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from notes archived at Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i |
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (1) | Consultant: | ||
The mua were the first chiefs in Rotuma, and were always selected from Riroa, the long house that Raho built in Malhaha. Tui te Rotuma was the first Rotuman-born chief of Rotuma (unless one considers Tokaniua born here) and it was to him that Raho gave the island when he left for Hatana. After Tui te Rotuma the mua were chosen from the House of Riroa, though it seems that many of them went to different parts of the island to live. This line of mua ended when Noa'tau conquered Malhaha and killed Moameata, the mua and chief of Malhaha. Noa'tau set up their own head chief of the island, and this man took the name of Muameata. The wife of the Malhaha Muameata, Panoi by name, was taken pregnant to Noa'tau, and when she bore her child he was called Riamkau and made the first sau after his maturity. Muameata gave his place to him. Thus the line of Riroa became the sau line according to this informant. The people who were descended from the Riroa of Malhaha and the line of Tui te Rotuam in Toga ho'aga were still recognized as a chiefly family, although the rank of chief was transferred to Noa'tau. That is the mua and the sau, but the title of Tui te Rotuma was continued at Toga. It appears that the turtle must have been the sacred animal or totem of the Riroa and the Tui te Rotuma line, for during the entire history of Rotuma it has been the duty and privilege of a member of this line to cut up the turtles which were caught in any district. It was tabu for anyone else to do this. The head went to the chief and elsewhere it has been stated that the mua must receive a part of the flesh, probably because it was the totem of the first mua family. Varomua stated that the members of the Ri Roa alone could eat the head, and elsewhere it was stated that it was eaten by the chiefs or the mua. Turtles when caught were always presented to the head chief in the community and a member of Riroa was sent for to cut the turtle up. The prayer made by the mua was always held in Malhaha on the spot where the Riroa is supposed to have stood. The mua came to Malhaha for this purpose and he always stayed at Matame'mea, which is on part of the site of the old Riroa. This was considered the mua's house. Thus it appears that there are two chiefly fuag ri in Malhaha and the third is chiefly in that it belongs to the old Riroa line, but probably not part of the chiefly kainaga which elects chiefs today. The other two hold the titles of the men sent to Malhaha by Fonman: Tua and Varamua. The mua held the prayer for relief from famine at a stone beside Matame'mea, where Muameata, the old mua, was supposed to have been killed by the Noa'tau people. When his blood fell on the ground it turned into white stones (or ri hapa). At this place a molmolu, or shade, was made under the toa, or ironwood tree, for the chiefs. The mua stood first and an umbrella was held over him, for after his prayer the rain was sure to fall and bring water to the island. The sau stood behind him. All the people carried leaves of the various foods and fruits they wished to grow in their districts. When a good thing was mentioned in the prayer, they cried "E..e...e" after it and waved it to their districts, but when it was bad they cried "O...o..o" and waved it down to the ground so that it would grow in Malhaha. There never was any procession to Muasol. "After that time there were two fans in Rotuma." Quotation from notes taken from Mr. Churchward. Varomua says that this means the time when the mua was taken to Noa'tau and the sau was set up. The mua carried a fan as part of his official paraphernalia and the sau had one too, but it was made in a different way. (Probably the line of Riroa was carried on in Malhaha for some time before it gave up entirely.) The fan was a sign of office of the mua. He also had a stool, as did the sau. Mua tarav = a mua who is part Gilbertese. Varamua's explanation. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (2) | Consultant: | |
The first to be buried in Muasol was a little boy killed by the Tongans who were building a ship to go home. They covered him with shavings from the canoe. He was killed on the spot of the Rotuma grave. No mua was buried there at that time. Vasea was the name of the boy. He was from Malhaha. Tui Rotuma was the second person to be buried in the grave. He was a mua of Malhaha. They did not know where to bury him because he was so high a chief. They asked two birds and they flew off and people followed with the body. They settled over Vasea's grave. After a row Raho went to Hatana and Tui Rotuma was left to be chief of the island. When he died he was taken to Muasol, also led by two birds. Lapatemasunu was the first sau and he was buried at Sisilo, first one first sau. Saus came later than muas "after white boat told them about kings". Foume and Fouea were two giants of Oinafa; they ordered giants of each district to bring a part for the house on Muasol. Lepjea = Foume's fuag ri in Lopta bush. Kinehe'e = Fouea's fuag ri in Lopta bush Riha'a = fuag ri on Muasol, built by island for Vasea. Riha'a = tabu house. Foume is Fuge, son of a man who went to battle. He told his brother to take his pregnant wife and if he died, to call his son Foume - to get revenge. Foume built Muasol. Niua was first buried in Oinafa grave in Muasol. There is one house in each district built specially for the mua, who lived a while in each one and then was carried to the next district, where he was feasted until he left. Everytime a chief of Oinafa visits Muasol he always plants a new stalk of ti on the Oinafa grave or on the fuag ri. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (3) | Consultant: | Undisclosed |
Raho at Hatana and the transference of the chieftainship to Noa'tau, through the capture of the title by the people of Tokainiua and the obtaining of his aid by the spirit of a hanged woman, are two elements common to the legends. The history of the sky people ends at this point with a division of chieftainship into two offices, presumably that of mua and sau. But Trouillet's oral history continues with the capture of the title of mua by the district of Fa'u, and finally by Pepjei or Faguta, where it is split into two offices, that of mua and sau. This seems to be the correct or truer account as will appear in the discussion of the chieftainship. |
Fa'u = western side of the island | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (4) | Consultant: | |
Sacredness and Turtles The mua 'oan means the sacred turtle. 'Oan ('ona) means poison. If a man touched an 'ona person, the fupu disease would afflict him. This disease is a growth on the skin which appears in the likeness of food. The turtle was very sacred and when caught it was to be brought before the mua. If anyone ate the turtle or any food of the mua or a chief before the chief had touched it, the person would be poisoned. In the case of turtles this was more severe, as the turtle was most sacred of all foods. If the meat of a turtle was given by the mua to a man who had caught it, this man would carry the meat away on a stick in his ear lobe or in his hand. If he put the meat in his clothing or sulu, a turtle would grow on his stomach. This is a fupu. All big fish and turtles must be brought before one's chief, otherwise a person would become 'ona or poisoned by the chief. To remove a fupu the chief must banish it by rubbing. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (5) | Consultant: | |
The third from last mua was Lagkalu, the second from last was Muameata, and the last was Fesaitu, whose Christian name was Remanto. (Muameata an uncle of Tui Rotuma through Vivi and Tautau? The mua had a fei, a round or chiefly kokona, in which all the presents of food to the mua were put. The mua's prayer was called a tafi ?? Three times a year the mua prayed for a good harvest. There were three Rotuman years in the European year. |
According to most accounts a tafi = six months, there being two in a European year | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (6) | Consultant: | Rosarima | |
Ahaita is the name of the fuag ri of the mua. Riro is the name of the ho'aga of the mua. It is in Kalvaka. Riro is a big place set aside for the mua. He had a very high fuag ri on which he could sit and cool himself in the breezes. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (7) | Consultant: | Paurino | |
The mua lived at Noa'tau and was carried on a litter to Sisilo when a sau died. He made the grave very quickly and then was carried back by another path so that the 'atua could not catch him. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (8) | Consultant: | ||
In time of famine or drought the mua made a procession, an umbrella of palm leaves carried over his head, a stone axe (vairano) on his shoulder, and all the people carried a bunch of grass or small bush. These they waved towards the district, about which the mua was praying. The mua was preceded by a man blowing a conch shell. A man with an umbrella came behind the mua. Mua fa'purou = hat of leaves worn by mua. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (9) | Consultant: | ||
The mua always lived in Noa'tau. The chiefs of Oinafa were supposed to be all descended from the grandfather of the first Niua. Thus, as chief, he owned the grave. Also he was supposed to be buried in the Oinafa grave? and the first man buried in a grave is the owner. Similarly, Varea of Noa'tau was the first mua to be buried in the Rotuma grave on Muasol, and so he owned it. The rest of the island belonged to Noa'tau or the chiefs derived from it and the mua lived in Noa'tau, so they were buried in the Noa'tau or Rotuma grave on Muasol. This is an atttempted explanation given in part by Niua. Graves would thus result in an Oinafa and a Noa'tau grave. Mua riroa were retired mua who were allowed to eat turtle. That is an attempted explanation of the term riroa.. Mua tarav is a mua from Noa'tau or one who had Tarawa blood. 'Oan = dangerous or very sacred, from literal meaning of poison. ? The mua had an official family like the sau. The village he lived in brought the mua food from the bush every afternoon. Kava: The family with which the mua lived planted kava which was known as the mua's plantation. He was served kava three times a day as was the sau. When the mua retired, the plantation became the property of the family who planted it. A mua did not always serve as such until his death. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (10) | Consultant: | ||
A mua's breastplate presented to me by Turaga, but which could not be exported from the Fiji Group, is deposited with the Suva Museum. This shell plate measures 6" across in maximum width, and 5" in length. Three holes are pierced across the top, through which a suspending cord of cotton line is strung. The outer surface has been slightly polished, and has a 3" groove cut diagonally across it, by some sharp implement. This groove is not decorative or functional, and was probably done recently with a steel knife. The edges of the shell are chipped. | Drawing included in notes | |||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (11) | Consultant: | |
He'moea Procession order: Kea ke he'a People answer: o-o. People from all over Rotuma. They mention all the trees in their song but for trees they do not like they wish their fruits to fall on the ground before they are ripe. They finished off their singing at Solmena in Malhaha (fuag ri). All then go home to wait for the harvest. This ceremony is held between June and July. Panai = flowering of fruits. It is thought to be the result of moea mua. The name of the kato'aga, or mua's holiday, is ohet. The name of the song is Kee he. Every plantation of fruit must give first fruits to the chief and then the rest of food may be used. The same with fruits of trees, e.g., fava. The first 'ifi nuts made into pudding and brought to chief. Formerly fei were used as hooks instead of kokona. First breadfruit were brought and hung on a fei for the chief. Fei = name used in sau's house. Kokona was the name in an ordinary home. But fei are hooks used by sau. |
moea = crop, harvest
fei = hook for hanging food | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (12) | Consultant: | ||||||||||||||||
Fragment of the mua's prayer
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (13) | Consultant: | ||
The mua must go to the sau at the end of each tafi, for a great koua and festival and then return to Noa'tau. The "O" of the mua was only held at Muasol and Sisilo. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (14) | Consultant: | ||
The mua came to the village of Poi, Juju from whatever district he lived in and got his clothes (a red rau ji - skirt), oiled his body with red paint (mena) and proceeded to Pepjei. He had a trumpeter with a conch shell (shell = 'uga) who preceded him blowing his shell to call the people (continued during the march). Behind him walked a man carrying a palm leaf umbrella (öf fakmora) over the mua's head. The mua carried an axe (vairano). No one else could carry one. From Pepjei to Evev, they started for Muasol. At Evev, all the people joined the mua. At intervals the mua stopped and the people prayed. These prayers were to the god of the muas (Garagsau who lived at Muasol) to ask for food, fish, whales to drift ashore, fruit, men from Tonga and Fiji to come and live in Rotuma and make more babies. This procession finally ended at Muasol, where they prayed to the dead mua and Garagsau. The prayer called O.
The leaf is from some tree that bears fruit or food. "The people make this prayer but the mua says nothing. At Moea iri, all the people bow their heads and then wave leaves at the words "O re rau" = Amen. Sau not a Rotuman word. Mua = first. The mua never spoke during his procession, nor offered prayers. He usually wore a very long beard and looked very serious. He carried a large stone axe over his right shoulder (as a symbol of authority). This axe, known as vairano, had a handle about 2' long and a head about 6" or more. It was made of black stone. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (15) | Consultant: | |
The mua were buried in a fuag ri called Rihaha, built on the top of a hill called Muasol. This is in reality a rise or peak on a crater rim. Muasol has two grave pits, one for the mua of Oinafa and another for mua of all other districts. A mua was brought to a grave and sat down in the opening, the bones being brushed aside to the walls of the grave. The pit was then covered over with woven coconut leaves, like the rough floor mats. The pit grave itself seems to have been constructed in the shape of a bean pot. That is, there was a narrow opening wide enough to allow a body to be deposited in a sitting position. The walls of the pit were cut away and against these the old bones were brushed. Over the opening mats were laid. When the last mua was buried, the pit was so full of bones that his head stuck over the top. The mua was buried in a titi of armea bark and his body was coated with mena with streaks on his face. On Rihaha, the olden people had a house built. The strong men of each district were told to bring certain parts and the whole would be assembled on Muasol. When they came to build the house, two strong men from Itu'ti'u had not brought the pou and sasanga which had been their part, so the others bound one man and used him for one of the main posts and bound the other and set him as part of the sasanga. This house seems to have been built as a sort of caretaker's house for the mua's grave. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (16) | Consultant: | ||
The giants who did not bring their share to the house on Muasol were from Tuakoi, Fahapa. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (17) | Consultant: | ||
People from other districts came to Muasol to pray to the dead mua for a relief from famine. When they did this, they had a big feast near the grave and then prayed, and as they named the foods they waved their hands towards their own districts. This was done without the Oinafa people, but if they heard of it they also went to the grave at Muasol and prayed for food, waving the yam and taro etc. towards Oinafa. There was also a village around Muasol of bush people to whom were entrusted the care of the graves. They prepared feasts for people who brought the dead muas to Muasol. They had their own graves or tamura called Solu. The tamura Solu is on the land called Solu. Tamura name may not be known. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (18) | Consultant: | ||
When the mua died, he was carried on a litter with the living sau to Muasol. Here the sau said, "you can't come up again. The mua dies, that means everyone sick will live." The mua died for everyone. Sick Rotumans expected to live for some time after the mua died. His death was a sort of absolution. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Mua (19) | Consultant: | ||
Mr. Leefe, a commissioner, and A.M.Hocart opened at different times the pit containing the mua from all Rotuma. Mr. Hocart took away a skull. Mr. Leefe also took some bones and skulls "for which he died in Rotuma." The grave shows excavation around it, and the opening is filled with stones which were not there originally. The Oinafa pit has stones but less signs of opening. |
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