Chief Keoua-kalanikupuapa'ikalani-nui "Keoua Nui"

Keoua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Ahilapalapa sometimes referred to as Keoua Nui "Keoua the Great" was the father of Kamehameha I.

He was the son of Kalani-Keeaumoku-nui, second son of Keaweikekahialiiokamoku, King of Hawaii, by his second wife, Princess Kalanikauleleieiwi, granddaughter of Iwikauikaua (whose celebrated kapu was the torchlight burnt at midday) and daughter of high chiefess Keakealani-wahine. He was half brother of King Kalani‘opu‘u of the island of Hawaii through his mother Chiefess Kamaka'imoku who married Kalani-Keeaumoku-nui, and Kalaninui'iamamao, Kalani‘opu‘u's father. His mother was from the chiefly family of I or Kohala.

He was reared with the utmost dignity due to his royal birth. His father was a Pio chief which was considered among royalties of the highest rank in the realm. Through his mother and father flowed the blood of Umi and Liloa, connecting also to the chiefs of Maui, Oahu, Kauai. He was chief of the Kohala and Kona district. He was a non-ruling chief, the aliʻi of Kona and Kohala was his brother Kalani'opu'u.

During his youth he spent his time at the royal court on Maui. His two wives High Chiefess Kahikikala-o-kalani and her Kalanilehua, daughters of High Chief Kalahumoku, Alii of Hana, by his wife, High Chieftess Kalani Kaumehameha. From Kahikikalaokalani was his eldest son Kalokuokamaile who was deemed Ka Keiki o Kona wa Heuole, which means the offspring of his beardless youth. He was the ancestor of Theresa Laanui, Elizabeth Kekaaniau, and was the progneitor Kalokuokamaile Dynasty. When he return to Hawai'i, he left his son behind in Maui.[1]

He married two daughters of Alii Ha'ae-a-Mahi, High Chiefess Kamakaeheikuli and High Chiefess Kekuiapoiwa II who were niece of the King Alapai'nui that usurped his uncles claimed to the throne and absorbed him into his tribe. Kekuiaipoiwa was daughter of High Chiefess Kekela-nui the aunt of Keoua. From Kekuiaipoiwa was born Kamehameha and Kealiimaikai Chief Priest of Io and Kane and the ancestor of Queen Emma and from Kamakaeheikuli Kalaimamahu who was the ancestor of Lunalilo. His other marriage he married his maternal half sister, Manono I who was a daughter of Alapai'nui and begot Chieftess Ki'ilaweau who was mother of Keaoua Kekuaokalani who would later rebelled against Kamehameha successor Liholiho. He married Aliʻi Kalola Pupuka-o-Honokawailani the daughter of King Kekaulike of Maui and they had Kekuiapoiwa Liliha the mother of Keopuolani.

His only remaining descendants are the descendants of his eldest son Kalokuokamaile.

In 1920, Princess Elizabeth Kekaaniau wrote a book, Keoua: Father of Kings, a tribute to her great, great grandfather Keoua. A chronicle of events in the life and times of Keoua and his son, Kamehameha. It has been republished in 1999 by his great great great great great grandson, David Castro.

Citations

^ Pratt, Elizabeth K. (March 27, 2000). Keoua : Father of Kings . Ke Ali'i Pub.

   Other marriages:

Akahi-a-Kuwala (Akahi, Akahinui), (Kauai Chiefess)

       Kekuiapoiwa (Kekuiapoiwa II), (Kekuiapoiwa-a-Ha'ae)

       Kamaka'eheukuli (Kamakaeheikuli),

       Manono (Manono I),

       Kalola Pupuka-o-Honokawailani, (Kalola Nui) (Kalola Kekuipoiwa)

       Huaimanono,

       Kalanilehua (Kalani-Lehua),

High Chief of Kohala and Kona.

   FULL NAME: Keōua Kalanikupuapaʻikalaninui Ahilapalapa

NOTES ON KEAOUA by D.P.KEKOOLANI
The genealogist SLK Peleioholani's accounts of the Keaouakalanikupuapaikalaninui are at odds with commonly traditions. He puts forth the following controversial information:
(1) Keōua Kalanikupuapaʻikalaninui is not the biological father of Kamehameha Paiea (the Great). The true biological father of Kamehameha being Kahekili II, King of Maui. This is not a controversial idea and it is gaining more acceptance over time. The more radical aspect of this teaching is the additional notion that Kekuipowa II, wife of Keōua, is also not Kamehameha's natural mother (see below).
(2) Keōua is not the son of Keeaumoku-Nui, but Kalaninuiamamao. His mother remains Kamakaimoku, who was married to both men.
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   NOTES FROM

   "The Complete Ancestry of John Liwai Kalniopuuikapali-o-Molilele-ma-wai-o-Ahukini-Kau-Hawaii Ena":

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HAWAIIAN:

   Kalaninuiamamao (k) hoao ia Kamakaimoku (w) hanau o Kalaniopuu (k) moi o Hawaii, Ka'u, Puna ame Kona, hanau o Keaouakalanikupuapaikalaninui (k), makuakane o Kamehameha I, aka, aole nana o Kamehameha ehiku makahiki o ka noho ana o Keaoua me kana alii wahine aole he loaa o ke keiki a kii mai Keaweaheulu (k), Kameeiamoku (k), Kamanawa (k) ia Kahekiliahumanu (k), moi o Maui lawe ia a hiki i Hawaii, kahi o ke lii Kekuiapoiwa e noho ana a hoao ia aku la na lii a loaa mai ia he lani, he nai aupuni kaulana oia ka imi Sani Haku, ana a na In la a pela no i nui ai na lii.

ENGLISH:

   Kalaninuiamamao (k) married Kamakaimoku (w) and was born Kalaniopuu (k) King of Hawaii, Ka'u, Puna, and Kona, and was born Keaouakalanikupuapaikalaninui (k), father of Kamehameha I, but Kamehameha was not by him; Keaoua was married for seven years to his chiefly wife, but he did not have a child so Keaweaheulu (k), Kameeiamoku (k), Kamanawa (k) got Kahekiliahumanu (k), King of Maui, to come to Hawaii where Kekuiapoiwa was living and in this mating had that child, a famous conqueror, the seeker of chiefs, leader of the chiefs and in that did the chiefs increase.

[Also, later in this genealogy]
ENGLISH:

   Keaouakalanikupuapaikalaninui (k) married Kekuiapoiwa II, chief of Kona, Hawaii, no issue.

[And finally]

   ENGLISH:

   Look at Kuhooheiheipahu (w) and Kahekili (k), they being the true chiefly parents of Kamehameha I, Kalanikupule (k), and Koalaukani (k).

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   In this same JOHN ENA genealogy, we see that Peleioholani understands that Keaou is still Kamehameha's "father" in the sense that he was the head of the family to which Kamehameha belonged. Kamehameha was given (hanai) to Keaou and his wife by Kahekili and Ku. This kind of child-giving was common practise among the chiefs and was a kind of bonding ritual between chiefly families:

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ENGLISH:

   Look at the chief Kalaniopuu (k), he is the own grandson of Umiulaikaahumanu (w) (true chiefly class) and Kuanuuanu (k) of Waianae, Oahu. Look closely at Kalaninuiiamamao, the own father of Kalaniopuu (k). A high chief. And here are the chiefly descendants that are seen in the broad daylight.:

   Look at Kalaniopuu (k) and his

   2. Younger brother Keoua (k), father of Kamehameha I.

   3. Sister Kekaulikeikawekiuonalani (w), grandmother of L. M. kekupuohi.

   4. Sister Kahiwaokalani (w). Grandmother of the Princes.

   5. Sister Ahia (w).

   Here is the (wohi) son of Kalaninuiiamamao (k), namely

   6. Keawema'uhili (k), he is the own grandfather of

   7. S. L. Kalaniomaiheuila Peleioholani (k), own father of

   8. A. Kahalelehua Kaonohiulaokalani Notley.*

* Annie Kahalelehua Peleioholani, daughter of Solomon Peleioholani and Elizabeth Kekumano)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ke%C5%8Dua]