Pacific Vortex: Victorian settee

pg 47

He motioned Pitt toward a Victorian settee.

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence for Britain. Some scholars date the beginning of the period in terms of sensibilities and political concerns to the passage of the Reform Act 1832.

The era was preceded by the Georgian period and succeeded by the Edwardian period. The latter half of the Victorian age roughly coincided with the first portion of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe and the Gilded Age of the United States.

Culturally there was a transition away from the rationalism of the Georgian period and toward romanticism and mysticism with regard to religion, social values, and the arts. The era is popularly associated with the values of social and sexual restraint.

The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a regrettable excess of ornament. The Arts and Crafts movement, the aesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era.

The most common types of couches are the "loveseat", or British two-seater, and the settee or sofa, with two or more seats.

"Tell me, my friend, have you discovered King Kamehameha's final resting place?"

Kamehameha I (ca. 1758 – May 8, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaiʻi's independence under his rule. Kamehameha is remembered for the Kanawai Mamalahoe, the "Law of the Splintered Paddle", which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle. Kamehameha's full Hawaiian name is Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea.

When Kamehameha died May 8, 1819, his body was hidden by his trusted friends, Hoapili and Hoʻolulu. The mana, or power of a person, was considered to be sacred. As per the ancient custom, his body was buried hidden because of his mana. His final resting place remains unknown.

"Our legends say he was placed in a cavern beneath the water."

From: http://www.to-hawaii.com/hawaiian-secrets-and-mysteries.php

Although the ancient Hawaiians had ceremonial burial rituals for all, the funeral rites given to ruling chiefs were especially complex and sacred. A ceremony that prepared the body for afterlife, including removal of the flesh from the bones, was followed by a secret burial of the chiefly bones.

The location of the bones was kept secret by whomever the duty was entrusted to, usually the decedent’s closest advisor. In the case of Kamehameha’s death, Chief Ulumaheihei (called Hoapili by the King) was given this honor. The bones of Kamehameha were extremely sacrosanct and must be kept hidden to ensure his spirit’s transition into the world of the aumakua, or gods.

Both for physical safekeeping of the sacred bones and to prevent any unwarranted spying, the bones were hidden at night for ultimate secrecy. It was believed that if the burial site location was disclosed, an enemy who came in contact with the bones could absorb the chiefly mana, or power.

Although it is yet to be proven, many believe that Kamehameha’s remains rest in a burial cave at Kaloko, a pond in Kehaha on the island of Hawaii. Other famous rulers, including Kahekili, a famous Maui ruler, are also at peace here. Some say that King Kalakaua ordered Kamehameha’s bones to be relocated to the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu Valley, although this is strictly hearsay as well.

If King Kamehameha’s bones were ever exhumed, either on accident or intentionally, there is no telling what chain of events this disrespect might set off. The conflicting accounts surrounding the final resting place of Kamehameha the Great’s bones are perhaps intentional stories conjured up to ensure that this particular mystery stays just that.