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
Attention was first called to the Mbaki cult by the Rev. Lorimer Fison,
of the Wesleyan Mission, who, though he did not visit any Nanga, wrote
an account of the rites in the charming style that marks all his
writings.[58] He overcame the natives' reluctance to reveal these dread
secrets by a ruse. While he was describing the Australian Bora rites to
one of the _Vunilolo Matua_ of the Nanga a woman passed, and, lowering
his voice, he whispered, "Hush! the women must not hear these things!"
Covering his mouth with his hand the old native exclaimed, "Truly, sir,
you are a Lewe ni Nanga. I will tell you all about it." Mr. Adolph Joske
was probably the first European to see and describe the great Nanga at
Nerokorokoyawa, and he has added much to our knowledge of the
rites[59]. The two accounts vary in detail, perhaps because Mr. Fison
drew some of his information from Nemani Ndreu, the Raisevu, who seems
to have supplemented his ignorance of the Mbaki with excerpts from his
own Kalou-rere cult, and from the rich stores of his imagination.
The tribes that used the Nanga were the Nuyamalo, Nuyaloa, Vatusila,
Mbatiwai and Mdavutukia. All these tribes have spread east and south
from a place of origin in the western mountain district. They are of
Melanesian type, and have fewer traces of Polynesian admixture than the
coast tribes. The Mbaki, while its Nanga-temple bears a superficial
likeness to the Polynesian Marae, has a very strong resemblance to
Melanesian institutions; its dissonance with the Fijian religious system
at once suggests that there must be some tradition of its introduction
from over-sea. For this we have not far to look, for the tradition is
green in the memory of every initiate.
"Long ago two little old men, called Veisina and Rukuruku, drifted
across the Great Ocean from the westward, and passing through the Yasawa
Islands, they beached their canoe upon the little island of Yakuilau,
which lies by the coast of Nandi. Veisina, who landed first, fell into a
deep sleep, and slept till the coming of Rukuruku. From the spot where
Veisina lay sprang _thanga_ (turmeric), and from Rukuruku's footsteps
sprang the _lauthi_ (candle-nut--_Aleurites triloba_), and therefore the
followers of Veisina smear themselves with turmeric, and the followers
of Rukuruku with the black ash of the candle-nut, when they go to the
Nanga.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account