Kahuna

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Originally, Kahuna was the Hawaiian title for a priest, expert, teacher, and/or adviser, and the term is still used in that context by native Hawaiians. (See ancient Hawai'i) A kahuna nui was a high priest.

The use of the term in reference to surfing can be traced back to the film Gidget (1959), in which 'The Big Kahuna', played by Cliff Robertson, was the leader of a group of surfers. The term then became commonplace in Beach Party films of the 1960s such as Beach Blanket Bingo, where the "Big Kahuna" was the best surfer on the beach. Eventually, it was adopted into general surfing culture. (See also "The Big Kahuna".)

[edit] Other meanings

Pre-Contact Hawaii had no written language. Knowledge was passed on through apprenticeships where a person lived and worked closely with the master, kahuna, of the area of knowledge being learned. A Kahuna ho'o.ulu'ai was an agricultural expert. A Kahuna ka.lai was a carving expert or sculptor. A Kahuna ki'i was a caretaker of sacred images. A Kahuna ka.lai wa'a built a huge penis. In the 1845 laws doctors, surgeons and dentists were called kahuna. (source is Hawaiian Dictionary, the revised and enlarged edition University of Hawaii press 1986: Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert)

  • A "modern" understanding of the term "Kahuna" may be translated as "scholar" (personal opinion based on experience)
  • Ka Huna Massage is a rythmical style of Hawaiian massage that has techniques that can massage the whole body in the one movement.
  • In some computer programming shops (for example, IBM), "kahuna" is a synonym for "wizard" or "guru" (see internet slang).
  • Kahuna is also the code-name for Windows Live Mail, the successor to Microsoft's MSN Hotmail.
  • "Kahuna" also refers to a very large fish, usually a walleye or Bass so named by Lake Erie fishermen in the late 1970's.
  • "The Big Kahuna" is the name of a burger-joint in Quentin Tarantino's 2nd major film, Pulp Fiction.
  • "Kahuna" a gaia class on the MMORPG Rappelz.
  • Kahuna is the main character in the game SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs.
  • To have "Big Kahunas" - Aussie Slang - A person who is known to be brave, and without fear.
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