Crown Prince
pp. 45-46 · Read in the full issue
Tongans Do Homage To Their
Elaborate "Bogibogi" Ceremony Performed at Nukualofa.
From Our Own Correspondent.
Nukualofa, Peb. 21.
THE Bogibogi —Ceremony of Recognition and Homage—in connection with the bestowal of the title Tubouto’a on Crown Prince George Taufa’ahau Touboulahi as one of the highest nobles of the Kingdom was recently held at Bagai, the official ceremonial
ground of the Tu’i Kanokubolu, which adjoins the Palace Compound.
The procession to the “Bogibogi” was led by 20 maidens of chiefly descent each bearing a platter containing a flower gar land of some special name. Next came a number of men bearing a gigantic three sided shield made up of hundreds of
flower garlands and girdles. These were followed by another group bearing a huge roll of tapa, 500 yards in length. Then came Crown Prince Tubouto’a and the Matabule, followed by his retainers—peo ple living on his estates.
The Kava Ceremony occupied two hours and was presided over by Queen Salote.
The Prince was officially recognised as Tubouto’a and his position in respect of the Kava Ring was confirmed when he drank a bowl of kava in his new name.
According to the rules governing the Ceremony of the Tu’i Kanokubolu, the Crown Prince’s position is not in the Kava Ring, but* like those of the other high chiefs, Tugi, Ulukalala, and Kalaniuvalu, it is outside, close to the Tou’a (the position of the large wooden “kumete” in which the kava is prepared). Tubouto’a and these three chiefs form the Kava hobos—that is, they are entitled to the privilege of having their kava bowls taken out of the Kava Ring, which is one of the strictest tabus observed in the Tu’i Kanokubolu’s Kava Ceremony. A breach of this in the olden days was punished by the offender being clubbed to death.
The Kava Ring was composed of 150 Chiefs and Matabules (Masters of Cere mony) from the whole of the Group. The Ceremony was unique in that three “kumetes” (bowls) were used in which the three distinct methods of kava mak ing peculiar to the three lines of Ton gan Kings (Tu’i Toga, Tu’i Ha’atakalaua, and Tu’i Kanokubolu) were performed by two men and a woman. This was the most picturesque item of the whole fes tival. The straining of the kava roots was accompanied by graceful, elaborate movements of the hands, and the con trast between the three methods was marked, each having a beauty of its own.
After the Kava Ceremony came the presentation of food. This was Tuboute’a’s
Crown Prince Tubouto’a (centre) awaiting his call during the Kava Ceremony.
Photo.: Hettig.
mark of homage and allegiance to the Sovereign, and is a relic of the old cus tom of the “Inasi” (presentation of the first fruit of the land to the Tu’i Toga).
There were 488 pigs of various sizes presented and divided up among the vari ous chiefs and clans, each of whom was entitled to a share.
A great entertainment followed, con sisting of Tongan dances, viz., laka laka, ma’ulu’ulu, kailao, ’itolto, done by villages and islands in honour of the
Prince, and lasting until well on into the night, thus bringing to a conclusion the events of a memorable day.
Mrs. J. Metcalfe, of Bellevue Hill, left Sydney during the month by the “Morinda” for Norfolk Island, where she will live with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Welsh, for 12 months.