This document is an excerpt from Kumulipo Wä ‘Akahi, a Hawaiian creation chant that describes the origins of life. It recounts the birth of various seaweeds and plants, with each birth described in a similar formulaic structure. The seaweeds are born in the sea and cared for by related plants on land, with freshwater being essential to their growth. Elements are said to penetrate where humans cannot. The chant traces the origins of life from darkness and chaos to a state of activity sustained by natural elements.