The Notorious

Arioi

History of a Strange Tahiti Organisation

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, May 5.

THE swaying dance called “Te Ori”, and the ancient “Paoa” (a combined dance and chant)—witnessed at na tive celebrations of Bastile Day and other great occasions—are all that remain, in memory or in practice, of that gay, joy ous, boisterous, mysterious, formidable, wicked institution—the Arioi Society.

Externally, the Arioi were companies of comedians and dancers, established in several principal islands of the Society Archipelago, who travelled from district to district and. at stated times, from is land to island, to stage their exhibitions.

Internally, the Society was an hier archy; its higher grades composed of seers, and wise men, and persons of con sequence. whose doctrines were rooted deeply in the cult of Oro. and who, in their persons, because of their rank in the institution, were affiliated with the gods themselves.

In each principal district on the larger islands, the Society was under the rule of a Grand Master, who assumed the hereditary name of his predecessors in that office. Henry, in ‘Ancient Tahiti”, gives an interesting description of the or ganisation.

There were eight orders of those initi ated into the Arioi mysteries, and they were distinguished by dress and by tat tooing. The highest order, who presided over the rest—a man for the men and a woman for the women—were called Arioi Maro TJra (Arioi of the red loin girdle).

The red girdle worn by either sex was made of paper mulberry, and was dyed with red and yellow to resemble the royal feather girdle.

They anointed themselves with sweet oil and wore flowers and leaves of sweet odor.

The men of the second order. Haro tea, wore over their cloth girdle another girdle of shredded ti leaves. Over their wrappers the women of this order wore girdles of ti leaves, garlands and wreaths.

The third order, Taputu, wore shredded opuhi leaves, in the same manner as the Harotea wore ti leaves.

The fourth order, Otiore, used as their decoration a soft yellow creeper, Tainoa, instead of shredded leaves.

The fifth order. Hua, wore over their girdle another of the A’a Ha’ari (fibrous covering of the young coconut leaf) and head-dresses of yellow coconut leaves.

The sixth order, Atoro, decked them selves in bright yellow Pe’i leaves.

The seventh order, Ohe-Mara, had as decorations the Maiuu Tafai (club moss).

The eighth order, Tara-Tutu, wore bright flowers and a cap of red and yel low Barringtonia leaves.

Novices were called Poo (flappers).

In applying for membership the candi dates, who were always people unencum bered with children, were supposed to be inspired, and brought themselves to no tice in the midst of some public exposi tion by appearing in a frenzied state, ar rayed in gay colours, a profusion of frag rant flowers and anointed with strongly perfumed oil.

Then, and until the exhibition ended, they displayed their skill in dancing among th,e performers. If approved, they

went through the novices’ initiation, which was to pledge themselves not to suffer their offspring to live, if any came to them, and to obey absolutely the orders of their Arioi chief or chieftainess, as the case for man or woman might be.

Their novitiate lasted two or three years, or until they became accomplished in recitals of historic events, in music, dancing, and acting (chiefly in panto mime form).

When the novices were considered ac complished enough to be admitted into the Society, an assembly of Arioi was convened at the Marae of Oro for the purpose of receiving them.

The Poo were first privately invested with a loin girdle of white breadfruit tree bark, dyed with wide red bars, and with a fringed cape dyed to match the girdle. They were then solemnly dedi cated to Oro-i-Te-Tea-Moe, to whom was presented a sacred pig wrapped in Arioi cloth of bright colours.

Finally, after being anointed with per fumed oil in honour of Romatane (the god who received those destined to enter the Paradise, Rohutu-No’ano’a » upon whose stone image they placed garlands of flowers. They were led forth by their chiefs and chieftainesses and introduced to the assembly by new names, by which they were ever afterwards known to the Society.

The members of the various orders were gradually promoted to the higher grades, according to their merits, by the Society itself. But to the king was re served the right to bestow the highest, or order of the red girdle, when such a dig nitary was required in the community.

As to their exhibitions, there is a vari ety of opinion. Ellis, who apparently writes from hearsay, speaks of things which “were abominable, unutterable”.

Yet the Padres of the Spanish Expedi tion to Tahiti in 1775, who witnessed Arioi performances at the Court of the Arii, Vehiatua, at Tautira, record in their diary the following: “As a finish, after a noisy Heyba (Heiva) of drums, they act ed (on this occasion) a farce represent ing one of the heathen whose wife was jealous. The function lasted an hour and a half, and was very amusing, because the clown played his part with great clev erness. When, from time to time, the music of the drums was sounded, the ac tors, placed in a row and in that wise bending well forward towards the ground, kept time to the measure by swaying their bodies and limbs without moving from their places; all following the lead of the clowm, who was stationed in front of them. They are extraordinarily quick in their motions, and move the different parts of their bodies with wonderful agil ity and ease, throwing themselves into a variety of contortions and making frightfu grimaces the while.

“Women also take part in the dances and interludes, very modestly dressed.

They resemble Spanish women, and are not behind the men in agility of body”. (“Quest and Occupation of Tahiti—l 772- 1776—Corney”).

Immense houses were erected in every principal district for the accommodation of the Arioi assemblies. That at Matavai, on Tahiti, is described by Captain Wallis: “The house measured 327 feet long and 42 feet wide, 30 feet high along the cen tre, and 12 feet along the eaves”.

“The amusement generally took place at night, when the great Arioi house was illuminated with fires and candlenut tap ers. On a high platform, erected at one end of the house, were placed high stools as seats for the chief Arioi of both sexes.

In the centre of the building were the

comedians, over whom presided the Arloi- Hi’o-Niao (master of ceremonies).

“The royal family had their seats of honour, and within the building, and out side upon the grass, were the spectators.

Even the crickets, it is said, cried with joy on these occasions.

“In th,eir plays the actors flattered or ridiculed with impunity people and even priests, from the greatest to the least, and they often did much good in thus caus ing faults to be corrected”. (“Ancient Tahiti—Henry).

To those who know the deep affection with which Tahjtians regard their child ren —whether they be of their own blood or adopted, as is so generally the custom —it is wellnigh impossible to believe that infanticide was formerly practised in the islands.

Many years ago, Tati, chief of Papara —who was a learned scholar in Polynes ian lore told the writer that human sacrifice and infanticide did not exist in ancient Polynesia; but were initiated in comparatively recent times, by that later invasion of warrior Polynesians who im posed the bloodthirsty rites of the war god, Oro. upon the people of the con quered islands. This has been confirmed bv later research,.

The inexorable law of Arioi, requiring the slaughter of all children born to its

membership, sealed the fate of the So ciety when the enlightenment of Christ ianity released the minds of the people from th,e fear and terror of vengeance by the heathen gods.

The Society Islanders tore from mind and memory all trace of the Arioi con fraternity. The elders cast out the word and its significance from their language and to-day, among Tahitians, all know ledge of the Arioi Society has departed as completely as if the institution had never existed.