Kapu

The kapu system in Hawaii said what could and couldn't be done. These laws were very strict and if broken most resulted in death, unless, of course, you could make it to the Place of Refuge in time. The kapu was the whole basis of Hawaiian life. Hawaiians beleived, if you broke a kapu, the gods would be angry with you, and punish your village with lava, fire, a storm, or other such catastrophes. Some common kapu were: NO stepping in the kings shadow, NO being IN the kings shadow, NO looking at the king. If you were a woman you could not eat in the same room as the men, and you could not eat bananas, which were believed to give "mana", or spiritual strength. Everyone was happy with the kapu until the British came. Then people started wanting to change with the times and many still wanted the old ways. As a result there was warring among chiefs and in the end the kapu was abolished due to the use of conventional weapons such as rifles. Today, whenever you see a "kapu" sign, it means KEEP OUT, or NO TRESSPASSING. The "crossed kapu sticks" symbol is still popular in Hawaii today, and is the symbol of Law Enforcement