Editor: Ratu Josefa J.M. Vuwai I Illustrator: Gary Fox I Narrator: Ratu Josefa J.M. Vuwai I Vosa vaka-Viti translator/editor: Adi Elisapeci Samanunu Waqanivala I Cultural advisor: Adi Elisapeci Samanunu Waqanivala I Co-publisher: Grow Vuna Initiatives Ltd.
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Vosa vaka-Viti
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Vosa vaka-Viti.
Na Yanuyanu ko Vuna, drokadroka ka vanua bulabula, toka ena ceva kei Vanua Levu, e Viti, me vaka e a dikeva ko James Cook (1777) kei so na dau kau Lotu. Na mape ni Yanuyanu ko Vuna e toqai tu vei ratou na Mataivalu-e-wai ni Mereke ena 1800. E toqa talega toka ga ko Scott Heyes (2014) na i tuvatuva oqo, e na nona a gole ki Vuna mai na Canberra University.
Na ceva ni Yanuyanu ko Vuna e a tawani, ni bera ni sucu na Karisito (100BC), oqo e vakadeitaki mai na caca ni kuro a kune. E kilai na Yanuyanu ko Vuna vei ira e Tonga kei Viti talega. Ia, e sega ni matata, se gauna cava li e a veisau kina na yaca ni Yanuyanu ko Vuna me Taveuni?
Ia, me keda ilova lesu mada, na veiwekani ni Vanua O Vuna kei Bau.
Dua na i vakadei ni veiwekani, ena gauna ka a vakayacori kina na Cara Sala ki Bau, mai vei ira na lewe ni vanua ko Vuna, ena yabaki 1980 vakacaca.
E a liutaka na i lakolako na Turaga Sau Tui Vuna sa bale ko Ratu Ilaijia Makaba Waqanivalu OBE. Ni ra sa cabe yani ki Bau era sega ni roqo liga me vaka era dau vakayacora o ira mai Cakaudrove. Na cava beka e vaka kina oqo?
Sota na Kalou-Vu mai Vuna Kei Bau
Na i tukuni makawa kei Viti, era dau laveti ki na i tutu vaka kalou ko ira na turaga-bale e Viti. Era kilai me ra kalou tamata me vakataki Degei, Dakuwaqa, Tui Wai, Daucina e so na kalou vu. Era laki veisau na turaga kalou tamata me ra kalou yalo (kalou vu), ni ra sa takali, ena vakabauta vaka-Viti makawa, ena vuku ni nodra i tutu cecere vaka-Vanua.
Era dau veigadivi o ira na kalou-vu, o ira na kalou-tamata ka vaka kina o ira na lewe ni vanua e Viti kei na Wasa Pasifika. Na veisikovi e tekivuna na veivolekati ni sema vakaveiwekani.
Ena dua na gauna makawa sara, na kalou mai Vuna e a laki sikovi Omaisoroniaka, na kalou-vu e Bau. Ena gauna vata oya, e rau a gole tale tikoga kina ki Bau e rua tale na kalou-vu, dua mai Korocau kei na kalou-vu mai Cakaudrove ko Qurai. Ia, e lecava na veivukiyaki ni cagi kei na draki ko Qurai, ka sa kere veivuke vei Vatumudre na kalou-vu mai Korocau. O Vatumudre e kalou vatu ka dau rai yawa na matadra. Solia ko Vatumudre dua na tolo ni bitu vei Qurai me vaka bilibili kina, ni sa vuki no me kalavo. Ni sa yaco yani ki Bau ko Qurai sa vakaloloma sara na kena i rairai. Sa sautanini ka curumi batabata, baleta ni a gunu waitui ena i golegole koya. A vueti Qurai edua na liga ka laki vakararagi koya ena dua na matadravu, me rawa ni vakatakataka kina. E sega ni vuki lesu ko Qurai me tamata.
“Sa Vinaka. Au va’muduo e na nomu yalo vinaka. Ia o au kalou-vu mai Vuna. A cava era na munaka oira a noqu, ni u sa mai varorogo vua edua a kalou mai Bau?”
Ena mataka tarava sa tomiki cake ko Qurai me kau vei Omaisoroniaka, na kalou-vu ni Bau. “Eiii….iko na cava mo mai veiwalitaka na nomu kalou”.
“Sega, saka turaga, na kalavo e kaya ni o koya ko Qurai, kalou mai Cakaudrove. Au kerea mo ni raici koya mada.”
“Kauti koya mai. Setiseti. Luveni kalavo lailai. Kauti koya tani. Au vakabauta me yalo vinaka na kalou-vu mai Vuna me kauti koya lesu ena nona drua.”
“Sa vinaka. Keirau a dui salasala mai…”, kaya na kalou-vu mai Vuna.
Sa mani vakadonuya na kalou-vu mai Vuna me rau lesu vata ena nona drua.
Sega ni dede sa gade yani ki Vuna ko Omaisoroniaka, na kalou-vu mai Bau, ena nona saga me qali vua ko Vuna.
Ia ni yaco yani ki Vuna ko mai Omaisoroniaka, e sega ni kila ni sa namaki toka mai nona yaco yani. Sa cakava oti tu edua na i lawaki na kalou-vu mai Vuna, me vakaseva kina na nona i naki na kalou-vu ni Bau.
Na gaunisala me na muria cake mai na kalou-vu ni Bau e sa vakasuasuataki tu, ka titidara sara. Ni sa yaco yani na kalou-vu ni Bau, sa vakayadra sara mai o kalou-vu mai Vuna; “Mai mai noqu puaka loa…” Basika mai ko Omaisoroniaka, sa duri cake na kalou-vu ni Vuna, me rairai me vakanadakuya tu yani na nona vulagi. Cudru na kalou-vu mai Bau, ia e a qai kidacala ni sa duitautau na yavana ka tidara, ka daberaki koya vakasabalia.
Tu cake tu ga na kalou-vu ni Vuna, ka dusia sobu vua na nona i wau, ka kaya; “Cava ko mai via vakasaurarataki kina au ena noqu qele vakavanua o Vuna? O sega ni kila ni o au na kalou-vu kei Vuna, i ke, ko sa na mate kina”.
“Sa vinaka”, e kaya na kalou-vu mai Bau; “Ko sa na turaga nikau vei kedaru.”
E kila deivaki tu na kalou-vu mai Vuna ni rau sa na tu vei saututaki kei Bau. Ena veimaliwai oqo, e sa i tekitekivu ni nodra dau dokai ka rokovi kina e Bau o ira mai Vuna, ena veigauna kece era dau butuki Bau yani kina. Me yacova mai na gauna oqo, era sega ni dau roqo liga e Bau na lewe ni Vanua o Vuna me vakataki ira mai Cakaudrove.
Ena gauna oqo edua na matasawa kei na tikini qele e Vuna e yacana toka ko Mateiwelagi. Ko Mataiwelagi talega e yaca talega ni nodratou yavu na Vunivalu mai Bau.
English
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English.
Vuna Island, green and lush located in the lower South of Vanua Levu in Fiji as observed by James Cook (1777) and some Missionaries. Geographical map on Vuna Island is recorded with the United States Maritime Services (1800). Scott Heyes (2014) from Canberra University [Australia] cites these details in his academic piece on Vuna;
The lower South of Vuna Island, inhabited before Birth of Christ (100BC) per pieces of potteries found. Vuna Island known in Tonga and Fiji too. It is unclear when the name change occurred from Vuna to Taveuni.
Let’s revisit an ancient story about the relationship between Vanua O Vuna and Bau. In recent years early 1970s, we get a glimpse of this at an Indigenous Fijian Traditional Protocol of affirming close ties with Bau, known in Fijian Language; “Cara Sala” led by the Paramount of Chief of Vuna, Ratu Ilaijia Makaba Waqanivalu OBE. Upon descending into Bau, all those from Vuna did not clasp their hands as normally done by Cakaudrove Peoples. Why, was this
so?
Ancestor-God of Vuna Meets that of Bau
In Fiji, Traditional history of Indigenous Fijians, view the ancestor-god, as once being human, held position of power as High Chiefs of Fiji and deified; such as Degei, Dakuwaqa, Tui Wai, Daucina, as ancestor-gods. These humans, in the rite of passage Yanuyanu Ko Vuna kei Rau Na Kalou-Vu: Vuna kei Bau as High Chiefs of the Land, deemed ancestor-gods, soon morph into kalou-yalo when one passes into after-life.
In Fiji, the Fijian ancestor-gods often pay visit to each other, as earthly beings. The visits extend beyond Fiji into other Pacific Islands, triggering the onset of close ties.
Once upon a time, the Vuna ancestor-god visited Omaisoroniaka the Bau ancestor-god. Two other ancestor-gods of Korocau and Cakaudrove called Qurai were also enroute to Bau too.
Qurai, had miscalculated the weather and wind direction. So, he asked for help from Vatumudre the ancestor-god of stone from Korocau, who possessed long distance vision. Vatumudre, then gave a piece bamboo pole to Qurai to use as a raft, seeing it had turned into a rat. When Qurai arrived in Bau, it looked pitiful. It was a mess. It was shivering cold, drenched, as it had drunk sea water along the way.
A hand, picked Qurai out of the water, placed it near an open fireplace to warm itself. Qurai did not assume its human form.
“All good. I want to thank you for your kindness. Yes, I am the Vuna ancestor-god. What will my people say, if they hear I have come to listen to the Bau ancestor-god?
Next morning, Qurai was picked up and taken to Omaisoronika, the Bau ancestor-god.
“Eiii...who are you to make fun of your ancestor-god?”
“No, sir, the rat says his name is Qurai, ancestor-god of Cakaudrove. Request, if you can see him, please.”
“Bring it here. Oh gosh. A small rat. Take it away. I believe, if it pleases the Vuna ancestor-god, to be kind and take it back in its drua.”
“Alright, we each came separately....”, uttered the Vuna ancestor-god.
The Vuna ancestor-god, finally agreed for the two to travel back together in his drua.
Not long after, Omaisoroniaka, the Bau ancestor-god, made a trip to Vuna in his attempt to make Vuna one of its subject.
On arrival in Vuna, Omaisoroniaka, was unaware, his visit had already been anticipated in Vuna.
The Vuna ancestor-god had pre-concocted a plan to foil Bau ancestor-god’s ambition.
The path that Bau ancestor-god would use was made wet and slippery.
When the Bau ancestor-god arrived, he was greeted by the Vuna ancestor-god; “Mai mai noqu puaka loa...”.
Omaisoroniaka emerged, whilst the Vuna ancestor-god standing, with his back towards the visitor.
This made the Bau ancestor-god angry. He lost his balance, and in shock, slipped and fell sloppily to the ground.
The Vuna ancestor-god remain standing, holding his club against the Bau ancestor-god uttered; “Why did you try to force me on my ancestral land of Vuna? Don’t you know I am the ancestor-god of Vuna? Here, you will meet your death!"
“Alright”, says the Bau ancestor-god; “You will be chief between us.”
The Vuna ancestor-god settled things with Bau. This encounter affirmed a kinship unique to Vuna and Bau which saw Vuna being given place of honour and treated with dignity and respect each time Vuna visits Bau. This kinship remains today and Vuna peoples do not clasp their hands when in Bau as Cakaudrove People does.
Today, in Vuna, the waterfront and land area where the Bau ancestor-god slipped is called Mataiwelagi. In Bau, Mataiwelagi is the Chiefly residence of the Vunivalu of Bau.
