Ancient FIJIANS vs. Modern Fijians

History of the FIJIAN people

Fijian Hairstyle

Fijian Tattoo

Fijian girls prior to colonization were tattooed about the genitals and loins at puberty before they could be initiated as women, uninitiated girls who came from chiefly backgrounds often did not have to be tattooed till late teens.

The only early tattooing that remains is the spidery web tattoos found on arms and elbows which traditionally was used to let out bad blood, though the more contemporary forms of tattoos is on the rise as the global influence

Fijian Tapa Making

Fijian Meke (Dance)

What is depicted here is a mekenivalu, or war-dance, performed with spears. Note the war-fans held by the dancers, and the low crouching posture that is not seen in this form in today's dances. At the time this photograph was taken, it is a reasonable supposition that at least some of the dancers would have performed such dances before "real" inter-group wars.

Click on the following link to view a Fijian Meke or Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r7QoOCWXrU&feature=related

This studio photo depicts a man wearing a liku wäloa war-skirt and a short knotted waistband of smoked masikuvui barkcloth waistband, sign of a chief. He shoulders a kiakavo common warclub. The only thing that makes his dress "gala dress" rather than true war dress is the magnificent split whaletooth wasekaseka gorget around his neck. This fine-looking man with his splendid head of hair was a favourite model of JohnWaters, who almost certainly took the original of this photo, around or shortly before 1900.

Fijian Wooden Drums (Lali)

Formerly used as calls to war, cannibal feasts and to signal movements of the enemy, etc. Now, like our own bells, they summon people to church.

Click on the link to view a lali or wooden drum being beaten in a school setting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2kYa-OZBE4

Bure Kalou (Fijian TEMPLE)

Fiji's old religion is no longer practiced however old deities are still acknowledged and respected but never worshiped as Christianity is the dominant faith amongst the indigenous community, there is still the existence in private of Fijian Witchcraft

In Old Fiji the architecture of villages was simple and practical to meet the physical and social need and to provide communal safety the houses were square in shape and with pyramid like shaped roofs [19] and the walls and roof were thatched and various plants of practical use were planted nearby, each village having a meeting house and a Spirit house. The spirit house was elevated on a pyramid like base built with large stones and earth, again a square building with an elongated pyramid like [20]roof with various scented flora planted nearby.

Fijian Feast

Caption reads "— a presentation of food: turtles (turned on their backs to prevent them absconding), a heap of yams, roots of yangona [yaqona], a basket of cooked food, and bundles of mats."

Turtles are the exclusive food of chiefs, which shows that this was an important gift ceremony [solevu], involving chiefly clans on either side of the presentation.

Fijian Women

This young woman was still unmarried, as can be seen from her "virgin plaits" (tobe), which would be cut off by her husband on their wedding night.

Caption reads "These locks are a mark of virginity, cut off after marriage. The jealous Tavua men shore off those of their maidens who flirted with the men from Nadarivatu. Photo by J.H.Waters, Suva."

Fijian Firewalkers

Click on the link below to view the FIJIAN fire walking ceremonyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts9lQMlvGR0

"The family of firewalkers prepared for the ceremony - only one family on one island possesses the mysterious secret of walking bare-footed on red hot stones.”In fact several villages on the island practice it, not one family.*

Fijian Transportation

No location is given for this, but like the previous picture, this men is standing in a river-going outrigger dugout canoe (takia). He has jammed his pole into the riverbottom to keep the canoe steady for the photo.

Right: the Fijian Bamboo raft or “bilibili” used as a means of transportation

Fijian Warriors

• Actually, these men are dressed for a club dance, not for war. The rosettes on their pandanus skirts, and the flower behind one man's ear, make this quite clear. Already by the time this photo was taken (1900s), the men had reduced the extensive and complex face-paint they would formerly have worn, to a token black dot on forehead and/or cheeks, or some black powder rubbed casually on their faces. Every dancer carries a kiakavo spurred club, a common footsoldier's weapon, but the fact that this was the only sort they carried suggests that some of them at least would have been specifically made as dance-clubs. In former times, each dancer might have been expected to carry a favourite style of weapon.

Kava (Yaqona) Ceremony

This very young woman is decked out in a long fibre-strand wäbale sash (compare with man under "People") and is crouching in the appropriate posture for presenting yaqona (kava) to a dignitary. The only problem with this is that even today women very seldom perform this office in the sort of ceremony for which such finery would be appropriate, and in the early 20th Century when this photo was taken, it would never have happened. The woman was chosen for this postcard because she would have been considered more "charming" than the young man who would normally perform this office.

Click on the following link to view a presentation of the kava by young boys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25ZnXgGe-q8

Fijian Houses (Bure)

• From the terrain and the style of the central house (were rausina), this too was clearly taken in the Vitilevu Highlands (Colo).The second, smaller, house is rectangular in plan, in a style called there were väsemasema. The village is not identified on the card, but it appears to be the same one as in the postcard below. That is identified as "Koro Boi," but is actually Nakoroboya, which is (still) in the northern highlands toward Ra, northeast of Navosä where the house above was situated, very near to Vatukoula (the goldmine town, third largest town in Fiji). Though it is not so obvious in this photo as it is in general village photo, while the houses are (typically of Colo) more square than rectangular in floor plan, the roof shape in this part of Colo was more

pyramidal than conical.