Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the national consciousness in 1892 after a competition in a local newspaper to find the best
explanation for Fijian evolution. Supposedly, the great chief Lutunasobasoba landed on the
west coast of Viti Levu at Vuda, arriving by canoe from Tanzania in East Africa. Either his
spirit or one of his clan moved north to Ra where he was immortalized as
Degei
, the supreme
god of Fiji who is said to have lived in a cave in the form of a
snake
. Today, it's common
for Fijians to claim an impressive genealogical network of around twelve generations tracing
their tribe (
yavusa
) back to either Lutunasobasoba or Degei.
Tribal culture
Very little is known about the Fijian islanders in the centuries before European contact, al-
though it's clear that they built extensive hill fortifications and stone fish traps around the
coastline. They also created beautiful
wood carvings
including war clubs,
yaqona
bowls and
head rests, wove
tapa
cloth to adorn the body and made jewellery.
Tattooing
or
qai
was com-
monplace, often around the mouth and conducted with a chipped
kai
shell to form a raised
scar.
Tribes seldom ventured beyond their territorial boundaries unless to hunt or pay homage to
their superior neighbouring chiefs. Consequently, a variety of distinct tribes evolved in relat-
