stalk becomes cordage and binding. Even in play, children ride its leaves down grassy slopes.
The purity of the untouched center leaf makes it ideal for ceremony, a vessel for divine protection. It can be used as an amulet, swept across skin to cleanse, and placed at doorways to ward off what does not belong. Indicative of rank and kinolau to the gods, the Lāʻī is often placed upon an altar in sacrifice and worn in hula as a representation of Laka.
At its core, Manaola’s Lāʻī was designed as an emblem of protection for all who adorn it, calling to the universe in humility, ready to receive its luck. Offered as a blessing, Lāʻī is Manaola’s gift to you.
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