Puʻu Loa Petroglyphs

            When you drive down Chain of Craters Road at Volcanoes National Park you will eventually come to a relatively flat area as you approach the ocean. On the left side of the road is a  parking area for the Puʻu Loa petroglyphs trail. From the parking area the trail is marked by cairns which lead you on a 15-20 minute hike, depending on your fascination with the petroglyphs. This is the largest petroglyphs field on the island and contains thousands of petroglyphs. Puʻu Loa, or Long Hill, was believed to hold great power for the Hawaiians. If a child’s umbilical cord was properly buried there, the child would be assured a long life; unless a rat ate the umbilical cord. So it was a two edged sword which controlled the destiny of a child. The umbilical cords were placed in simple holes carved in the rock. Superstition was rampant back then, just as it is now. Most people have superstitions which control some of their actions; just think of athletes and some of the gyrations they go through. Also, remember the umbilical cord offering that we made on Mauna Kea.