PU'U LOA

A Good Example

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Here is what appears to be a fishhook. Now why would someone have carved a fishhook without a fish? Magically, it might have been to give strength to a special fishhook for an upcoming deep ocean expedition, or to have the hook seek out a special fish. Then again, since we know the fishhook was used as a symbol for concentration (the word for a fishhook, "makau," can mean "a state of placement") the symbol might have been intended to help maintain concentration on an intended outcome. Along the same lines, with a bit of Hawaiian wordplay, "ma" can be interpreted as "desire" ("ma" is a short form of "make," the usual word for desire) and "kau" has the additional meaning of "to come to pass." Therefore the fishhook could be a symbol of the desire for something to come to pass. On the other hand, of course, it might not even be a fishhook.

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