A Child is Revived By Fire

The truth about the child in the birth sac escaping fire.

Greetings, Editor. Regarding your paper on this past 24th of August, Book VI, Issue 8, and the article “Escape From Fire”. 

Everything stated in that article is incorrect. It was talked about in such a way as to hurt the minds of the people whose child it is. In that story it is thought to be the work of pagans and a murderous act, and that may well be what some people who see it think, however, those who know will not believe that, for the placenta is the foundation of a living person. The placenta was called an earthly foundation; it is the origin of the navel string, from that foundation to the child. The child’s “house” is the caul and it completely covers the child. 

"The placenta is an earthly foundation"

It was said in the article, “This type of thing is not seen in the stories/histories of Hawaiʻi. It really is true that this lāhui is not accustomed to this murderous act being done, and there have been some extremely cruel acts witnessed.”

Here is the truth: July 13, 1896, in Kamoʻoloa, Mānana, ʻEwa, at four pm, while we were throwing a party to celebrate the birthday of my daughter, Miss Elizabeth Keone, at the same time, Mrs. Maile Nalu was having labor contractions (it was her second day of having them), and at the time stated above is when she gave birth. The first child came out. He had torn open his caul. The second child, just two minutes after that, came out with the placenta and en-caul (amniotic sac and waters intact). Because Mrs. Mileka Nalu was there in front of the one giving birth, she grabbed the amniotic sac and tore it open, and upon examination, breath had left the child while it was inside the sac. 

The navel string of the first born was not cut, and the second one, who appeared dead, his navel string was also still attached. Both of the children were wrapped in kapa. Based on the knowledge of Mrs. M Keone, she gave the first child to Miss Addie Keone and she took the [possibly] dead one. Since the fire for the food for the party was going, the placenta was placed in the fire and after ten minutes of being left in there, life rushed back in and the child cried, all while being cradled in arms. Another ten minutes passed, it was probably twenty in total, and the first child’s navel string was cut from the placenta, but that of the second child remained [attached] till the placenta was charred, while the first child was being washed. It was half an hour of the placenta being left in the fire and the child was fully restored, his navel string was cut and he was washed. 

The child who died and then came back to life is in fine health. This is the correct story. It was not the child that was thrown into the fire, rather the placenta, and the child was being cradled in arms above. Hawaiʻi has stories of children being revived from having their placentas roasted in the fire.

I shall end it here, with regards,

G.M. Keone
Mānana, ʻEwa, Sept. 3, 1896

The editor has inserted diacritics in this version of the story. Should you be interested in viewing the original, simply click here.