Genuine Koa Wood Lei Niho Palaoa - Royal Pendant

Medium: 2.20" long, .75" wide

Large: 2.60" long, 1" wide

Adjustable Hand Braided Tan Cord: 0-28"

- About Niho Palaoa: This Ancient Replica Carving Was Once Only Worn By Hawaiian Ali'i (Royalty, Chiefs, Chiefess, Nobility, Rulers) and Was Considered a Sign of Respect, Allowing Only the Wearer to Have the Complete Authority to Speak. Whales, Like Every Other Creation of Nature, Were Respected by the Hawaiian People. It Was Believed That Deities Would Take the Form of Animals and Plants, and, Therefore, Deserved Respect. Commonly Known Today as Kohola, Whales Were Believed to Be Manifestations of Kanaloa, One of the Four Major Hawaiian Demigods, the god of the Sea, Who Was Said to Be the God Responsible For Helping the Polynesian Voyagers Find Hawai'i. The Whale Was First Identified as the "Palaoa" or the Toothed-Whale, Which Developed an Important and Significant Role in Hawaiian Culture. On Rare Occasions, the Carcass of a Toothed-Whale Would Wash Ashore, and Immediately Became the Possession of the Ruling Chief. The Ivory of the Palaoa Was Removed and Made Into a Niho Palaoa, a Whale-Tooth Pendant. The Ivory Was Carved Into the Suggestive Shape of a Human's Tongue, Which May Have Signified Someone Who Spoke With Authority. The Niho Palaoa Was Then Strung Through Strands of Braided Human Hair From a Beloved Ancestor Into a Lei and the Entire Piece Was Known as a Whale-Tooth Necklace, or Lei Niho Palaoa. The Lei Niho Palaoa Was Considered the Second Most Treasured Artifact in Hawaiian Culture, Which Represented Strength and Power.