Tanoa Visawaqa
Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa , literally “ the Tanoa chief who set fire to the dugout ”, thus called in remembering the one of its warlike important facts, succeeded his/her brother Naulivou under big boss of Bau (Vunivalu nor Beam) in 1829.
He is the son of Ratu Banuve Baleivavalagi who was also big boss of Beam of 1770 to 1803 and of a woman of Rewa. He had nine wives of which Adi Talaloka which before this union was the woman of its predecessor. In 1832, it had to exile Beam with Somosomo (Taveuni) at its allies of Caukodrove in order to escape a plot warped inter alia by his half-brother Navuaka Komainaqaranikula Tui Veikoso. The conflict would originate in the will of the main allies and chiefs of clans of Beam to make the war in Rewa, which refused Tanoa being Vasu nor Rewa (bound by his/her mother to this cheffery). It could find its throne in 1837, grace in particular to his son Ratu Seru Cakobau who was to succeed to him the head of the great cheffery.
In 1838, Dumont d' Urville went to visit him to Bau in order to require its assistance of him to avenge the massacre in 1834 for the brig l'" Pleasant Joséphine " of the captain Office by the big boss of Viwa, some " Nalakassé". D' Urville which divided the Kava (see appendix) with Tanoa, describes it as follows: is approximately a 70 year old old man. Its beard is white and very long, its head covered by a bonnet of wool sailor and surrounded by garlands of flowers. Its head is serious, its small size and it does not have for any clothing that a belt around body .
Tanoa was to die in December 1852 after having largely increased the influence of Beam on the Fijian archipelago. For its funeral, six of its wives were strangled. As the habit wanted it, those were to continue to serve their husband in the " burotu" , world of deaths.
Appendix
Account of the ceremony of the kava organized by Tanoa in the honor of Urville.
Enfin arrived the kava which prepares about with the mode of Tonga. A dish out of wooden is brought in the middle of the assembly, and is placed opposite the king. It is made of only one block in which one cut all the part, including the three feet which support it; then, some slaves bring to Tanoa the root of Kava. The king chooses the pieces and the fact of distributing to men whom it designates and who are charged to chew it. Those, undoubtedly of the powerful chiefs, after having given some blows of teeth, seem to get rid of this care to some individuals who come to be squatted around the king, and all around the dish into which they reject the root of kava, after she was chewed. These preparers having finished, they fix the king and silence is restored. This one made with the head, a species of affirmative sign and at once the preparers throw water in the dish and mingle with it with the hand the chewed root, of which they withdraw then the residue with parquet floors of oakum makes with coconut fiber.
Consequently, the kava seems finished and ready to be distributed; but the label requires that the king make sure by itself that the preparation was well made; it is undoubtedly to this end that a man species of Master of hotel of this wild ceremony, extends to the feet of the king a cord of approximately two meters which is fixed at the dish with kava. Tanoa, indeed which undoubtedly finds liquor thus prepared too charged in kava, gives the order to add to it water and then it makes it be useful. It is especially in this distribution that reign the most scrupulous label. The king alone who chairs the ceremony has to indicate the order in which it must take place. The first cut is always offered to the most powerful chief, the second belongs then to that which occupies the second rank, either by its birth, or by its power, and so on according to the order of precedence. Each one must wait with an inexpressible patience until its name left the mouth of the despot finally, and with which size should not it not enjoy this fortunate cut which testifies to its row.
the once prepared kava, a man fills of it the coconut which it holds with the hand, and upright, the tended arm on the side of the king, it awaits the order of Tanoa. Then a species of herald aloud pronounces some words which must be translated as follows: “the kava is poured”, it what the king answers, “give to…”.
the first cut was presented to an old man who did not sit at the row of the first chiefs. It was said to me that it was a species of character, a soothsayer similar to the toui-tonga of tonga-taboo, which deals by no means with the businesses of this world but which enjoys an immense consideration there. The second was presented to king Tanoa who hastened to present it to me; but the reader undoubtedly will easily include/understand all my loathing for this drink, when especially I had just witnessed his preparation. I thus hastened to exchange it against wine glass which I had brought and Simonet drank the kava in my place and places. As I had explained to Tanoa that the wine was the kava of the French, he asked me glass of it that I poured to him and that he seemed to taste with pleasure.
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