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from notes archived at Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i |
Category: | Oral History(1) | Topic: | Voyages | Consultant: | ||
Some people of Malhaha made a voyage to Fiji in a double canoe many years ago. They traveled to Lambasa. Among them was the chief of Malhaha, Varomua. They stayed for some time at least. Ratu William, the present chief, reckons his descent from one of these Rotumans. Lambasa is on the west coast of Vanua Levu. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(2) | Topic: | Travel | Consultant: | Katalina | |
This old woman who lives in Levuka was born in Rotuma on the day of the battle at Huo which is called the batttle of pa, for they built fortifications or trenches. Her birthplace was Motusa though both her parents were persons of Lopta. When the Catholics left Rotuma her father took her with them to Futuna. At this time she was 3 years old. In Futuna she stayed 12 years and went to school in the convent. When she was 12 years old, she had to marry a Futunan and left her school. But her husband sailed away on a big canoe four months after they were married. She returned to the convent. About two years later the Bishop came from Samoa with the news that Rotumans wanted the Church back. They went home from Futuna with Father Joseph and Father Petero. She lived for about three years in Rotuma and during this time the battle at Gasava took place. Then she went to Fiji before its cession. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(3) | Topic: | Warfare | Consultant: | ||
Malhaha made a war on Salvaka, and announced it beforehand. The Malhaha warriors came as far as C. Gibson's house site and had a great feast with the warriors of Salvaka during the evening. The next morning they attacked Salvaka and wiped the village out. Motusa was supposed to have been allied with Salvaka but they failed to put in their appearance. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(4) | Topic: | Trade | Consultant: | ||
In the old days when a boat arrived the chief who got it to anchor off his district claimed all rights to it. He usually sent out 2 or 3 women immediately to the captain and they were prostituted for tobacco, iron, calico and novelties that caught the chief's eye. Children born of this bargaining were known by name. According to Mr. Whitcomb of Levuka, these women were immediately married off by the chiefs when the ship left. It was a great honor to be sent out to a sea captain or to be taken away with him on a cruise. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(5) | Topic: | Raid from Tikopia | Consultant: | |
The Haf Asoa stands out in the reef off Losa, and brought to justice one night a group of men who were preying upon the young men of Losa. The young men, or haharagi, of Losa lived in a low ri sipaki, that is a house on piles, but only to one half of the height of the usual ri sipaki. It was like a Gilbert Island house in height. These boys, when they finished playing on the teach at night, would light torches and walk down to the end of the village where their house stood. They dropped their torches ouside on the sand and went to bed. Suddenly, on two successive mornings, they found that two of their number had been stolen or disappeared during the night. On the third night they planned to solve this mystery and lay in wait for any marauders. It occurred on the second morning that the tide had not yet come fully up to the high water mark on the beach, and that on examining the wet sand, they found strange footprints. All the village was called out but no one could match the prints in the sand. During the day, someone reported that they could see the mast of a large canoe through the split rock in the islet of Hofleu. That night it was ordered that no one should come from the village and enter the ri sipaki. The boys played as usual on the beach, and when dark came they lit their torches and trailed down to their sleeping quarters. It was rainy that night, so they put leaves outside the door where they could hear the raindrops fall on them. Two men stood on either side of the door, one with club. Late in the evening they suddenly heard the raindrops of the leaves cease falling. A stooped figure entered the doorway and as soon as he was well inside, he was clubbed by one man and tossed out by the second. Another came in and he was treated in the same nnanner. Others of the raiding party were waiting outside and as soon as the supposed Rotuman victims were tossed out, they carried them down to the boat waiting on the beach. But as they were carrying down their second man, there was a great flash of lightning and the raiders saw that they were carrying one of their own men. They recognized in the flash the tatoo marks of their own people on the bodies. They imediately jumped into their canoe and pushed off. No sooner had they started than the Rotumans recognized what was up, and started in chase. They took to canoes and followed the fleeing strangers out to the reef. In the storm their canoe hit the Hof Asoa and smashed. Only one man escaped by swimming through the reef and back to the bush outside Losa. From here he escaped to Faguta. It was later learned that the great ahoi behind Hofleu came from Tikopia. The others were clubbed to death by the young men of Losa. |
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Category: | Oral History(6) | Topic: | Tongan occupation | Consultant: | ||
Ma'af arrived from Tonga in a double canoe with a large number of people. He placed Tongan chiefs in each district - six in all?, and himself in Noa'tau made seven. He had a strange way of disposing of the warriors of Rotuma. Any exceptionally strong man he had brought before him. A Tongan would hurl a stone at him and hit him under the armpit where there was not any protective muscle. The man would be sent home where he would turn sick and die. After a time the Rotumans had had enough of Tongan rule, and conspired to overthrow them. Alili of Maftoa seemed to be the head of this. It was agreed that the people of Oinafa should kill their district governor first. They did this and then built a fire to signal the people in Malhaha that the feat was accomplished and that they should kill the Tongans in their district. This was continued around the island until all the Tongans were captured and put to death. Isaac said that Ma'af was killed at this time in Noa'tau, although other accounts say that he was spared and died later in Rotuma. Varamua, a Rotuman, was married to Ma'af's sister, and they were spared. From these two come the line of Marafs or at least Isaac's line. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(7) | Topic: | Tongan occupation | Consultant: | ||
This informant states that when Ma'afu set men over the districts of Rotuma they would call in the strong men of the district and make them stand before them with their arms raised. The Tongan then would throw a stone at them and injure them over their hearts. This would cause these strong men to die later. It was a way of ridding themselves of men dangerous to the Tongan overlordship. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(8) | Topic: | Tongan occupation | Consultant: | ||
After Fouma defeated the Tongans at Itu'muta, the Tongans came again to Rotuma, this time 200 of them under the leadership of Maraf. 100 men he placed in the various villages and districts about Rotuma to govern the people, and to be supplied by the people. The other half he kept with him in Noa'tau. At this time there was a giant in Lopta by the name of Fä'äfe. He was one of the strong men of Fouma's family. In going around the island Maraf met Fä'äfe in Lopta. The Rotumans were much wrought up over the imposition of the Tongans placed [over] them and wished to be rid of them, but no one dared to move against Maraf. After Maraf came through Lopta, Fä'äfe went to Itu'muta by canoe to visit a giant there by the name of Alili. With him he planned to wipe out the Tongan conquerors. They sent messengers around the island telling the people to kill the Tongans who might be in their village. There were two messengers, one going on each side of the island from Itu'ti'u. Alili and Fä'äfe waited with their men in Motusa for Maraf and the remaining 100 Tongans. They defeated the Tongans and killed Maraf, but his brother Ma'af escaped and sailed away with the remnant of the Tongan army. When Alili found the Rotumans were going to be victorious he ordered his men to kill Fä'äfe. He was jealous of him and wanted to be known as the man who drove out the Tongans. Fä'äfe was killed but Alili never gained the leadership he desired. The leadership of Fä'äfe against the Tongans, and the resulting freeing of his people from foreign rule, is another instance of Oinafa men leading Rotuma and being the leading district. Tavai, the informant, of course is an Oinafa man, and descended from this family of strong men, so biased. But being of the family of Fouma he has perhaps a better knowledge of these famous ancestors of his. After the defeat of Maraf and the throwing off of the Tongan yoke two more war canoes came to Rotuma, landing at Ailala (on the south side of the Motusa Isthmus.) At this time there was a young boy as sau in Faguta. The people in Itu'ti'u used to visit the sau and bring him food. When the Tongans came, they joined the Itu'ti'u people in a visit, and killed the sau. This led the district of Faguta to bring war upon Itu'ti'u. As is the custom to achieve a leader for any battle, the Faguta people gave a large feast and invited whosoever would, to come and eat. At such an invitation (and probably knowing the circumstances which brought such an invitation) only the brave came to eat. Eating such a feast meant that the man or men accepted the leadership of the district in the fight they wanted to wage. At this feast only Tu of Lopta dared to sit and eat. This signified that he would lead these people and start the actual fighting. But Tu ate the meal and returned to Lopta where he lay down in his house, evidently with some reason of waiting until he could get his brother to join him. These two were also "strong men" and descendants of Fouma. When Tavai, his brother who had married and gone to Oinafa village to live, heard of his brother's cowardly action, and his refusal to take the men who were willing to follow him from Oinafa district, he sent for his brother. Tu went to Oinafa and entered his sister-in-law's house. He asked for his brother, and Tavai's wife told him that Tavai was behind the screen (i.e. siapo curtain). Knowing his brother for his temper and his wily ways, Tu picked up the bottom of the siapo with the end of a long stick and saw his brother sitting with his war club raised, ready to slay his brother for the disgrace brought upon the family. But being discovered in his treachery he told Tu that this time he had saved his life and that he should not try to kill him. They sat down to a meal that their brother-in-law had been cooking and then Tavai sent Tu back to Lopta telling him to wait until the next morning for him, and they would both go to Faguta. They led the army of Faguta to Itu'ti'u the next day and started the contest against the newly arrived Tongans and Itu'ti'u people. Towards the end of the day, Tu received a wound in the side from one of the two Tongan strong men who had been watching the Rotuman leaders all day. Tu pulling the spear from his side and seeing its seriousness, said to his brother behind him, "It is getting late and I think I shall go back to Lopta and feed our chickens and pigs before dark". He left the scene of the fighting but when he arrived before his door in Lopta he dropped dead. Tavai carried on the fight against the Tongans and was killed before the night fell. But the Tongans were driven to their canoes and they fled, never more to return to Rotuma. This is the last appearance of Tongan invaders to Rotuma according to Tavai, the informant. The names of the leaders of the Tomgans the Rotumans do not know, but they are called by them Pui rua, for they were two lightskinned men. |
pui = albino | |||||
Category: | Oral History(9) | Topic: | Missions | Consultant: | ||
First missionaries came in 1842. They were Samoan Wesleyans.
Tongan missionaries came in 1845 or after
Ravaka died at Oinafa. Paure was sacked for adultery and 2 others were sent home. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(10) | Topic: | Hill people | Consultant: | ||
Sanpati used to live in the bush on a ho'aga which did not run down to the sea. The people who lived there formerly had to ask permission to go down to the sea, from the shore people. There were chiefs in the bush, they were not as high as those on the shore. The bush people were bigger than those on the shore. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(11) | Topic: | Hill people | Consultant: | ||
Sixty years ago, Poar remembers bush people living around Solhafu. They were "savage looking people, darker than the shore people, with long hair." There was no intercourse with these people and they did not know their names. They were not allowed to pass through the shore villages to the sea without permission. They did not marry shore people, until they came down at last to live on the shore 20 or so years ago. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(12) | Topic: | Hill people | Consultant: | Undisclosed | |
Cannibalism seems to have been practiced by lone individuals among the bush communities. At Rotua, inland Oinafa, there lived two cannibals named Taualaha and Tautotoak, brothers. They had a third brother who lived at Faere but he was not a cannibal. These two men did not prey upon their neighbours but took people from other districts and the shore villages. The other people of Faere did not eat human flesh. | ||||||
Category: | Oral History(13) | Topic: | Hill people | Consultant: | ||
In Itu'muta some cannibals lived on the shore. When they saw some Motusa women fishing on the reef, they would walk out to them under a branch of a dilo [hefau] tree, so that people would think it was merely a branch floating on the water. They would kill the women and take them ashore. It took a long time for the Itu'ti'u people to discover why their women did not come back from fishing. | ||||||
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