The Fijians: A Study of the Decay of CustomThomson, Basil
History
The Fijians: A Study of the Decay of Custom
Thomson, Basil
Ethnology -- Fiji; Fijians
The Nanga was the "bed" of the Ancestors, that is, the spot where their
descendants might hold communion with them; the Mbaki were the rites
celebrated in the Nanga, whether of initiating the youths, or of
presenting the first-fruits, or of recovering the sick, or of winning
charms against wounds in battle. The cult was confined to a
comparatively small area, a bare third of the island of Vitilevu.
Outside this area it was unknown, and even among the tribe that built
and used the Nanga there were many who knew nothing of the cult beyond
the fact that a certain spot near their village might not be visited
without exciting the displeasure of the gods, although members of tribes
that worshipped other gods, and were frequently at war with them,
resorted to the Nanga, which they were not permitted to approach. Even
when the two tribes were at war those of the enemy that were initiated
were safe in attending the rites, provided that they could make their
way to the Nanga unobserved.
The Nangas are now in ruin. There is a large and very perfect one at
Narokorokoyawa, several in Navosa (Western Tholo), and three on the
south coast between Serua and the Singatoka river. On the western coast
there are said to be two, one in Vitongo and the other in Momi. I have
visited several whose structure was so identical that one description
will serve for all. The Nanga is a rough parallelogram formed of flat
stones embedded endwise in the earth, about 100 feet long by 50 feet
broad, and lying east and west, though the orientation is not exact. The
upright stones forming the walls are from 18 inches to 3 feet in height,
but as they do not always touch they may be described as "alignments"
rather than walls. At the east end are two pyramidal heaps of stones
with square sloping sides and flat tops, 5 feet high and 4 feet by 6
feet on the top. The narrow passage between them is the main entrance to
the enclosure. Two similar pyramids placed about the middle of the
enclosure divide it roughly into two equal parts, with a narrow passage
connecting the two. The western portion is the Nanga-tambu-tambu (or
Holy of Holies); the eastern the Loma ni Nanga (or Middle Nanga). In the
Nangas on the south coast the two truncated pyramids near the entrance
are wanting. At the middle of the west end there is another entrance,
and there are gaps in the alignments every six or eight feet to permit
people to leave the enclosure informally during the celebration of the
rites. Beyond the west end of the Nanga near Vunaniu the ground rose,
and on the slope were two old graves upon which were found the decayed
remains of two "Tower" muskets. It is possible that chiefs were buried
near the "Holy of Holies" of all the Nangas in order that their Shades,
who haunted the graves, when summoned to the Nanga by their living
descendants, should not have far to come.
[Pageheader: HOW THE RITES ORIGINATED]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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