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Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(1)

Consultant:

Undisclosed

In the town of Ropuri two persons were actually buried inside the houses, the mats being taken up and the graves dug and filled in, and the people continuing to live in the houses all the time.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(2)

Consultant:

Nataniela

People buried in the house only the children or young people to whom they were very devoted. The burial did not differ from that made in the cemeteries. It was only because of affection that anyone was buried beneath the floor. This was done with Charlie Howard's wife.

Charlie Howard was a renegade sailor who married a Rotuman woman and had many children.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(3)

Consultant:

Nataniela

In the very early days in Rotuma a dead chief was carried to his grave on a bier or broad plank which had been carved out to receive his body. It was hollowed so that his body would just fit in. This plank was buried with him. It is called a fugarotu.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(4)

Consultant:

Niua

If a favorite young man was killed in a battle, the family would go back later and try to kill a member of the family that was responsible for the death in the first case. This was called po pupui,making a floor for the grave.

The body was not brought back as a floor.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(5)

Consultant:

Nataniela

Supposing a fine young man died from a disease or accident, we ao pupui = to seek a floor. They make a stretcher and go down the road with him crying, "Ki... i... i", looking for someone they can kill to "make a floor" for the dead one. If they find one, they kill him.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(6)

Consultant:

Niua

After the battle with all Rotuma, the Oinafa people buried their dead at Tofaraki.

The custom was to count the dead when they had been gathered (100 here) and bury them together. Such a burial was called a sa'aga.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(7)

Consultant:

Mora

Formerly a perfume was made of coconut oil and musko'i blossoms. It was rubbed on the corpse as a massage.

Pirorongo tree bore a fruit or nut, gourd shaped in which the perfume was buried. Coconuts were also also used as containers for burying perfume in grave.

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(8)

Consultant:

Nataniela

Call before house of dead:

"Gou le Pauufu kaloa, Noa'ia fa ne sapoa het, e taritari ne ka fot. Noa'ia fa ne sahoa het (mou se fuag sau het). Fa gat te'e (fuag mue Tausia ma Maruseu ma teu ne aus gagaj atakoa)."

The ki which is sung at burials is as follows:

Tokainiua mou mou ki.. i.. i.. i.. i
Asta ma hualta moumou ki.. ki.. i.. i

This means "I call upon Tokainiua, the god of Noa'tau and the sun and the moon, the two eyes of Tangroa."

Translation of Nataniela

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(9)

Consultant:

Varomua

Burial usually takes place the day of the death, unless that occurs late in the afternoon, or all the family cannot arrive in time.

Mats etc. are brought as gifts. Today with the paucity of mats, money is put in the plate set beside the body, as a gift to the (family?).

Mam e Singing at funeral
Mam e means wailing and the song for the dead. This song also called kautem is usually sung by the old men for a chief who has died. It is continued all night and up to the time of burial.

Conglomerate of small stones from Malhaha put on graves, called Uisu. This uisu is found on graves from every district and is carried from Malha'a.

See Music (10)

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(10)

Consultant:

Sarote

If a twin dies the live one is laid along the grave and the dead one is carried over his body and put in grave. This way bad luck is taken into the grave.

see twins at birth and twins at marriage

Category:

Death

Topic:

Burial(11)

Consultant:

Catherine

The covering stone of a ri hafu is called haf fau.

A pa of five pieces on top of a grave is called makpurou.

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