Earth and Space News: Uhi Hawaiian Tattoos Acquit Magnum’s The Woman Who Never Died

Summary: Uhi Hawaiian tattoos acquit Magnum’s The Woman Who Never Died Oct. 8, 2018, even as anonymous donations absolve A World of Trouble re-aired Aug. 14, 2020.

The New York Botanical Garden's (NYBG) Georgia O'Keeffe: Visions of Hawaii exhibition (May 19-Oct. 28, 2018) also spotlighted the artistry of kakau (ancient Hawaiian art of hand tapping uhi, tattoo) expert Keone Nunes; Haleiwa-based hand-tap tattooist Kawika Au (right) has been tattooed by Keone Nunes since 2003: New York Botanical Garden @NYBG, via Twitter Aug. 3, 2018

Uhi Hawaiian tattoos acquit Magnum’s The Woman Who Never Died television series episode Oct. 8, 2018, even as anonymous donations absolve A World of Trouble May 1, 2020, re-aired Aug. 14, 2020.

First-season third-episode director Sylvain White and writer Joe Gazzam and second-season 18th-episode director Peter Weller and writers Tera Tolentino and Neil Tolkin bust burglars by technology. One uhi (“tattoo”) covers almost the entire back of one hand until armed robbery accessory Emily Layton (Catherina Haena Kim) commits identity theft as Tara Moss. Kalohe (Chelsea Kurz) disguises herself as anonymous donor until her dishonest donations of such stolen equipment as computers and fire extinguishers draw death to her door.

Database, facial-recognition and surveillance technologies expose the uhi Hawaiian tattoo whose extirpation elicits a scarred hand, a mainland woman’s posthumous impersonator and after-hours warehouse equipment extractions.

Only Kahuna Kā Uhi (“expert hitting tattoo”) fit traditional patterns and themes from community, hierarchy, individual and village genealogies and mythologies into female and male skin.

Manu Saluni (David Hekili Kenui Bell) goes to a dermatologist (Ray Oda), whose file room gives private investigator Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) tattoo patterns and recipients. Emily and Manu honor traditional kakau (from Hawaiian kākau, “tattooing, to tattoo”) guidelines hailing all Hawaiian male and only certain Hawaiian female body parts as tattooable. Ancient Hawaiian culture inspired ancient Hawaiian women, even as it inspires traditional Hawaiian women today, to include identifiable, illuminating, immutable, imposing, impressive, individualized, informative dark-inked designs.

Brow ridges, cheekbones, cheeks and chins traditionally joined calves, feet, toes, fingers and hands as judicious for an uhi Hawaiian tattoo on ancient Hawaii’s female islanders.

Ancient, traditional kakau artistry, perhaps 1,400 to 1,700 years old in the Hawaiian archipelago, kindled exceptions for royal family members, their court officials and their spouses.

Peter T. Young, in his article on Norman Keith Collins for the Images of Old Hawai’i online site, lists tongues and wrists among tattooable female parts. He mentions William Ellis (Aug. 29, 1794-June 9, 1872), Unitarian missionary to the Hawaiian islands (April 16, 1822-Aug. 1824) as audience member to a royal tattooing. Kamamalu (1802?-July 8, 1824), Queen Consort of King Kamehameha II (Nov. 1797-July 14, 1824), notified island residents and visitors of her mourning her mother-in-law’s sudden death.

Queen Kamamalu obtained an uhi Hawaiian tattoo on her tongue in observation of Keopuolani (1778?-Sept. 16, 1823), Queen Consort of King Kamehameha I (1736?-May 10, 1819).

The pained daughter-in-law persevered, despite painful procedures, pointing out, He eha nui no, he nui roa ra ku’u aroha (“Great pain indeed, greater is my affection”).

Traditional kakau quartered black ink for the moli (from Hawaiian mōlī, “bone”) tattooing needle whose skin-puncturing quests the hahau (mallet, from Hawaiian hahau, “to strike”) quickened. Candlenut (kukui locally, Aleurites moluccanus scientifically) burned-nut soot or charred-shell charcoal and nanahu (from Hawaiian nānahu, “charcoal”) sugarcane (‘akilolo ‘ula’ula, Saccharum officinarum) juice rendered dark ink. The ancientest shapes shelter the natural symmetry of land and sea animals and plants, rain, stones, sun and waves seen and sought throughout the Hawaiian archipelago.

Terrifying troubles, teamed perhaps with 21st-century tendencies toward temporary tastes, trigger Emily taking away her talismanic uhi Hawaiian tattoo, something no traditional Hawaiian thinks of trying.

Magnum P.I.'s The Woman Who Never Died (season 1 episode 3) ends with Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks) showing Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) how to keep golf balls on land rather than club them into the Pacific Ocean: BetaSeries News BetaSeries_News, via Twitter Oct. 9, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

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Saturday, August 15, 2020

Uhi Hawaiian Tattoos Acquit Magnum’s The Woman Who Never Died

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