Wednesday 05 April 2017
www.nukualofatimes.tbu.to
Nuku’alofa Times - Page 16
ART & CULTURE
Ancient Tongan Religion “Lotu”
(THFALE.COM): The foundations of ancient Tongan civilization were established and maintained by “Langa e Sia/Langi” erecting mounds, “Langa e Fale” constructing a Fale Lalava (culture hall) on one of the mounds, “Fola e Fala” putting down a mat in the Fale Lalava, and “Palu e Kava” mixing a kumete (bowl) of kava. In this setting and around this kumete (bowl), the leaders of Tongan society would discuss and set plans regarding all aspects of Tongan life including: * Religious practices * Political affairs * Social activities * Scientific applications The Tongan (Polynesian) civilization was organized in tribal/family groups called “ha’a”. One of the main Ha’a or Fale was the “Fale Fa” (Four houses or tribes) which were tasked with performing duties that, in modern governments would be assigned to a legislative body. Each of the Fale Fa was given special stewardship over each of the four aspects of Tongan (Polynesian) life listed (Religious, Political, Social, & Scientific). This article focuses on religion in Ancient Tongan society. Ancient Tongan Religion (Lotu) The backbone of every civilization in the history
of the world has been and continues to be the religious practices of a society. When religious structures and beliefs erode in a civilization, that particular civilization will begin to decline in all other aspects of its society. Religion is generally a way of life based upon belief in things that cannot be physically seen or touched but have significance and impacts the daily lives of the people. The “Lotu” (Lotus) plant is probably the most common plant or flower associated with religion throughout the world. Images of the Lotu plant (Lotus) or flower are found in temples,pyramids and other religious structures in both ancient and modern times. Early Christians in Syria used images of the lotu when depicting many religious events including Noa’s flood and Mose’s miracles. In these groups, Hinduism, Buddhism and Egyptian, they believed the lotus flowers represented love, rebirth, beauty and purity. The ancient Greeks philosophers referred to religious people as “lotus eaters.” This was because in many religions throughout the world, the lotus flower was a symbol of those with deep religious beliefs. Tongans were very religious and still are today as about 99 percent of Tongans are Christians. The Christians first
arrived in Tonga in 1797 with the London Mission Society (LMS) missionaries. One of these missionaries was George Vason. He wrote a book about Tonga at the beginning of 1800’s. He wrote that Tonga already believed in life after death and the existence of a spiritual world before these missionaries arrived. In Tongan, the word “lotu” or “loto” was used to refer to both religion and prayer. It is also the word used to refer to the lotus plant/ flower. This is the origin of the nickname of the village of Folaha, ”Lotukaiano” or “Lotokaiano.” This is partly because of the many lotu plants found in the swampy areas around Folaha. In early Tonga (Polynesia) the origin legend of Tangaloa is that he lived in “Langi” which is now referred to as Tapuhia (where crime is forbidden) and located between Vaini and Folaha, with the “Lotu” nearby. Maui lived in “lalofonua” which is located near the swamp by Navutoka and Manuka where lotu (lotus) grows.
A photo of the Lotus flower that is connected to religions around the world including Tonga. Tongans called the Lotus flower “Lotu” which is the Tonga word for Religion and Prayer. The Lotus plant represented the structure and beliefs of Ancient Tonga. The flower or Langi was where the Ha’a Tangaloa and later the Ha’a Tu’i Tonga lived, the floating leave represented the Lalofonua where the Ha’a Maui and everyone else lived, and the under water/unseen parts of the Lotus represented Pulotu (the spirit world) where spirits of the deceased lived. Hikule’o then lived in the Spirit World (Pulotu), where the spirits went after death, which is located where the sun sets in the sky. The lotus plant symbolized each of these places—the flower was Langi (above the water), the leaves lalofonua (on the water) and the unseen roots is Pulotu (under the water). This origin legend of the Tongan (Polynesian) story misled historians in their
translations of langi to be only sky, lalofonua to mean only under the land, and Pulotu to be a place in Fiji. Langi in Tongan was where the Tangaloa family used to live in Tonga. When the kingly title changed from the Tangaloa to the Tu’i Tonga line of kings, the word Langi now was the place where the Tu’i Tonga lived from the time of ‘Ahoeitu, the first Tu’i Tonga, in 450 A.D. to
the last Tu’i Tonga Laufilitonga in 1865. There is no “langi” anywhere in Polynesia except Tonga. Lalofonua is where the tribe of Maui used to live in Tonga. This place is known today as Ha’amaui (Maui’s tribe). Pulotu is where the sun sets to the West, and no one lives there as only the spirits that have left this world which is equivalent to heaven and hell in the Bible.
“Langi” is where the Tangaloa family lived before 500 A.D. This dwelling place used to be the highest point on the island of Tongatapu until the government crushed the rocks in the area for construction. The compound was called “Tapuhia” signifying that crime was absolutely forbidden due to the sacred nature of the Tangaloa Compound. There are also other designated areas surrounding the compound that we will discuss in future articles.
The compound where Maui and his family lived (before 500 A.D.) was called “Lalofonua”. Maui lived here as it was the highest point on the eastern side of the island. This area is commonly referred to as “Ha’a Maui” which means Maui’s tribe/family. Maui named several land marks and features after important events and ancient navigational knowledge. These names an their significance will be discussed in a future article.