Rise And Fall Of Polynesia

Vast Confederation Which Died About 1350 A.D.

WHEN, in 1928, the Bishop Museum of Honolulu published the vast mass of material about ancient Polynesia gathered by the early missionary, J. M.

Orsmond, and edited by Miss Teuira Henry, in a bulletin entitled “Ancient Tahiti”, there was revealed a priceless treasure of history, tradition and polity, hitherto dimly glpnpsed in fragments rescued from the failing memories of aged men on many scattered islands.

The early voyagers knew little, and cared less, concerning the history and culture of the island people.

After the manner of reception com mittees and civic clubs of our modern world, who conduct visitors to cocktail parties, night clubs and exhibitions of bubble dancing at the local World’s Fair, rather than to the scholarly twilight of University halls —so the Polynesians of old displayed to their guests the gay orgies of the Arioi, instead of inducting them into the solemn arcana of the Fare-tara-’toa (the house of all wisdom).

Islands culture was, in fact, already in a state of deterioration at the period of European discovery: for the Polynesian world had been torn asunder by tribal wars and the mounting ambition of Is lands chiefs.

There was, however, a period, covering several centuries, when the far-flung ar chipelagoes of Polynesia were united in a confederation, the centre of which was the ancient temple and house of wis dom in the royal district of Opoa. on Havai’i —now known as the island of Ra’iatea.

To quote from “Ancient Tahiti”:— “Havai'i was of undisputed prestige among the islands in ancient times. For merly, as shown in pure archaic records by the ancient bards, Havai’i exercised a political and moral sway as the empor ium of all the Maori tribes of Polynesia.

Dividing Havai’i into two equal parts by a meridian, all the islands on its eastern side were named Te-Ao-Uri (Dark Land), those on the west Te-Ao-Tea (Light Land).

The ambassador who united and con solidated the islands of these two worlds into a close confederation was Te Fatu, a high chief who came from the distant island of Rotuma, at an early period, to Pora Pora, bearing a corner stone from the royal marae of his native island.

“And so” (records “Ancient Tahiti”), “they (Te Fatu and his son Maro-Te- Tini) continued their course, creating friendly feelings with the kindred peoples of Te-Ao-Uri and Te-Ao-Tea, of which are recorded Huahine, Tahiti and depend encies, Mai’ao, and the Australs —then named Te-Ao-Uri-o-Te-Fa’a Tauaroha (Dark Land of the Friendly Alliance); and Rotuma, Tahaa, and Pora Pora, with smaller adjacent islands, and downwards to Rarotonga, extending finally to Te- Ao-Tea-Roa, or New Zealand; which were named Te-Ao-Tea-o-Te-Fa’a Taua roha (Light Land of the Friendly Alli ance) .

“All these island kingdoms formed a convention for their priests, scholars and warriors, to meet periodically at Opoa for great religious observances and inter-

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£K?Sa Ch fh g e fw 0881011 ’ nd , out from the horizon they came in double file, each representmg a separate kingdom. To the north were those of Te-Ao-Tea, to the south those <pf Te-Ao-Uri, approaching side by side with the sound of drums and blasts °f trumpets’.

The ceremonies of landing, the presencation of gifts and the solemn procession inland to the marae of Taputapuatea, are described in minute detail in the text.

“While the mystic rites were being performed that day by the priests at the marae at Opoa, no fire was kindled and no food was eaten.

“The presiding high priest and other high priests entered the inner sanctuary There was performed the most sacred of all their sacardotal rites, the Pal Atua (assembly of the gods), when it would have meant death for any of the laity to have approached or looked on”.

After continuing from a remote time, the confederation was broken up and scattered sometime in the middle of the 14th century, or about 1350 A.D.

"After the dispersion of Te-Ao-Uri and Te-Ao-Tea only Ralatea and Tahiti continued to exchange the Taputapuatea

rites meeting alternately at Opoa.

Raiatea and at Tautira, Tahiti.

“ An alliance was made between the little kingdoms of Tahiti, Huahine.

Ra iatea and Maupiti, called the Hau- Pahu-Nui (Government of the Great Drum), and it remained in full force un til French rule was permanently estab lished in Tahiti in 1847”.

The Name “Hawaii"

“rpHE name Hawaii, with its equiva- X lent forms, is known throughout Polynesia. Hawaii is the name of the largest island in the Hawaiian group, and it is pronounced like the Tahitian Havail. This island is known as Tahitian folklore as ‘HavaiT-a’ (Burning Havail), from its volcano, which was formerly al ways brightly burning. The island of Fakarava in the Tuamotus was once call ed Havaiki.

“The Samoans have their Savail; the Marquesans and New Zealand Maoris Havaiki; the Rarotongans, Avaiki. ‘Havail (Raiatea) was of undisputed prestige among the islands in ancient times and is still the proudest island in all the Society group.

“These names were shortened into Uri (Dark), for East Havail, and Tea (Light), for West Havail; and in the course of time they were blended to gether, and Uri-e-Tea (Dark and Light) became a new name for the whole is land”.

This was the name of the island given to Cook by the natives when he visited Raiatea in the “Endeavour”, and was recorded by him as “Uliateah”.

“The sea of the Society group divided by the meridian just described, was call ed Moana-a-Marama (sea of the moon) on the eastern side of Raiatea, and Moana-Urifa (sea of rank odour) on the western side. The Pacific Ocean they call Te Moana-Nui-O-Tva”.—A.C.R.