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Macgregor's notes on houses include a number of sketches that are not reproduced here. Scholars or others interested in specific details should consult his original notes at Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

Category:

Houses(1)

Topic:

House types

Consultant:

Marasia

Formerly all houses of Rotuma were round ended and stood on an oval fuag ri. The houses with square ends today are an introduction to Rotuma.

There were two types of houses, one ri fak Rotuma built always on a fuag ri and with six eight or ten posts supporting the roof; and the second a lighter house used usually for sleeping purposes which had no central posts. It was built of thatch and with strong wall posts to hold up the roof. This is called a ri fak vaka.

The lagkasa = the beam running lengthwise over the cross beams and outside the posts is an introduction from Tonga.

The ri sipaki is an old type of house in Rotuma, but its origin Marasia does not know.

Category:

Houses(2)

Topic:

Parts of house

Consultant:

Undisclosed

main posts pou long beams lower sasogis pou long beams upper lagkasa cross beam utpoto upright from cross beam pofapua curved support äfe roof long supports agrau cross piece on wall sasaga wall pa'akiga lime soroi thatch ota roof ruru hi' ta ridge pole faua floor inside posts uan ri floor outside posts hun käkä'e sinnet unu bindings fa'u wall post tuturu supports to thatch kasa end beams kofere piece of timber above the ridge pole faua lilite foundation fuag ri door nu'sura

Tree Wood pou pou to'a lagkas to'a ut otu 'ulu pofaua 'ulu ef niu agrau surui pa'a kini

ruru hi' ta = place for owls to sit

uan ri = center of house

faua = ridge pole

pou = Flueggea flexuosa, a tree with very hard, durable timber used for posts.
to'a = ironwood tree

'ulu = breadfruit tree

niu = coconut tree

Category:

Houses(3)

Topic:

House parts

Consultant:

Paulo

aua liliki	small rafter that runs above and holds up the crest of the thatch.
tarutu	curved end of house roof
ri hapa	flat long side of roof
pupui	floor
umef 'ateag	table
umef reag fekei	bowl

Category:

Houses(4)

Topic:

Post positions

Consultant:

Tavai

Each house had 2 rows of 3 main posts or pou. The chief sat at the center post in the front of the house. Visiting chiefs sat to his left and right according to the direction their district lay. Thus, Noatau sits east of Pepjei's chief and Juju west of Pepjei's chief.

The other men in the house sat opposite the chiefs.

Category:

Houses(5)

Topic:

Defense

Consultant:

Aisake

In the old houses there was but one door, and the entrance was very low so that one had to stoop to enter. The walls were only 2 or 3 feet high. The fuag ri was cut into at this doorway so that there was a short runway into the house. This construction forced one entering the house to crawl in and come up to the floor. An enemy could be easily clubbed with this opening.

The house was built very close to the fuag ri.

The people built their houses with low doors because they feared attacks from other districts and especially from cannibals who came down from the bush at night to get victims from the shore people.

Other districts came to take away goods and captives.

fuag ri = house foundation

Houses are customarily, but not always, built on top of fuag ri.

Category:

Houses(6)

Topic:

Doors

Consultant:

Paulo

The door was a runway which was cut down into the ground so that a person entering had to come up into the house. At the threshold or undersill he did not have to stoop. This was for defensive purposes. A man coming in this way through the only door could easily be clubbed from above.

Category:

Houses(7)

Topic:

Doors

Consultant:

Nataniela

The roof timbers rested on the ground. There was only one doorway to enter in by. They would build a high stone wall. The height of the door would be 2' in the highest, 1' in the lowest. People crawled to get in.

Chief had strong man as body guard living with him.

Category:

Houses(8)

Topic:

Cook houses

Consultant:

Undisclosed

Kitchen
Rounded ends and small model in shape of old living house.

The wall posts are about 3' high on each end for the rounding of the roof end.

Roof hapa with the ridge pole and 4-6 poles parallel in the middle, cross pieces for supporting thatch.

One half of one end is left open for the entrance; usually shutter plaits were hung on the windward side and the far end. The earth oven called koua was at the far end usually.

Roof
The roof of the kohea, like the roof of all Rotuman houses with rounded ends, is not neatly joined as in Samoan houses. Two rihapa are made, the regular rectangular roof sides. The rounded part (tarutu) is begun under the edge of the ri hapa so that the edge overlaps and sticks out, giving [the impression] of tarutu being set into the end of the house. In the interior the crosspieces are begun at the last cross piece on ri hapa, no joining except overlapping thatch and sasaga.

Interior Kohea
Ridge plank = fufoua, pole above it = faka fiti

The kitchen has an earth oven of stones at the far end usually called koua, same as cooked feast. On the rafters are hung baskets, dry fish nets, bananas, drying sulu (the dry stalks that drop off coconut trees, used for firewood); on the floor coconut husks for fire, umefe bowl, umefe table, drinking coconuts in basket, floor of old dirty mats. There is no smoke outlet.

hapa = side (of roof)

tarutu = house end (viewed from outside)

Category:

Houses(9)

Topic:

Cook houses

Consultant:

Marasia

Kohea
The kitchen was built with a center line of posts, either two or three, which were forked at the top. In these forks rested the ridge pole, and the peak of the roof joined directly over this. The two sides of the roof ran down low, like those of a ri hapa, about two and a half feet above the ground. Both halves came down to an even height however. Sometimes a plait wall was made for the house but this was not usual. "Today the kitchens are made better than the old ones."

Category:

Houses(10)

Topic:

Cook house

Consultant:

Aisake

Old kohea was built on a model of the ri fak Rotuma. It had 6 posts in the center. It was smaller in size. The posts (interior) were always oiled with coconut oil.

ri fak Rotuma = Rotuman style house

Category:

Houses(11)

Topic:

Boat houses

Consultant:

Undisclosed

It is a long shed for canoe, triangular in cross section, about 6-7 feet high. Size according to boat or taf'aga. Crossed poles in pairs. Ridge pole, poles along bottom of roof sides. Runners across roof. Thatch paints.

Boat House = fakniua
taf'aga= type of canoe

Category:

Houses(12)

Topic:

Singing houses

Consultant:

Niua

These houses were built without center posts to make room. They had shutters like Samoan house that can be pulled up. They were used for dancing and singing.

If a district wanted to make a visiting party dance, only then would the reception and feast be held in singing house. Otherwise at the chief's house.

Ri mane'aga = house of playing

Category:

Houses(13)

Topic:

Yam sheds

Consultant:

Marasia

Ri 'uhi
The yam houses built for drying yam for planting are original in Rotuma. They are built up on stilts to keep the yams dry but primarily to keep them away from the wild pigs.

Category:

Houses(14)

Topic:

Sheds

Consultant:

Undisclosed

Ri hapa
Height of posts:

Post between mid and front rows, measured from center end + mid supports = 7'2"

Front drop at right angles poles = 3'

3 lines of poles

4 long runners to support roof, 1 over each line of poles, and a 4th one at the edge of the front drop, supported by a cross piece running from mid long runner to edge drop + ... to front posts parallel to ground.

Total length = 38'

Total width between roof poles = 16'

The ends are closed or not closed, bowed out with two stakes and runner at bottom pole, also from end of drop edge to bottom runner making front edge of side bow row.

Category:

Houses(15)

Topic:

Houses in bush

Consultant:

C. Gibson

Between Lopta and Malhaha, but very far back in the bush is a group of six fuag ri, not far apart from each other as is usual among bush houses. The fuag ri in the center of this group is very high compared to the others. It has a hole in the center which connects to a tunnel out to the side. It is doubtless the entrance to the house which once stood on it.

This group is in the very stony and difficult part of the bush. "The whole Malhaha bush is filled with house sites."

Category:

Houses(16)

Topic:

Spirit houses

Consultant:

Marasia

In Itu'ti'u, there was a spirit house at Gasava which was called Taifiriag. When kava was served here in ceremony, Tukagsau drank first, as he was the fa 'es hoaga of Gasava.

In Losa there was a second spirit house which was dedicated to Tangaroa and Garangsau. This house was called ri susa or sewn house. The plaits for this house were Fijian in type and unique in the whole of Rotuma. Leaves of the coconut were looped over a cane or stick and sewn under this cane, to make a double leaf plait or shingle for the house wall.

Category:

Houses(17)

Topic:

Beds

Consultant:

Sarote

Beds = hata

Old beds were made by driving 6 forked posts into the floor. 3 long posts ran lengthwise of bed and laid in forks each side. Cross pieces of 2" poles run across. 3 long poles and tied down. This would be made length of house and whole family could sleep on it.

hata (literally, shelf; also used for bier or stretcher)

Category:

Houses(18)

Topic:

Households

Consultant:

Nataniela

It was not a custom to dwell in kaunohoga. They didn't live together in large groups as they do now. Only the chiefs were allowed to have large households or kaunohoga. Ordinary people had small ones.

Famori la'ama were the ordinary people.

The old houses had 1 door. Kasa down to the ground. Door 2 1/2'--1 1/2' stone wall higher than door. They crawled into the houses.

kaunohoga = household

kasa = roof timbers

Category:

Houses(19)

Topic:

Households

Consultant:

Undisclosed

If a couple has 5 children, it is called moseag he lima. The first child that marries has to move out because the household got too big--or chiefly in number.

Everyone liked to join a chief's household because they were protected.

Aoo = chiefly household. Aoo = literally, to sweep.

The old chief Ravaka of Noatau and his group of aoo who went about with him. They came to Rahia and took Sa'a, one of a crowd of women (she hid in top of an 'ifi tree) and married her to Ravaka and had 2 sons. 1. Taipo, 2. Ufufia. Later these were high chiefs, 1 in Oinafa.

moseag he lima = five beds

Possibly from 'auma'i = to shelter from an enemy

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