Tu'i Tonga Fefine ("Female Tu'i Tonga") was a
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
granted to the eldest heiress of the
Tu'i Tonga, or spiritual leader of
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 ...
, in ancient times. She held a higher social status than the Tu'i Tonga himself.
The title is no longer in use.
According to tradition, the first Tu'i Tonga Fefine was Sinaitakala-‘ilangileka, a daughter of
ʻUluaki-mata I.
Marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
between the Tu'i Tonga Fefine and a Tongan man was deemed inappropriate. The title-holder was expected to remain a virgin unless or until she married a 'stranger' of high rank. The first Tu'i Tonga Fefine married a high-ranking
Fijian, to form the 'Ha'a Falefisi' ("House of Fiji") line.
Tu'i Tonga Fefine in succeeding generations were also expected to marry a title holder of the 'Ha'a Falefisi'.
This strategy of marrying the title-holder to non-Tongans helped to safeguard the Tu'i Tonga's position, as the Tu'i Tonga Fefine's children would otherwise have outranked him.
The Tu'i Tonga Fefine retained her rank throughout her life.
However, she remained the highest spiritual entity in Tonga only until she gave birth to a
daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...
. This child outranked her mother and became the highest spiritual entity in Tonga, with the title of
Tamahā ("Sacred Child").
References
Tongan royalty
{{Tonga-stub