The pre-historic records of ‘ULU are retrieved from the oli helu, the genealogical chant of the author.

Every Hawaiian has access to an oli helu, as it is a fundamental part of our cultural heritage. In pre-modern times, this chant served as the primary method through which Hawaiians, as well as the people of Mū, archived and preserved their lineage and ancestral knowledge.

The author’s oli helu extends back 20,000 years, reaching as far as the year 18,000 B.C.E., a time when Alpha Cephei was the pole star for our planet. It was the ancestor Mahat who carefully began the process of constructing the families’ oli helu, and one of the earliest and most significant mentions that became meticulously archived within this tradition is the art of ‘ULU.

Rarely practiced today, ʻULU is believed to be the ancestor of both Hula and Lua (Hawaiian martial arts). With only a handful of practitioners, this work is a radical and heartfelt attempt to share the artistry of ʻULU with the global community.