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from notes archived at Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i |
Category: | Noa'tau(1) | Topic: | Ho'aga | Consultant: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beginning at the Pepjei boundary -
In Savea there is a place of land back on the hill called Tagaroa. The big mound near the channel is a fuag ri in Savea. This is one of the highest in Rotuma. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(2) | Topic: | Ho'aga | Consultant: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Category: | Noa'tau(3) | Topic: | Fuag ri | Consultant: | Undisclosed | |
Fuag ri of Fekeioko, Noa'tau |
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Category: | Noa'tau(4) | Topic: | Chiefly titles | Consultant: | |
The father of Fonmanu was Saukokono. He had webbed toes and fingers, and could not walk. His family carried him down to the sea every morning and washed him. He earned the name of Ho'akokono because they became tired of carrying him. The family was afraid that someone in the family would become similarly afflicted so they took very good care of him. Also the district wished to reward this family for their good care of the sick man so they made Fonmanu their chief. All the pretty girls of the district came to Fonmanu to bear a child by him, so that there would be chiefly blood in their families and in their districts. The chiefs of other districts and of Noa'tau thus are all derived from Fonman, the first chief. According to the account of Kava of Lopta the mother of Fonman was Norisau. The sons of Fonmanu were Urakmata and Tokoara. They were sons of a Rotuman wife. Afterwards their father took a Gilbert Island woman to his house, and his sons accused him of the worst. He denied this, but the Gilbert Island woman unfortunately became pregnant, and Fonman's sons again came to him to settle this family scandal. The result was that Fonamanu admitted his guilt and made Urakmata chief, Tokoara faufisi or second chief, and gave them the respective titles - Manikfag and Uramafag. They became chiefs of the family and Fonmanu ranked third. This ranking is still held today. Urakmata first, Tokoara, and Fonmanu. |
ho'a = to carry | ||||
Category: | Noa'tau(5) | Topic: | Fonman | Consultant: | Rosarima | |||
Fonman belonged to Ri Noa and had many wives. One of these was Armafua of Malhaha. They had a son Irava whom they hid in the bush so that a devil ['atua] could not steal him. When he grew up they brought him to Noa'tau and made him sau. He had a son Tuaoja who is the grandfather of Rosarima. After Irava was sau he went to Savlei to live where he had more children.
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Category: | Noa'tau(6) | Topic: | Fonman | Consultant: | ||
Fonman married two Rotuman women and then a Gilbert Island woman named Teauira. By his first wife he had a son named Kaufose; by the second wife three sons Uramafag (Tokoar), Pongtora, Manikifag (Urakmat); and by the third, [space left free] Fonman lived at Ri Noa with his Gilbert Island wife, but his three sons by his former wife became angry because of his new marriage and drove him to the bush where he lived at Ri Te'u. Fonman appears to be the high chief of Rotuma, for families sent their girls from all over Rotuma to Fonman so that they could have children by him, and thus get chiefly blood in their family. There were innumerable such alliances, in all districts. These women did not constitute wives of Fonman. All the chiefs of Rotuma are of Fonman's family because his children were spread around the island and their descendants were chosen chiefs. Poar today. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(7) | Topic: | Fonman | Consultant: | ||
Kaufose became the first sau of Rotuma, and his half brother Manikifang the second. All the saus were buried at Sisilo because they were of Fonman's family. Fonman was buried there himself and this was his burial ground. (Sisilo in this way proves that the sau line was originally the family of Fonman.) |
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Category: | Noa'tau(8) | Topic: | Fonman | Consultant: | |
The first sau to be buried at Sisilo was Fonmanu. Women used to come to him to have children by him. Then children would afterwards become sau in many parts of the island. The women returned to their villages. Fonman had two children by his legitimate wife: 1. Takoara. 2. Urakmata. Both sons. Takoara was given the title Manakifaga, Urakmat was given the title Uramafana. Takoara afterwards became the faufisi (2nd chief in district) of Noa'tau. 2. Urakmata was chief of Noa'tau. Sons of Fonmanu found fault with him for committing adultery with an Ellice woman. Because they were right he exalted his 2 sons a lot. It was then they got the 2 preceding titles. Fonmanu first sau of Rotuma. Fonmanu was lame, as his legs cramped so that he unable to walk. He was carried to the sea to bathe. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(9) | Topic: | Fonman | Consultant: | Marsi'e | |
Fonman? (Noa'tau) father-in-law of Fuata Sons Women bred to him and sons became chiefs of districts. Fonman the chief of all Rotuma. Tongans came at this and captured Fonman. A woman of this fleet was chiefly and from her are the families that can produce a chief Marof today. She married a Rotuman and his brother is their son. Urakmat was chief when Tongans came. Fonman made him chief and Tokoara faufisi. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(10) | Topic: | Fonman | Consultant: | ||
In Noa'tau the fuag ri Ri Noa belonged to Fonman, the third sau of Noa'tau and Rotuma. Question as to whether all these men called aau were really of that rank or whether they were the real head chiefs of Rotuma and being so are looked upon as kings today, and the word sau used for king, when the rank of old sau is not clear in their minds. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(11) | Topic: | Titles | Consultant: | |
The names of the 2 sons of Fonman have become titles and only their descendants can carry them. The tautei of Noa'tau are these 2. Urakmata and Takoara. Names still in existence as titles. 2 Noa'tau petty chiefs. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(12) | Topic: | Maraf title | Consultant: | Maraf | |
Tongans made Maraf rank 2nd and Ufamarat 3rd. Faufisi List of Marafs Manueli son of Terio. |
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Category: | Noa'tau(13) | Topic: | Chiefs | Consultant: | |
The first Tui Rotuma in Kalvaka was appointed by Maraf to represent him in Elsio. Whether the title existed before then, the informant did not know. This is true of Riamkau who was sent to be a chief of Maraf. These were relations of Maraf but not of the line which could become Marafs themselves. There were once two sisters, Tautau, and Vivi. Tautau, the eldest, married Maraf Utpou. He gained this name because he had elephantiasis in his hands. They had two children Rafiok and Mumeata. Rafiok married Vilivai and they had Savaitu who is the grandfather of the present Maraf. Sangaitu and Maraf Terio were brothers. ?? Tautau told her sister Vivi to marry Maraf Utpou when she (Tautau) died, in order to keep their family chiefly. She did this and had two daughters. They were Pelu and Tue. Tue married Lankalu of Mafmanu. Tui Rotuma (present); Kaufoou hani [female]; Faktafonu fa [male] Pelu married a man who was Tui Rotuma. They had a son and he was Lusio the next Tui Rotuma. The present Tui Rotuma is a cousin of Lusio and a son of Tue. Further back than this the informant could not go. He and his sister think that there were only two Tui Rotuma before them as chief in Kalvaka. The fuag ri in Ut'utu of Noa'tau called Rotuma does not belong to them or any of their family. |
possibly ut pau = big lump | ||||
Category: | Noa'tau(14) | Topic: | Election of chiefs | Consultant: | ||
The following families were stated by Isaac to be those who elected the Maraf. Poar, chief of Oinafa. Fakrofan. Tigarava. Taipo of Lopta descended from Otaravao. Marsoani of Maraf Terio's family. Also the family of Urakmata was once eligible but sixty or so years ago, a chief from this family asked the people to do something for him which they refused. After that this chief of Noa'tau said that from that time on there would be no more chiefs from his family, and that Noa'tau would be without this chiefly line. (It was a threat probably to cut Noa'tau off from the chiefly line of Fonman, as Urakmat and his family today do not apear as yet to be in the Maraf line). |
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Category: | Noa'tau(15) | Topic: | Ranking of titles | Consultant: | ||||
Order of rank of titles
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Category: | Noa'tau(16) | Topic: | War leader | Consultant: | Rosarima |
Vavao was the taki of Noa'tau and his fuag ri is called Lau. | taki = war leader | ||||
Category: | Noa'tau(17) | Topic: | War of Gasava | Consultant: | ||
The people of Hapmafau went to Motusa and killed two brothers, Garagsau and Ufamorat. Their mother called out that some god might come and avenge her. Shortly after the missionaries from Tonga arrived and converted Motusa to Wesleyanism. This aroused the Hapmafau people and they went to war with Motusa to put out the new religion. But Motusa won and put down the pagan chiefs. In this war Maraf fought and Suakmasta the sau was killed. Maraf Terio became sau or at least took the title and also the place of mua (which had been held by Takalfa'äfe?). At this time, there was a Fijian minister in Noa'tau named Elemotama. Five years later the Catholics returned to Rotuma. |
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