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from notes archived at Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai'i |
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (1) | Consultant: | ||
First chiefs of Rotuma began with Tui Rotuma. The last was Suakmasa.
The sau kept at Su'ura. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (2) | Consultant: | ||
The sau was chosen by the chief who had last conquered the island, or was recognized as the head among the chiefs. At the end, this was Riamkao. Maraf wanted this power and so inaugurated the Catholic-Wesleyan war. Some sau lived in Saukama on certain land sites in Aroni. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (3) | Consultant: | ||
When the maro (victorious warriors) pick a king from the island,they bring the people together and the chiefs pick the best man during the feast held for the election, the chiefs watch workers and the workers work hard "for the sake of their names". | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (4) | Consultant: | ||
The sau was not taken from a district conquered in war, but from each district in turn. If this turn was denied, a war followed. When the sau came to a district, the chief appointed the place he was to stay. This house was always known as the Su'ura. In Itu'ti'u the sau went to either Savlei, Motusa or Losa in rotation as it became Itu'ti'u's turn to take care of him. In Savlei the house of Konau is known as Su'ura as is the one next to it. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (5) | Consultant: | ||
Sau were picked in rotation by districts, elected by district chiefs at a meeting. Kauturafe was brought from Faguta to Lopta 50 years ago. The reign usually lasts 6 months, sometimes 12 months, or 2 tafi. The sau was selected from among chiefly men but not a chief in office of any district. The sau was made as fat as possible to show the district that he came from how well he had been looked after. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (6) | Consultant: | ||
The new sau was picked by the chief of his district when the other chiefs came to him and asked for the man. The districts had saus by turn. If a man did not wish to be sau he had to run away into the bush and hide. The new sau went to Noa'tau where the dead sau, if there was one who died in office, lay in Ri Noa. Noa means tired. The new sau took the dead one to Sisilo and buried him lengthwise. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (7) | Consultant: | ||
The people notice who brings food to the sau. He who is most generous and diligent was elected as next sau. The sau's functions: Tukuag o'moe = feeding the sau, special term. Tafi, taf = 6 month period (period of sau's appointment). If two districts were diligent in serving a sau, the next sau would be chosen from one of them, and he would live in the other. Both districts would be exempt from serving him; other districts would have to do that. The home district (the district he formerly belonged to) of a sau never served him. The sau held office from 3-24 months. The sau's office rotated. Working district was next to have sau. If one district thought they could win a war, they would cease bringing food to the king and tell the last victorious district, where the king presumably would be. They would announce their intentions at the next supper for the king by bringing clubs. They'd also set a date for the fight. This would happen if the chief thought he had enough followers to challenge. The sau always lived in the victorious district, weak defenders gave up the sau quickly. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (8) | Consultant: | ||
The sau had a dance which was only given in his honor. It was called the mak paki. Paki means a stick, somewhat flattened, which was used only in this dance. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (9) | Consultant: | |
There is a clown in the sau's mak paki, who is known as a manmanhe. | manman = bird | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (10) | Consultant: | |
The sau'stonu called Tontonu, used to announce kato'aga. He had a company of men with him, who took whatever the herald saw and liked for the sau. Each chief had a tonu. A family from an Oinafa fuag ri suplied all sau's tonus. | tonu = messenger; herald; envoy | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (11) | Consultant: | |
The tonu, or king's envoy, wore a pearl shell round his neck as a badge of office. When a new king was about to be installed into office with the accompanying feast (tafi), the tonu, wearing an apei (white mat) round his waist, and painted with mena, would walk round the island, announcing the fact to all the people. When so engaged, he had the right to seize, for the king, whatever he found outside of people's houses: mats, food, utensils, or anything else. But he had no right to enter a house or to trespass on gardens. Naturally the people, when they heard or saw that he was coming, would hurry to put everything valuable inside their houses. The sau's tonu lived in a fuag ri in Oinafa in front of Vaimea tamura. This was the only fuag ri of the family in this fuag ri. This fuag ri supplied all the tonus for the saus. The tonu wore a pearl shell to show his office. |
mena = turmeric
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (12) | Consultant: | ||
The wife of the sau was called the fanohoga. The fagata or ragai lived with the sau. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (13) | Consultant: | ||
If a man who attended the sau was exceptionally zealous in serving him and bringing his food, the sau might recommend him to be his successor. However he must first apply to his (the sau's) family which of course was that of Fonmanu. If this family was pleased to let the man become sau, he was chosen at the sau's death or at the close of his term of office. Such a sau of merit was known as a sau po a pumuhane or a sau by sweat. This man could not be buried at Sisilo as he was not of the blood of Fonmanu. Asking for permission for a man to be sau was stated as "allowing the man to have a smell of the title". |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (14) | Consultant: | Paurino | |
The father and mother of the sau, and their fathers and mothers, came to live with the sau and took care of him. They fed him and made his clothes. A sau was very ashamed if he did not have enough relatives to feed and clothe him. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (15) | Consultant: | Katalina | |
The chiefs and men did not have more than one wife. But when a man was made sau, there was more leniency in the matter of women. If the sau's wife did not come in the front door of their house, the sau was then allowed to get another wife, and the people who were taking care of him had to rush about their district to procure a girl for him to sleep with. (This seems to be more of a special treatment to the sau than a plurality of wives.) This custom for the sau was called mosoaf. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (16) | Consultant: | ||
Wife of sau = fainoho'aga. Mafua 'on sau = calls the king's kava. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (17) | Consultant: | ||
The sau's attendants were called his family while he was in office = Ö 'on sau. The sau was the head and his attendants traveled with him wherever he went. There were from 12-18 of them and they were picked from the same district as the sau's. They were placed about the village in which the sau lived, each one with a family who looked after him. They had titles such as fagata and titupta. Others not known. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (18) | Consultant: | ||
| The first sau was sauhani of Vakai, Faguta, after 8 muas. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (19) | Consultant: | ||
When the sau was taken for a fish drive, or vao hapa, it was called kakau sasi e sau, or giving the sau a bath. This was not carried out at any special time. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (20) | Consultant: | |
The sau wore a white mat or kilt, called sala'a, which was bound on with a taktakai. Over this he wore his mala (last a breathed) which was a titi of shredded strips. This last was not a woven piece. The mala was a dress worn in the mak paki and war. The mala was made of strips of the sa'aga which were dyed in a mixture made of the bark of the 'ura, mena and lime and water. This made a deep purplish pink color. |
mala = red waistband
sa'aga = pandanus leaves | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (21) | Consultant: | ||
When the sau's messenger traveled he carried the sau's shell, or tiaf 'on sau, and the sau's belt or te sahe. If the sau should be off his pile of mats, or farau, that was a sort of throne, the tonu could sit on the farau and claim himself sau. This was because he had the belt in his possession. The sau had two stools: one was the sulkaga of 3 legs which he sat on after his bath, and one of four legs = nofo'a, with a high curved seat so that he could rest his arms on the side. His table was a chief's 'umefe of four legs. The sau's bed was surrounded by a mat called tatau, which was stood up. This was used also by families to surround a very favorite daughter. The sau's tapa sulu is called uha. He also wore a white mat kilt = apei 'on sau, and also a very white mat and kilt made of armea bark. This was split and the inside was treated and woven into a very white mat. The sau often wore a sort of grass skirt, as Turaga exhibited over his uha. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (22) | Consultant: | |
Fonmanu, before he died, asked to be buried at Sisilo. Fonmanu was the first sau of Rotuma, (but this is contrary to the title his father held). Fonmanu's was the first grave at Sisilo, and after that the sau who were of Fonmanu's blood were buried there in a regular order, making a circle about his grave which is marked by a "saddle" stone in the center. The dead sau was carried up the hill and laid very gently in the grave "as if he were asleep," so as not to disturb his soul which might chase the new sau. The new sau was waiting at the other end of the cemetery or grave? and was put on the hata as soon as the old one was buried. They took him down by a different path to confuse the 'atua of the old sau in case he should follow. The route took them through Ri Noa where the old sau had been lying in state, and out through the door to his new district. |
hata = bier; litter | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (23) | Consultant: | Rosarima | |
The dead sau was brought to Mameiagsau in Noa'tau where all gathered to mourn over him. They wailed, cut their hair, burnt their skin; all suffered to show their grief. The mourners were not allowed to eat anything other than roast coconut. They drank kava contiually. These customs were more or less followed at any death. For the sau this lasted ten days and then he was conducted to Sisilo on a hata. The corpse was quickly buried and the new sau carried back by way of Fekioko. This was not the way of ascent to Sisilo. For one day after there was great rejoicing and dancing under the leadership of the mua. He gave a prayer for good crops and good fishing under the new king. The new sau remained for this day only at Mameiagsau, but the next day? was carried to Ri Noa. The mourning then went on till the tenth day. (The sau was evidently buried on the first day after his death.) The mua gave his prayer for good harvests at Noa'tau, or at least it was not held at Sisilo, which "is a very tabu place". The sau was brought from Sisilo by the strongest men in great haste so that the spirit of the old sau could not catch them. When the old sau died, messengers were immediately sent to the place that was to supply the new sau, and they brought him to Noa'tau. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (24) | Consultant: | Undisclosed | |
Those who are burying the sau run as fast as they can. When they arrive at the grave then they throw him in. Sitting or any way, or lying and bury him straight away. And all those who buried him, they will seek different paths to return to the shore, so that the 'atua of the sau may not catch them. They run to the buried king's residence. When the king dies, there are three persons in high place who try to become sau:
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (25) | Consultant: | Tipo |
The house of the sau was called su'ura. Mameiagsau was the house in Noa'tau to which the sau was carried if he died in office. This is now merely a fuag ri in Noa'tau. The sau who succeeded was carried to the su'ura where the last one died. At Mameiagsau, all the kainaga join to wail until the body is carried away to be buried. |
kainaga = kinsmen | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (26) | Consultant: | ||
The sau's period was irregular due to war or the state of the peace. It lasted from 3-24 months. The burial of a sau was regarded as a dreadful and evil thing. The strongest men ran with him lying on the litter, and they ran back. Very rarely the sau was laid properly in his grave. He was dumped in hastily, and buried lying, sitting or anyway in order to get away. They feared the 'atua of king would follow. Also, some of them would be very excited as to who would be next sau. Tü tupu was the name of an office, meaning growing tui (literally). Fagata = office. Mua all wished to be sau and were anxious to return. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (27) | Consultant: | |
Vek e mamäe: When the sau died, he was taken to Soroi, in Noa'tau, and the people waded into the sea and prayed for plenty of fish, as they did for food with the mua in time of famine. Then the sau was taken to Sisilo, and buried, after which there was another vek e mamäe in the bush to bring plenty of food. | veko = garden | ||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (28) | Consultant: | ||
The sau was buried in a sitting position with his knees close to his chest. The new sau was carried to Sisilo on a hata and there he buried his dead predecessor. | ||||||
Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (29) | Consultant: | ||
If a child or descendant of Fonmon died, while he was sau, he was buried at Sisilo. Fonmonu was buried in the center under a saddle stone. Each district had a portion in the cemetery where their saus were buried. Others say only saus in office were buried at Sisilo. If a sau (descendant from Fonmonu) died in office, his body was taken to the house (fuag ri) in which Fonmonu had lived (the name Su'ura). The corpse was placed on a stretcher or bier. He was carried out feet first, the bearers walking backwards, facing the house. The burial was at Sisilo, where he was carried from Su'ura. The man to be the next sau sat on the stretcher and the carriers bore him back to Fonmonu's house. In carrying him back he was brought back by a new route, so that ghost would not follow him. When new sau got back to Su'ura, Fonmonu blessed him ("May you be fortunate and may the people prosper and be well-off during your reign and may you rule over them with kindness."). After the blessing, he was carried to where he was to live. The blessing was received on a litter. He reigned for six months (1 tafi) and if he governed well and the gods sent prosperity during his time he might be elected for another period (and so indefinitely). As soon as the dead king had been buried, the people would shout "ki..i..i..i." While the new king was being carried back, all the people walked on tiptoe in a line lest the sau's ghost follow them. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (30) | Consultant: | ||
Burial canoe = fugaroto Other chiefs were buried in a canoe, also. There is one at Losa. A burial canoe was 2'6" wide and 6' long. It was built for burial; there were no outriggers and no cover. Over the grave of the sau was built a little house such as is seen in cemeteries today. This was built as there was no cover to the grave as in those with slabs of stone. Turaga - probably a few sau buried in canoes. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (31) | Consultant: | ||
The original sau came from the kainaga of Riamkau. These were considered the real sau, and those who were chosen from outside this kainaga were considered as not rightful sau. However, this seems to have been more the custom than chosing men from the line of Riamkau. These "outsiders" were called sau i 'ipu ma hana. They were often nominated by the preceding sau for their hard work in feeding him. (This seems doubtful.) Outside sau called sau i'i pumahana = sau of sweat. Sau's Dance Riamkau was the son of a Malhaha woman. Panai? See line of Tui te Rotuma. All sau were carried to Ri noa the fuag ri of Riamkau, the first sau in Noa'tau, when the sau died. From here they were carried to Sisilo on a hata, or litter, with the newly chosen sau accompanying him on another hata. This one must bury his predecessor and then jump quickly onto the hata if he is to be sau. Anyone jumping on before him will be sau instead. He is carried back to Noatau and a big feast is held in mourning for the deceased. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (32) | Consultant: | Rosarima | |
Marafu Horosio was the sau at Faguta. Marafu Sukagaitu was a sau at Motusa and grandfather of the late Marafu. Fonman had the title of Sauhua when he was sau. His son Mataere was a sau, too, and both were buried at Sisilo. Marafu Terio was a sau, mua and chief of Noa'tau; his positions ranked in that order. |
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Category: | Kingship | Topic: | Sau (33) | Consultant: | ||
The tafi was the name of the feast made when the old king vacated office (pu), and the new king was installed. As this took place once in six months, the period of six months came to be called a tafi. The six months were named as follows: kasafe, hosaghau, a'fapuga, 'aipapa, haua or haua ta, noa'tau or noa'tau ta. |
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