Royal Funeral

In Tonga

Ancient Ceremonies Performed at Interment of Prince Tuku’aho

PRINCE William Tuku’aho, the 16-year old son of Queen Salote, ruler of the Kingdom of Tonga, and H.R.H. Prince Tugi, died of heart failure recently, and was buried in May at Mala’e Kula, the tomb of the Tongan kings.

It was entirely fitting that the young Prince who, throughout his brief life had made a deep study of Tongan customs and traditions, was interred with the highest ceremonial rites that have been performed for generations at the death of members of the ruling family.

Tuku’aho was well loved by the people, and his death was a sad event for all Tonga. Thousands of natives gathered to pay their respects at the graveside, and there were poignant scenes as the bier, decked with the Tongan Royal Standard, was carried to the burial-ground on the shoulders of commoners, through lanes of boys and girls of the Wesleyan, Catholic, and Government colleges.

The Rev. R. C. G. Page, of the Methodist Mission, officiated at the graveside.

The photographs reproduced below (taken by Mr. August Hettig, of Nukua lofa) show the picturesque ceremonies that attended the Royal funeral.

Top Left: The ancient custom of Buibui Tabu. This is the practice of screening

the grave with tapa cloth at the moment of burial. The rite is carried out only at the interment of very high chiefs. It is a sacred tabu —the eyes of the commoners must not see the last moment of burial when the coffin is lowered into the grave.

Lower Left: The bier, containing the coffin in the Palace grounds at Nukualofa.

It was carried shoulder high by the com mon people, tvho are shown resting before the cortege moved off to Mala’e Kula. The uniformed figure in the middle of the picture is Valai Tubou, the Queen’s A.D.C.

Standing next to him is Chief Tuiha’ateiho, Governor of Haapai.

Top Right: The ceremony of Takibo (lighting of fires at night). The grounds of the Palace, where Prince Tuku’aho’s body was lying-in-state for two days, were lit by thousands of lanterns. The cere mony of lighting fires around the Palace walls was performed by hundreds of people.

There is no definite explanation of this rite, but some old natives believe it is done to ward off evil influences.

Lower Right: Chief Kalanivalu, one .of the chief mourners. The photograph shows the style of deep mourning attire of the Tongan chiefs who attended the funeral.

Brother Daheim, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Mission in the Mandated Terri tory, who came to Sydney in April for medical treatment, died in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, on May 27. He arrived in New Guinea in 1904 to undergo three years’ training at Vunapope as a carpen ter, and then built many mission stations in New Britain and Manus. In 1915 he was given command of the mission vessel Ludwig, and as her kindly and trust worthy captain was well-known through out the Territory.