FUN FIJI FACTS 16

Lali drums being played to call the village to Sunday services.

Fijian Drums

Fijian drums play an important part in the islands cultural traditions.  Not only are they used in music, but also as a form of communication.  The lali, the largest of the drums, was used to announce births, deaths, wars and victories.  Each event had its own distinct rhythmic pattern.  Today it is mainly used as a means to call people together.  The lali are made from the hollowed-out logs of native hardwood trees.  These logs are then shaped and crosspieces placed within the log near either end to produce a deep resonance, which can be heard for miles away.  The lali are beaten with sticks called i uaua which are made from softer wood to avoid damaging the drum.

The lali ni meke, a smaller version of the lali, can be easily carried to ceremonial occasions and is often used to accompany chanting and dances.

 Mentioned in my fun facts about the meke, the derua are bamboo stamping tubes of varying lengths that are beaten on the ground or on mats.  Sometimes cobo, a stylized form of clapping, is used to accompany the derua in providing the rhythmic basis of traditional Fijian music.

The Fijian word of the day is:

English     Fijian (pronunciation)

come           lako mai (lah-koh my)

FUN FIJI FACTS 15

The Tropical Climate of Fiji

Located south of the Equator, but north of the Tropic of Capricorn, Fiji enjoys a mild tropical climate. Thanks to the trade winds blowing from the east-southeast, Fiji does not experience the seasons we are familiar with in North America, but instead maintains pleasant, mild temperatures year-round. Temperature and humidity rises during months of November through April; cooler, drier weather prevails from May to October. Rainfall here is generally erratic and is usually characterized by brief, heavy downpours. Although it is rare that a severely destructive typhoon ever hits the islands of Fiji, these tropical hurricanes originating near the equator may occur between November and April.

Weather can vary from island to island and, as mentioned in my “Garden Island” facts, even from one side of an island to another depending upon its topography. With average daytime temperatures ranging in the upper 70’s to low 80’s, a good rule of thumb when packing for your adventure is to bring lightweight summer clothes and arm yourself with raingear if you are visiting during the wetter months of the year. If you plan to hike up into the mountains, at least a light jacket would be recommended.

[1]

The chart below shows average water temperature throughout the year near the Bligh Water area.  Taking into consideration, temperatures mary vary slightly between the islands, it is suggested that you use a 3mm to 5mm wetsuit when scuba diving.

[2]

Here is your Fijian word for the day:

English                 Fijian (pronunciation)

toilet/restroom     vale lailai (vah-lay lie-lie)

[1] & [2] www.naia.com.fj

FUN FIJI FACTS 14

Taveuni – the “Garden Island”

Four miles across the Somosomo Strait from Vanua Levu’s eastern peninsula is Fiji’s third-largest island. With a volcanic ridge that travels the length of Taveuni (25 miles), this 6-mile wide island soars to an elevation of 4,000 feet in its central portion. Because of the island’s configuration, the southeastern trade winds are blocked by the mountains, causing most of the year’s rainfall (approximately 30 feet) to fall on the eastern side of Taveuni. Consequently, the majority of the island’s residents choose to live on the less rugged, gently sloping western side. Here these Fijians reside on some of the country’s most fertile and well-watered soil which is where the island gets its nickname, the “Garden Island”.

"Flying Fox" fruit bat

Because Taveuni has limited the amount of land clearance and was saved from the introduction of the mongoose to its shores, this island still has all the plants and animals indigenous to Fiji, including the unique “Flying Fox” fruit bat and the Silktail bird. It is also home to the rare tagimaucia flower that bears red blooms with white centers and is generally found near the volcanic crater of Lake Tagimaucia that sits atop the mountains at an elevation of 2,700 feet. This crater lake of Des Voeux Peak is encircled with mud flats and thick vegetation. It is a rare day when you can view the peak without a shroud of clouds. The best time for hiking around the island to see these beautiful sites is during the relatively dry and cooler season from May to September.

Tagimaucia flower

Silktail bird

The circle in the center indicates the location of Lake Tagimaucia

On the shore of Lake Tagimaucia

Today’s lesson of the Fijian language will focus on counting:

English     Fijian (pronunciation)

one              dua (doo-ah)

two              rua (roo-ah)

three           tolu (toh-loo)

four             vaa (vah-ah)

five              lima (lee-mah)

six                ono (oh-no)

seven          vitu (vee-too)

eight            walu (wah-loo)

nine             ciwa (thee-wah)

ten               tini (tee-nee)

Goodwin, Bill, "Frommer's Fiji", 2008 (first edition)

FUN FIJI FACTS 13

“Always be as wise and as useful as the coconut.” -Wise



Wise performs the Coconut Demonstration at Beqa Lagoon Resort, Fiji

During my stay at Beqa Lagoon Resort, Wise was kind enough to demonstrate to the guests how to husk a coconut by firmly thrusting it onto the sharpened end of a stout stick which was firmly planted in the ground. After piercing the husk, he then held the coconut against the stick with one hand and pressed downward with the other, separating off sections of husk. He repeated this motion until the entire husk was stripped off the coconut.

If you have ever looked at a coconut you will notice that all coconuts appear to have a face on them.  First you notice the two "eyes", then you see one of three seams running between the "eyes."  The point of the seams form a "nose," and the "mouth" is below the nose. While the area around the "eyes" is very hard, the "mouth" is the softest part of a coconut, even a dried one, and can easily be punctured by something sharp and thin.  To crack the coconut open, you can use a rock, stick, or back of a heavy knife.  Simply locate the seam that runs between the "eyes," turn the coconut sideways, and give it a good whack on the seam along the coconut's "equator."  Of course, some or most of the relatively clear "juice" is going to spill out.

Normally, Fijians only drink the juice of young, sweet coconuts, which can sometimes develop a natural effervescence.  To do this, they simply cut off the top of young green coconuts, without husking it.  The sweet meat of the young coconuts makes for delicious eating and can be easily scraped out with a spoon. Mature white coconut meat, however, can be a half-inch thick and must be pried out of the shell. To do this safely use a dull knife, such as a butter knife, to slice into the thick meat, on an angle to the shell lip for an inch or two with a dull knife. Then using your wrist, twist the blade toward the lip of the shell, and a nice piece will pop out.

 

Once a feast has been made of the meat, the mature coconut flesh can be scraped out and squeezed for its oil, which is creamy and milky white in appearance, hence, the term coconut "milk."  Then the left-over shreds can be given to the chickens or pigs.

 

The coconut palm tree is used by the Fijians for more than just its coconut.  The palm fronds are put to use for many purposes.  Of course, as you know, fronds are used to thatch the roofs of the bures.  They are also woven into mats, baskets, and decorative items.  The fronds are also used to make the Fijian broom as seen above.  The list is endless to the Fijian and that is why Wise passed down to us the wisdom of his ancestors, "Always be as wise and as useful as the coconut."

English     Fijian (pronunciation)

Smart         Matai (mah tye)

I will be out of town for a few days and will resume my blog next Monday or Tuesday.  Vinaka & Moce!

FUN FIJI FACTS 12

I  WAU

(hand-held clubs)

In War they are fearless and savage to the utmost degree, but in peace their disposition is mild and generous towards their friends, and the affection they bear towards their relatives is seldom found among Europeans.

-- William Lockerby

Marooned in Fiji in 1808

To a Fijian warrior, his club was a revered and cherished possession. Made from hardwood that was extremely abundant on these islands, there were a variety of clubs made for specific practices and purposes. Clubs were basically classified as dance and ceremonial, throwing, pole, root, broad-paddle, and fan-shaped. Clubs were generally decorated, often with regional motifs, and “kills were indicated by the inlaying of human teeth or ivory around the head, or by cutting notches on the grip. A club with many kills to its credit was thought to have achieved its own "mana," with power and life of its own. Clubs reaching this level of regard were donated to the temple and gods of war, where they figured as ritual objects in funerary rites and certain craft ceremonies.” [1]


A few types of Fijian clubs:

gadi - a small ornamental club for ceremonial occasions during peace times, it was carried by chiefs.

bowai  - pole clubs used for breaking bones and general disabling blows.

cali (also known as sali or tebetebe) - sometimes called "gun stock" clubs because of their shape, these clubs were designed for cutting and disjointing blows.  Generally very heavy clubs, a lighter version, known as the kiakavo, was made to use in war dances as seen in the picture at the top of this blog.

i ula - throwing clubs with short handles and bulbous heads. These were the most deadly Fijian weapon, capable of competing with revolvers in close situations. If the handle struck the victim first it could penetrate flesh, the heavy head then jack-knifing onto the victim even if the handle did not pierce him, thus dealing a crippling, if not a finishing blow. [2]

The violence of the days in which these clubs were used has now faded and the people of Fiji are truly welcoming to its visitors.  So after such an intense topic for the blog today, I thought the following phrase might be something appropriate to learn:

English           Fijian (pronunciation)
no worries     sega na leqa (seng-ah nah leg-ah)

[1] Fowler, John, “Fiji, The Warrior Archipelago”, www.tribalsite.com
[2] www.polynesianculturalcenter.com
[3] www.museumvictoria.com.au

FUN FIJI FACTS 11

MASI

“The Cloth of the Gods”

Masi (also known as tapa), is a fibrous cloth made from the inner bark of the masi tree (aka the mulberry tree) and decorated with stenciled geometric motifs. Traditionally masi was only worn by the man in everyday life, while it was worn by women for special ceremonies or weddings. Today masi is worn by both men and women for weddings or significant birthdays. It is also used to wrap up a newborn baby when taken home from the hospital, or to cover a coffin and spread across the grave.

Masi cloth made today is put into two categories: traditional and decorative. Traditional masi uses motifs that have special meanings and can be read by the Fijian people like a story. Those familiar with this motifs can often identify the area of Fiji the cloth came from and who made it. Decorative masi are primarily produced for the tourists to be used as mats and woven bags. Decorative masi is not viewed by the Fijian people as any lesser an art form because it is produced to provide valuable income to its maker.

The process of making the masi begins with harvesting four mature masi trees. Then women peel the bark off the tree first by using their teeth, then a sharp knife. The bark is discarded and the remaining soft, pale core (the lewena) is then beaten into a fibrous cloth. Beating the core takes hours and women often have their own distinctive rhythmic beat while they labor away.

The dyes used in the stenciling process are all natural. The brown dye comes from the inner bark of the mangrove tree by scraping the outer layers off, then taking the remains and soaking and boiling the bark. The black dye is made from soot, umea clay and juice from the kesa tree. Kesa juice is produce in the same manner as the brown dye; the inner bark is pealed from the kesa tree and boiled. Umea clay is a deep brown soil that is mixed into both dyes to act as an fixative, making the dye stick to the bark cloth.

The geometric motifs are applied to the cloth using a process unique to Fiji, from the outer edges of the cloth inward to the center. In modern times, x-ray film is used for the stencils, but a more traditional method used the leaves of a banana tree. Many of the designs are from animal or plant images, or such items as the iseru, a traditional Fijian comb symbolizing you are prepared for special occasions and ready to receive guests into your home.

Known as the “cloth of the gods”, an unprinted piece of masi would be hung from the ceiling of the village chief’s hut as a way for the chief or high priest to communicate with the gods. The masi worn by the chief had a distinctively deep red color to it made during a long ritualistic process where the color was obtained by smoking the cloth or soaking it in blood red dye. The prestigious masi garments are said to hold the chief’s essence and that of his ancestors.

“Masi contains the spirit of the land it comes from, the tree it was once part of and it also contains the essence of the women who beat the cloth and decorate it.” - Catherine Spicer, “Fiji Masi – An Acient Art in the New Millenium”, 2004.

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FUN FIJI FACTS 10

Pay close attention because there are several Fijian words included in your fun facts today and the pronunciations are pretty much the way they are spelled.

The MEKE

Music is an essential part of the spirit of the Fiji.  It’s history, legends, and love stories are often shared in the form of a meke (a traditional dance).  Men, women and children participate in the performance where a meke can be a blood-curdling spear dance or a gentle fan dance.  For the meke, men generally wear full warrior costume and the women dress in colorful traditional garments and wear floral garlands (salusalu).

Generally a group of dancers (matana) performs in one or more rows, while music is provided by the orchestra (vakatara) made up of singers and instrumentalists seated behind the dancers. A meke usually begins with a distinct stanza that accompanies the dancers as they appear and take their places. Positioning of performers is still determined in part by hereditary status as a symbol of traditional clan identity and cohesion.

The singing is in three- or four-part harmony and is typically accompanied by a lali ni meke (a small drum made from a hollowed out log with a slit opening), while rhythm is provided by cobo (clapping with hollowed hands) and a number of derua (bamboo stamping tubes).

Meke are still loved by all people of Fiji, and are an indispensable part of any grand occasion. The tradition is very much alive, with meke still being created regularly by hereditary composers.

FUN FIJI FACTS 9

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY

One of the first Europeans to set eyes on the Fijian islands was a Dutch navigator by the name of Abel Tasman. He spotted the island of Vanua Levu, and a few other islands, in 1643. One of the more well-known South Pacific explorers, British Capt. James Cook, visited one of the southernmost islands, Vatoa, in 1774. But probably one of the most infamous European explorers to these islands would be Capt. William Bligh of the HMS Bounty.

After the mutiny on the Bounty in April 1789, Bligh, and those crew members loyal to him, sailed their longboat through Fiji on their way to Indonesia. They sailed past the island of Ovalau and through the waters between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. As they neared the Yasawas, Fijian druas (war canoes) gave chase, but with the determination of self-preservation and the luck of squall, Bligh and his crew were able to escape to the open ocean. For a brief time Fiji became known as the Bligh Islands, and the passage between the two large islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu is still called Bligh Water.

Fiji’s island neighbors, the Tongans, warned European explorers that Fiji was inhabited by ferocious cannibals. Further, reports by Bligh and other explorers of the abundance of reefs among these islands gave rise to a dangerous reputation for Fiji, limiting the influx of Europeans into this region until the sandalwood rush between 1804 and 1813.

Frommer's Fun Fact: Recovering the Bounty's Rudder

"Sunk at Pitcairn Island by the mutineers in 1789, HMS Bounty remained in its watery grave until it was discovered by a National Geographic expedition in the 1950s.  The Bounty's rudder is now on display at the Fiji Museum in Suva."

Our word for the day:
English                         Fijian (pronunciation)
You’re Welcome           Siga Na Lega (sing-ah nah leng-ah)

FUN FIJI FACTS 8

Since the Fijian word for the day yesterday was bure, I thought I would go into a deeper description of that word.  Simply defined, a bure is a house.  In the traditional sense, it is a structure built from what is available that is tied together, like palm fronds for the roof, and/or stacked.

Traditionally, ethnic Fijians lived in two types of houses; a vale was the family house, while men's houses (where circumcised males of the clan met, ate, and slept) were known as bures. Both of these buildings were dark and smoky inside, with no windows and usually only one low door. Vales had hearth pits where the women cooked, and the packed earth floor was covered with grass or fern leaves and then carpeted with pandanus leaf or coarse coconut leaf mats.[1]

Today, when staying at many of the resorts in Fiji, a bure refers to your bungalow with the modern amenities of plumbing and electricity.  Depending upon your resort of choice, your bure can be very basic or very luxurious.

So now, your Fijian word of the day:

English          Fijian (pronunciation)

Man                Turaga (too rang ah)

[1] Jones, Robyn; Pinheiro, Leonardo (April 1997). Fiji: A Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit, Fourth Edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications. p. 207. ISBN 0-86442-353-5.

FUN FIJI FACTS 7

Located in the Bouma (pronounced boh ma) National Heritage Park on the eastern side of Taveuni you will find the Bouma Falls (also known as the Tavoro Falls). Actually a series of three waterfalls, the tallest waterfall (79') is Lower Bouma, the next tallest (49') is Middle Bouma, and the third waterfall, Upper Bouma, is the shortest (33'), but is a beautiful double-barreled waterfall.

 

The most accessible falls, Lower Bouma, is just a 10-minute hike and is a popular swimming spot because of its wide plunge pool.

Middle Bouma is an additional 30-minute uphill hike with a rope-assisted stream crossing. This trail is fairly easy to hike and many people do continue on to the middle falls.

Upper Bouma, however, is a challenge. It is an additional hour of hiking from Middle Bouma to Upper Bouma and involves two additional rope-assisted stream crossings. A word of warning, the trail is far more primitive and slippery, but for the adventurous, the reward is a bit of peace and solitude.

Your Fijian word for the day is:

English          Fijian (pronuciation)
House            Bure (mburay)

Fun Fiji Facts 6

Cannibalism Played an Important Part in Fijian History

Over the centuries, a unique Fijian culture developed. Constant warfare and cannibalism between warring tribes was quite rampant and very much part of everyday life.[1] During the 19th century, Ratu Udre Udre is said to have consumed 872 people and to have made a pile of stones to record his achievement.[2] According to Deryck Scarr ("A Short History of Fiji", 1984, page 3), "Ceremonial occasions saw freshly killed corpses piled up for eating. 'Eat me!' was a proper ritual greeting from a commoner to a chief." Scarr also reported that the posts that supported the chief's house or the priest's temple would have sacrificed bodies buried underneath them, with the rationale that the spirit of the ritually sacrificed person would invoke the gods to help support the structure, and "men were sacrificed whenever posts had to be renewed" (Scarr, page 3). Also, when a new boat, or drua, was launched, if it was not hauled over men as rollers, crushing them to death, "it would not be expected to float long" (Scarr, page 19"). Fijians today regard those times as "na gauna ni tevoro" (time of the devil). The ferocity of the cannibal lifestyle deterred European sailors from going near Fijian waters, giving Fiji the name Cannibal Isles, in turn Fiji was unknown to the rest of the outside world.[3]

A very fine cannibal fork, or i cula ni bokola, which was used exclusively for the consumption of human flesh by high ranking chiefs or great priests. The persona of important ranking chiefs and priests was taboo, and as such nothing un-sanctified was allowed to touch them - hence their use of the fork to feed themselves or to be fed with by their attendants. When not in use the fork, a taboo object and treasure in its own right, was hung on the inner wall of the burekalou, or spirithouse until the next meal.[4]

English           Fijian (pronunciation)
Chief                Ratu (raw too)

[1] Peggy Reeves Sanday. "Divine hunger: cannibalism as a cultural system". p.151.
[2] Peggy Reeves Sanday. "Divine hunger: cannibalism as a cultural system". p.166.
[3] Pacific Peoples, Melanesia/Micronesia/Polynesia, Central Queensland University.
[4] Online article from TikiMaster.com

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FUN FIJI FACTS 5

We have slept through the night and day now dawns

The sun is high in the heavens

Go uproot the yaqona and bring it…

Prepare the root and proclaim it!

The acclamation rose skywards,

Reaching distant lands!

- Ancient Fijian Kava Chant


KAVA

Perhaps nothing reflects the Fijians’ reverence for tradition like yaqona (kava) drinking.  Made from the pulverised root of a plant in the pepper family, this muddy-colored drink has a tingling numbing effect on the tongue.

"Yaqona is a Fijian link to the past, a tradition so inextricably woven into the fabric of culture that life without it is unimaginable. Fijians would scarcely be Fijians without their national beverage. It is consumed ritually when welcoming visitors, sending village members on journeys, christening boats, laying the foundations of homes, casting magical spells, making deals, settling arguments and, as is usually the case, chatting. It is also presented as a sevusevu, a traditional gift offered by guests to the host, or as a token of respect to visitors of higher rank Kavain official ceremonies.

Legend has it that yaqona was derived from the Fijian god Degei (whose name means `from heaven to the soil and through the earth’), who asked his three sons where they wanted to live and what they wanted to do with their lives. They replied with where they wanted to dwell and what they thought their tasks should be. Degei was pleased but told his sons that although they had power and strength, they lacked the wisdom to make decisions. He gave them two sacred crops, yaqona and vuga (a type of tree) from which to draw wisdom. The sons in turn gave them to the people and to this day, goes the legend, the crops grow where the Fijian descendants live.

In Fiji, yaqona drinking was and is the social cement that bonds society. "
- www.fijiguide.com

English           Fijian (pronunciation)
Great Fiji        Viti Levu  (vee tee le voo)
Great Land     Vanua Levu  (va noo a le voo)

Fun Fiji Facts 4

Oops...sorry, I didn't have a chance to get to the Fijian word of the day yesterday, so I will make it up with two today, but first a fun fact.

Fijian Village Etiquette:

Please remember to dress modestly when visiting outside of your resort.  For the ladies, do not wear shorts and make sure to cover your shoulders in some manner (no halter or bikini tops).  It is always handy to carry a sulu (sarong) with you to cover up.  Please do not wear hats or touch anyone's head.  These things are taken as a sign of disrespect.  And please speak softly as raised voices are interpreted as a sign of anger.  Fijians are known as some of the friendliest people in the world.  Respect for the Fijian customs and traditions will add a satisfying dimension to your visit and make you a welcome guest in their villages and homes.

Fijian words for the day:
(you actually had one in the paragraph above, but here are 2 more)

English          Fijian (pronunciation)

Goodbye        Ni Sa Moce (nee sa mothey)
Village            Koro (rhymes with toro)