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Category:

Specialists(1)

Topic:

Types of specialists

Consultant:

Emose Rima

Majau 'ol vaka. Canoe maker.

Majau af. Doctor.
Feast given him after cure when he takes his medicine home.

Majau ne ho. Mena maker.
Feast before the making. Ho means mean at the time of preparation.

mena (or mean) = turmeric

Category:

Specialists(2)

Topic:

House building

Consultant:

Emose Rima

House builder. There are for him four feasts made as payment for the work. Also there is food given him each day, and enough to feed all his helpers, and to take some to his family. The families of the workers are not fed.

First feast. Fagmajau koua. This is the initial payment and it's made before the house is started.

Second feast. Fuakiag pou koua. This is given after the main posts of the house are set up.

Third feast. Fauviag koua. Koua when ridge pole has been set in place.

Fourth feast. Avahaiaga ri. Feast at the finish of the house.

Category:

Specialists(3)

Topic:

Types of specialists

Consultant:

Niua

Majau vai. This was a general term for an old doctor. Also called and the present term raumei. A woman doctor is a han rau mei.

Majau re vaka. These men were the only ones entitled to make canoes. It was a hereditary position among certain families.

A majau was paid with food for himself and his family while he worked. majau re ri.

Majau vai = One skilled with medicines

Majau re ri = house builder

Category:

Specialists(4)

Topic:

Retirement

Consultant:

Salvaka Majau

When a majau is ready to retire from his career of carpenter and guild leader, he makes a great feast to which all his sons and apprentices are called. He calls upon the god who watches over them to witness this act, then hands over his tools to him the assistant who is to succeed him. This is generally the best workman among his sons, and not necessarily the eldest. He pours oil over the son's head and anoints him to his new appointment, as the sau or any other great official is anointed when taking office. Then he makes a great speech. From this time on, all the brothers and other workers must accept the new majau as their head.

The koua given at this time is called the nin'ia.

nin'ia = to anoint with oil

Category:

Specialists(5)

Topic:

Dress

Consultant:

Marasia

While a majau was at work making a new house he wore a titi of sauafa, a variety of ji which has a red and yellow leaf which the leaves round off rather than taper at the ends.

A new one was given to him to wear each day.

Category:

Specialists(6)

Topic:

Feasts

Consultant:

Aisake

The marä'e were open "playgrounds" in the villages. Formerly the feasts were held there. The fu'marä'e was in charge of the division, preparation and announcing. He was boss of the workers at such affairs, esp. for weddings and funerals. Announcing the amount gathered for the feast, usually enlarging grossly, was part of his duty before feasting began.

Category:

Specialists(7)

Topic:

Healers

Consultant:

Niua

Old majau worked thru 'atua, their personal 'atua.

The hanlepherua came to help Niua doctors. They told the doctors directions for the patient to eat so and so, or rub his/her body, etc. The 'atua knew the cures of the sickness and told the doctor.

Category:

Specialists(8)

Topic:

Canoe makers

Consultant:

Niomfaga

The majau were the head carpenters under whose direction canoes had to be made. They came from certain families and seem to be only one or two in a district. Suamajau were apprentices to the majau. The other workers were kaugaruaga. This term kaugaruaga is used of any working group.

Category:

Specialists(9)

Topic:

Canoe makers

Consultant:

Isimeli

Canoes could only be made under the direction of a majau. These majau came from certain families who controlled the right to be carpenters. There were four such families of canoe makers in Malha'a.

The majau were assisted by the suamajau and fagmajau.

Before starting to build a canoe there was a feast for the majau and his workers. After the tree was felled in the bush the majau had to cut the first chip out with his adze before the others could start hollowing it out.

When it was dragged on to the shore after the hollowing of the hull, it was tabu for any woman to step over it.

At the first feast there was a prayer to the gods to make the work easy. There were no definite gods known to rule over canoes.

When they approached the tree, a prayer was made to it before it was cut down.

When the canoe was finished there was a feast called the avahiag vaka.

Later there was another feast for the majau and the carrying home of his tools - called ho'i ho'ag majau.

The first feast was called the fiog fua.

Category:

Specialists(10)

Topic:

Canoe makers

Consultant:

Isimeli

Prayer of majau while canoe is being brought out of bush:

M: i o o--o	People: O'
M: i o o--o	People: O'

Ma iris la sua ta oris mak la mararia ai ta iris mak la eag
- Tog O' tog se faia ai ta fut ma kal vahia.
------------------------

o'i.o'i.o'o.	Majau: Ie futim
	People: Fut fut e maro
	M: Ie safom
	P: Saf saf e maro
	M: Oi oi oo Toga o toga se faia,
	P: Ai ta futi ma kal vahia.

At finish of canoe making, ki called out:

Asa ta ma hul ta mou mou ki ...
iu i eu o ea o iu

Category:

Specialists(11)

Topic:

Canoe makers

Consultant:

Nataniela

When the carpenters (majau) were going to carve out a canoe, they would cut out the keel from a piece of wood using a big tree for the purpose. The carpenter steered the canoe down while the others dragged it (he directed route). Sang a chant.

When they are pulling the keel, they choose a maiden? to meet them. She would stand?

Category:

Specialists(12)

Topic:

Canoe makers

Consultant:

Unknown

When we are about to carve out a canoe, it would park to slept on ? = mös aki."

If we were to carve canoe tomorrow, today we would plait a skirt out of ji leaves and bind it round the tree for the night. Call mös ah'oita, came bring it to sleep, to kill it.

The tree was mös aki for three reasons:

1. should not split
2. should not be wrecked
3. carving out be done easily, and all work

Two expressions in cutting canoes, ta vao - means the first.

Cutting keel of canoe first. Fue = keel. Cut from a big tree and when ready to be dragged, majau will go behind it, he is to steer or direct it, but he is not to touch it. Stands behind fue and gives orders.

He shouts and leads song.
M. Oe, oe Answer o.o.
I'es

Fute - fute maro. Pull weight, pull hard. Hold, hold on tight.

If wood is too heavy to make it go, they will choose a young girl, so that if they can't drag it, the girl will come in sight. They would be ashamed before the girl and pull harder.

She will say: "I wish good luck in future to this canoe." Leader will then shout ki.

Call on god, sun, moon.

Koua (feast) after this. Three in all as the work goes on, and last koua is largest. Koua verag (= shoving, launching) ahai (or vaka).

When canoe is launched, one will sit in bow, and he will shout (1) the owner of canoe, (2) the name of canoe (3) the name of the chief of district.

Carving done inland, rough sort, tavao = cut roughly. Then dragged to shore and cut properly. Fu futi = launching done by two people. 1. majau = carpenter, 2. chief whom we may choose to purou or launch canoe.

Purou to put a hat on the canoe.

Chief stands in front when workers rest from pulling, stands behind while workers are pulling canoe down.

Putting on hat. Io-o jo. People answer "Tug o", called when heavy wood and can't lift it.

Macgregor here refers to the custom of putting the tree to sleep (killing it) ritually so whatever spirits are associated with it will not bring bad luck.

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