IN SPITE OF the sanctity and theoretical inviolability of the Tui Tongas person it seems that hes often in danger of his life. Tuitatui, as weve seen, was forced to use a stick to keep his matapules at a distance for fear of assassination...Havea I (19th Tui Tonga), was murdered while bathing in the sea... Havea II (22nd Tui Tonga) also met an untimely death at the hands of Tuluvota, a Fijian retainer. So when Takalaua (23rd Tui Tonga) was murdered, his successor reorganized the structure of the higher titles to reduce the risk of the same thing happening to him. Takalauas engaged in building a Lagi as his own sepulchre and in his enthusiasm for the work made heavy exactions on the labor and time of his people, even in the yam-planting season. This, at least was the pretext for a conspiracy against him, which was mounted in the village of Pelehake, and for his murder by 2 of its leaders, Tamasia and Malofafa. Takalauas eldest son, Kauulufonua, wouldnt allow the funeral to take place til hed avenged his father. He persued the murderers to Eua, Haapai, Vavau and the Niuas, but they evaded him by allowing them the right to refuse any Tongan canoe permission to land there (hence the name of that island). Still in pursuit he followed the assassins to Niue, Samoa, and Futuna (in the latter pace giving the people the right to rob any Tongan canoe which should land there.) Finally the fugitives were taken on Uvea (where for their help the people were given the right to comb, with a sting-ray tail, the hair of any Tongans whod land there.)...but once theyre caught Kauulufonua exacted a terrible vengeance on the murderers of his father, so terrible indeed that thereafter he bore the additional name Fekai (the savage). He knocked out the teeth of his captives and then forced them to chew with their bleeding gums the dry kava root which was to be used for the kava ceremony to celebrate their capture....then theyre dispatched and their bodies cut up to serve as the Fono food for the same celebration. Only when his father had been so avenged would Kauulufonua allow him to be buried.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 02:58:32 +0000
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