Lutunasobasoba is considered to be one of the ancestors of the Fijian (iTaukei) people, along with
Degei In Fijian mythology, Degei (pronounced ''Ndengei''), enshrined as a serpent, is the supreme god of Fiji. He is the creator of the (Fijian) world, fruits, and of men and is specially connected to Rakiraki District, Fiji. He judges newly dead souls ...
.
According to one story, they originated near
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika () is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. ...
and sailed to sea in the
Kaunitoni Kaunitoni, according to Fijian ancestral story, was a canoe which sailed from an ancient homeland in the West, carrying the ancestor gods Lutunasobasoba and Degei, who are variously considered the ancestors of the Fijian people.{{Cite book, title= ...
and several other canoes. The Kaunitoni became holed in the western reef of
Viti Levu
Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.
Geology
Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian P ...
, just north of the village of
Viseisei Viseisei () is a village at Vuda Point on the west coast of Viti Levu island, in Ba Province of Fiji.
History
According to tradition, it is the oldest settlement in Fiji, established by Lutunasobasoba when the first Melanesian canoes beached at V ...
. One faction, with Lutunasobasoba as a chief, decided to make a home there. Degei, with the Kaunitoni, decided to sail east on the coast and landed at Rakiraki, settling in the Nakauvandra Mountains.
This particular story is believed to have been originated from a competition held in the late 1870s by missionaries who were looking to develop a more fanciful story than that which existed in Fijian circles at the time. The winning story tells that Degei and Lutunasobasoba were gods from Lake Tanganyika.
In modern times it is believed that Fiji's first inhabitants were Proto-Polynesians of the
Lapita culture
The Lapita culture is the name given to a Neolithic Austronesian people and their material culture, who settled Island Melanesia via a seaborne migration at around 1600 to 500 BCE. They are believed to have originated from the northern Philipp ...
, whose ancestors were from South East Asia.
Variations
According to the most popular variation, three chiefs, Lutunasobasoba, Degei, and Waicalanavanua lived in a land to the far west. For some cause, long since forgotten, they resolved to leave that land with their wives and children. They had a great canoe, which they called the Kaunitoni, built by the craftsman Rokola. In her they set sail, and with them went a number of other canoes, all seeking a new land. They found many lands, and at each some of the people stayed to make it their adopted home; but none of them pleased Lutunasobasoba. The Kaunitoni was struck by a great storm when she was far from land and alone. All the goods on deck were swept overboard, including a basket or box containing tablets recording their ancestors and writing system. After several days running from the storm, they came to land. They beached their canoe there and called the place
Vuda (Our Origin) on the northwest corner of Viti Levu. Lutunasobasoba was greatly distressed at losing the tablets (vola) and sent a canoe to look for it. The crew discovered the
Yasawa Islands
The Yasawa Group is an archipelago of about 20 volcanic islands in the Western Division of Fiji, with an approximate total area of .
Geography
The Yasawa volcanic group consists of six main islands and numerous smaller islets. The archip ...
, but failed to find the tablets.
[
They stayed at Vuda for a long time, until Lutunasobasoba became very old and infirm, and they decided to move him to higher ground. Degi had Rokola build them some new canoes, since there were now too many for the Kaunitoni. They went along the coast to the eastward, and landed in what is now the bay of Rakiraki. They carried the now dying Lutunasobasoba up the mountain which was later named Nakauvadra. They built him a hut from the materials of the ]pandanus tree
''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...
(vadra), which grew thickly at that spot. Lutunasobasoba lived there for several years. His dying command was for them to separate and settle in different parts of the land he had discovered.
Another version tells that Tura married Ranadi of Thebes and they had two children, Lutunasobasoba and Kubunavanua. Tura had a second wife, Naiovabasali and bore him Degei, Waicalanavanua, Nakumilevu, Rokola and Erovu. They then moved to Tanigaka. From there, three ships sailed out, the Kaunitoni (captained by Lutunasobasoba), Kaunitera (by Kumilevu), and Duiyabaki (by Kubunavanua); eventually reaching the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
. While there, they quarrelled over a turtle the crew of the Kaunitera had eaten, but not shared with the other crews. As a result, Kumilevu and his crew were left there. The Duiyabaki sailed to Lomaloma
Lomaloma (; officially ''Lomaloma Tikina'', ) is a village at the south of the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau archipelago of Fiji. The settlement is part of the tribal district of Tikina, Lomaloma and consists of 9 villages, 13 Yavusa (tribe ...
and settled there.[
]
The residents of Moturiki
Moturiki is an island belonging to Fiji's Lomaiviti Archipelago. Covering an area of 10.4 square kilometers, it is situated at 17.45° South and 178.44° East.
In the proto-polynesian language, 'Motu' means 'island' and Riki' means 'small' hence ...
say that island was settled by the crew of the Rogovoka, a ship used to transport rocks to the burial ground of the Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
n Kings, who first landed on a now submerged island called Vuniivilevu (), located where the Davetalevu passage () is now, between Viti Levu, Vana Levu and Ovalau. When the island sank, survivors swam to Moturiki.[
Another variation names the box of writings as " fj, Katonimana, lit=Box of Blessings, label=none" (Kato = case and Mana = magic). Others like ]Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, (; born 13 September 1948) is a Fijian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Ministe ...
, 3rd Prime Minister of Fiji, equate this box with the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an e ...
and say that it is buried on Mana Island, in the Yasawa Islands. They also say that Fiijians are one of the Ten Lost Tribes
The ten lost tribes were the ten of the Twelve Tribes of Israel that were said to have been exiled from the Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire BCE. These are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ashe ...
.
Degei is supposed to have later returned to search for it, against the command of Lutunasobasoba. He found either the box or a large diamond near the Mamanuca islands
The Mamanuca Islands () of Fiji are a volcanic archipelago lying to the west of Nadi and to the south of the Yasawa Islands. The group, a popular tourist destination, consists of about 20 islands, but about seven of these are covered by the ...
and was changed into a serpent with a diamond pattern on its head. This serpent is said to live in the Sawa-i-Lau caves, where it is trapped and causes earthquakes.
Family
;Parents
* Tura from Turkestan (father), landed at Naicobocobo ( Bua)
* Ranadi of Thebes (mother)
;Wives
* Adi Miranalesakula.
* Radinisei (Nai of Cepi).
;Siblings
* Degi (by his father's second wife)
Descendants
;Sons
:* by Adi Adi or ADI may refer to:
Names and titles
* Adi (mythology), an Asura in Hindu faith who appears in the Matsya Purāṇa
* Adi (name), a given name in Hebrew and a nickname in other languages
* Adi (title), a Fijian title used by females of chie ...
Miranalesakula.
* Naosara
Naosara (Help:IPA for Fijian, pronunciation: ''NAH-OH-SARAH'') was a Fijian High Chief, an ancestor of Fijian royal family. His title was ''Tui Nayau'' – "Lord of the island of Nayau."
He was also called Tuʻivanuakula II or Tuʻinaosara. ''Tu'i ...
, Tu'i Nayau
''Tu’i Nayau'' is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, ''Tu’i Nayau'' means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the la ...
, lived in the Batiki area.
* Daunisai, lived in Kabara.
* Sagavuluna, stayed at Vuda
:* by Radinisei
* Rokomautu, lived in Verata.
* Rokoratu / Ro Melasiga, lived in Burebasaga
Burebasaga is the largest of the three confederacies that make up Fiji's House of Chiefs, to which some of the Fijian chiefs belong.
Composition of Burebasaga
It consists of the provinces of Rewa Province, Nadroga, Serua, Kadavu off the coast ...
.
;Daughter
* Buisavulu (Bui Savulu), founder of the Bureta people of Ovalau
*Lutuarevurevu fell overboard the canoe " Nakaunitoni" with the box of mana.
See also
* Roko Tui Bau
In Fiji, Turaga na Roko Tui Bau is a vassal chief of the Vunivalu of Bau (the chief of the post- Cakobau enclaves of the Kubuna confederacy). From his seat at the residence of Naicobocobo, the Roko Tui Bau rules the Vusaratu chiefs (including t ...
References
*
*
* {{cite journal , last1=Thomson , first1=Basil H. , title=The Kalou-Vu (Ancestor-Gods) of the Fijians , journal= , date=1895 , volume=24 , pages=340–359 , doi=10.2307/2842183, jstor=2842183 , url=https://zenodo.org/record/1449578
Fijian chiefs
Deified people
Date of birth unknown
Date of death unknown
Legendary Polynesian people