262 . J'oniaiulcr i'ollcctioii of ffa'n'aiiait I'olk-lorc. 



The Tonsans believe that heaven, the planets, ocean and the isle Bolotu existed 

 before the earth; and the Tons^a isles were fished u]) from the ocean by Tano-aloa. 



Mankind came from Bolotu, the princi])al residence of the gods, placed in the 

 northwest. The souls of the Ci^iti or chiefs, after death, go to Bolotu. The souls of 

 the iiiatabulc go there too, but to serve the former and the gods. The Tongans were 

 not agreed as to whether the iiiiia had a soul or not; but the tiia positively had none. 

 or if they had, it died with the body. The Tiii-Tonga and the J'cachi descend in direct 

 line from two of the ])rincipal gods. 



The Tongans reckon about three hundred primitive gods, of which about twenty 

 only are honored with temples and priests. Tali-ai-tubo is the god of war. Tui-fua- 

 Bolotu presided over the divine assembly at Bolotu, but is less in power than the pre- 

 ceding. Hihuleo is a powerful god, worshiped by the Tui-Tonga family. Tubo-Toti, is 

 the god of voyages. Alai Valu is the god consulted in sickness. Alo-Alo is the god 

 of wind, rain, seasons and vegetation. Tangaloa, is the god of arts and inventions. 

 Hala-Api-Api, Togui Uku, Mea and Tubo-Bugo are gods of the sea and voyages. 



The universe re]X)ses on the body of the god Maui. He is the giant among 

 the gods, but has no temple nor priests. When he is fatigued lying in one position, he 

 turns, and that is the cause of earthquakes. 



The tabu system was much developed in Tonga in its minutiae and operations. 

 It is essentially the same through the entire Polynesian family; the variations in degree 

 and intensity are local. 



Tu-i-Tonga, the highest chief, descended from one of the gods that formerly vis- 

 ited Tonga. The respect shown him arises solely from his religious character. He 

 was a kind of sovereign pontiff, and until modern times nothing of importance was done 

 without consulting him. Veachi, another chief or (.\t;///of divine descent; second in rank 

 to the Tu-i. The ])riests have no social consideration as such, unless they are inspired. 



////, or the king, is the highest in power, but not in nobility. Egui, nobles, are 

 allied and related to the families of Tu-i, Veachi or Hu. Matabulc, the class just below 

 the egui, are counsellors and officers. The title is hereditary, and the son does not enter 

 the class of matabulc until the father's death. Until then he belongs to the class called 

 iiiiia, composed of the sons, brothers and descendants of matabule. The sons and 

 brothers of a niiia belong to the last class called tua until the death of the parent. The 

 tua comprise all who do not come under one of the preceding categories of rank. They 

 are the common people. 



Hogs in Tonga are called bnaka. as in Marquesas; in Hawaii, pnaa. 



The Tongans were not cannibals, but sometimes in imitation of the Vitians, it 

 became a militarv point of honor for the young warriors to eat the flesh of an enemy 

 slain in battle. 



Among the Tongan dances were the Jica, a very ancient and stately dance per- 

 formed by men, and the ula. also very ancient, practised formerly (^nly by the low classes, 

 but a Tonga chief having seen it performed at v^amoa, — where it was said to have been 

 invented, — made it fashionable in Tonga. 



