Ipu

Ipu /ˈiːpuː/ is a percussion instrument made from gourds that is often used to provide a beat for hula dancing.

There are two types of ipu, the ipu heke /ˈiːpuː ˈh[unsupported input]k[unsupported input]/, which is a double gourd made by taking two gourds of different sizes, cutting them and joining them at their necks with the smaller one on top, and the ipu heke ʻole /ˈiːpuː ˈh[unsupported input]k[unsupported input] ˈoʊl[unsupported input]/, which is made from a single gourd cut across the top. Both are made from gourds that have been dried, hollowed and usually polished smooth with sand or sandpaper.

Ritual:

The ipu gourd plays a large role in Hawaiian life, more than just an instrument the ipu was used for food, medicine, and a variety of other useful and artistic items. Because of the importance of ipu to basic life and culture, Hawaiians developed an entire ceremony around the planting of the gourd. In Hawaiian customs, the gourd plant should be planted on the night of Hua, during the lunar phasewhere it was believed to look the most like an egg or a fruit. The gourd should be planted done by a pot-bellied man who has just eaten a large meal. To stretch his stomach, the pot-bellied man must take the seeds and carry them as if they were already a fully grown and heavy gourd. The man would drop the seed into the hole he had dug for it, then he would suddenly pull his hands apart with his palms facing upwards. The reason for this was that the Hawaiians believed that if his palms were to face downward, it would cause the gourd to twist and shrivel. After the seed was buried, the following chant would be recited:

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