Ka Pūnohu
(The low lying rainbow)
According to the Hawaiian-English dictionaries, this is the definition o this type of rainbow:
Pukui/Elbert: 1. nvi., To rise, as smoke, mist; to billow out, as a ship's sail; to spread out, as a shrub with low branches or as a cloud, to whiffle; such rising.
2. n., Rainbow lying close to the earth.
Photo By; Brian Dzyak | Picfair.com
Unverified Photos: These photos demonstrate this type of rainbow based on the authorʻs understanding of the dictionary definitions, context within some Hawaiian legends, newspaper articles, and Hawaiian language recordings. They are not definitive.
Signs and omens
This type of beautiful rainbow is often seen in Hawaiʻi. It can be a sign or omen for a variety of things as described below:
According to the legends This type of rainbow appears on 21 different occasions in the 4 legends analyzed in this study. It represents 9 different signs/omens as shown in the table to the right.
When does it appear
The pūnohu and the uakoko are often seen at the same time. They can be seen as separate rainbows or as a singular red rainbow lying close to the earth. This relationship can be understood via excerpt of the article below:
The position of this low lying red rainbow and the rainbow that was arching directly above was beautiful when seen.
Photo By; Brian Dzyak | Picfair.com