The mark of a ka’ioi, male or female, was the excessive use of saffron (ena). In discussing ka’ioi, a native said to me, "A’o’e te ena, a’o’e te ka’ioi" (without saffron, there is no such thing as ka’ioi). The loin cloth (hami) of the men was dyed yellow or yellow-orange in a mixture of perfumed coconut oil and raw or baked ena. The loin cloth (eu’eu) and robe (kahu) of the girls were likewise dyed yellow with unbaked saffron. The bodies of both youths and maids were anointed with saffron and oil, making them brilliant, soft, and—to the native sense—sweet-scented. Further embellishments were flowers in the hair and behind the ears, crowns and necklaces (hei) made of fragrant flowers or herbs, and particularly of the heavy scented pandanus seed. The prime motive of the ka’ioi was play. They spent their time in beautifying themselves and in circulating about the valleys in groups seeking amusement. Uta and komumu, love songs, and erotic songs called hioo, were those which they sang particularly.¹

¹Handy, E.S. C., n/an/an/an/a "The Native Culture in the Marquesas," , 9: 39.