It’s debatable when the Hideaway’s Semangat Rumah came into existence.
In Malayo-Polynesian beliefs, the spirit of a house – called the “semangat rumah” – is created as the the walls and roof are fitted together. A house spirit is born in the process. It begins to exist in interdependency with its builders. The house protects its inhabitants, and the inhabitants protect the house. Its creators are its soul. The efforts of the builders in crafting the decorations, carvings, and features transfer mana (i.e. spirit, energy) into the house.
I bet the Hammerhead Hideaway’s Semangat Rumah existed earlier than that point in time. In fact, I suspect it was the moment LuRu rescued a fiberglass hammerhead shark from the curb and took it home. Regardless, I do know this. The semangat is strong at the Hammerhead Hideaway, LuRu and Don’s large, open-air tiki hut in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Read the rest of the story in Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home, page 262.
Hammerhead Hideaway, Hollywood, Florida
