Hanalaa was the 4th Mo'i of Maui. He was the titular chieftain or king of the island of Maui. He had control over portions of Western Maui and relied on the allegiance of the many district chiefs.
He was the son of Palena, Moi of Maui, and his wife Hikawainui, and he was the great-grandson of the Maui Paumakua. He succeeded his father as Moi of Maui. He was a noted chieftain, whom both the Maui and Hawaii chiefs contended for as their ancestor under the varying names of Hanalaa-nui and Hanalaa-iki, asserting that Palena was the father of twins who bore those names or a mistake could have been made in the genealogies. It is probable both Hanalaa were the same person.[1]
From Hanalaa-nui descends the Alii Aimoku of Hawaii. Hanalaa-nui married Mahuia and begat Lanakawai. Lanakawai wedded Kolohialiiokawai and begat Laau. Laau married Kukamolimolialoha and begot Pili, the semi-legendary first king of Hawaii from Samoa.[2] Why Pili ended up in Samoa is a mystery. These genealogies might have been fabricated by Ancient Mauian storytellers to state that the Moi of Maui were of a more ancient origin than any of the other island monarchs; it could be noted that the Mois of Maui stretched back about 9 more generations, than the other island kings, and that line was continuously passed from father to son with some exceptions.
From what was stated about Hanalaa-nui one might assume that from Hanalaa-iki descends the remaining Moi of Maui. But this was not the case, up to the time of the conquest of the islands, the Maui chiefs claimed Hanalaa-nui as their ancestor, and assigned Hanalaa-iki to the Hawaii chiefs; but after the conquest by Kamehameha I, the claim of the Hawaii chiefs prevailed, and no genealogy recited after that ventured to give Maui the precedence in the claim upon the two brothers.[1]
Hanalaa of Maui was succeed by his son Mauiloa
| Preceded by Palena |
Moʻi of Maui | Succeeded by Mauiloa |