Seal of Hawaii - Symbolism

Symbolism

• 1959 represents the year of admission into the Union as a state.
• The rising sun replaced the royal crown from the original coat of arms. This represents the birth of a new state.
• King Kamehameha the Great and the Goddess of Liberty holding the Hawaiian flag replace the two warriors on the royal coat of arms. This may represent the old government leader (King Kamehameha the Great) and the new government leader (The Goddess of Liberty).
• The quartered design of the heraldic shield is retained from the original coat of arms.
• The eight stripes in two of the quarters of the shield represent the eight main islands.
• The Puloʻuloʻu, or tabu ball and stick, in the second and third quarters was carried before the king and placed before the door of his home, signifying his authority and power. In the seal it is a symbol of the authority and power of the government.
• The star in the middle of the shield signifies the fiftieth star added to the United States flag.
• The phoenix, symbol of death and resurrection, symbolizes the change from the monarchy to a free, democratic form of government.
• The eight taro leaves, flanked by banana foliage and maidenhair fern are typical Hawaiian flora and represent the eight main islands. Taro is the traditional staff of life and has great spiritual significance. Taro is also still cultivated and is the ingredient of the popular dish called poi.
• The state motto, "Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono", "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness," is retained from the royal coat of arms.