Sau, (often mistranslated as “
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
”), refers to the role of spiritual leader in pre-Christian
Rotuman society. The title was neither
primogenitary nor held for a lifetime, but rather was cycled through the chiefs of each of Rotuma's districts.
Overview
The position of sau was primarily tied into Rotuma's pre-Christian
fertility cult and the worship of the supreme deity
Tagroa Siria. This is reflected in the fact that each reign was generally for the six-month ritual cycle of the
Rotuman calendar. At the beginning of each sau's reign, they would be installed by the
fakpure or secular ruler, and would subsequently be deified for six months, in the polity's hope that the appeasement of the sau, as a proxy for the God on earth, would result in prosperity and peace on the island.
There were also instances where the sau was female, then called ''"sauhani"''. The other major political roles in Rotuman society were the
fakpure and the
mua.
List of title holders
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, -
, 1., , unknown, ,
Sauhani
, -
, 2., , unknown, ,
Kaurifanua
, -
, 3., , unknown, ,
Riamkau
, -
, 4., , unknown, ,
Kaufose
, -
, 5., , unknown, ,
Taio
Taio (german: Thayl or ''Theyl'', Ladin: ''Taj'') was a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about north of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,694 and ...
, -
, 6., , unknown, ,
Fonomanu
, -
, 7., , unknown, ,
Varomua
, -
, 8., , unknown, ,
Tiu I
, -
, 9., , unknown, ,
Marafu-Kauat
, -
, 10., , unknown, ,
Irava
, -
, 11., , unknown, ,
Tokoara
, -
, 12., , unknown, ,
Asesekava
, -
, 13., , unknown, ,
Mariseu
, -
, 14., , unknown, ,
Sakanane
, -
, 15., , unknown, ,
Tausia
, -
, 16., , unknown, ,
Sautupuak
, -
, 17., , unknown, ,
Paka
, -
, 18., , unknown, ,
Ravak
, -
, 19., , unknown, ,
Tokoniua
, -
, 20., , unknown, ,
Titofag
, -
, 21., , unknown, ,
Irava
, -
, 22., , unknown, ,
Ravak
, -
, 23., , unknown, ,
Tua-Oajo
, -
, 24., , 1820, ,
Gagafag
, -
, 25., , 1825, ,
Fatafesi
, -
, 26., , 1829, ,
Fatenefau
, -
, 27., , 1833, ,
Vuna
, -
, 28., , 1838, ,
Fatafesi
, -
, 29., , 1838, ,
Tamanava
, -
, 30., , 1839, ,
Solovalu
, -
, 31., , 1839, ,
Riamkau
, -
, 32., , 1839, ,
Tirasoko
, -
, 33., , 1840, ,
Otorovao
, -
, 34., , 1841, ,
Ragafua
, -
, 35., , 1843, ,
Vaurasi
, -
, 36., , 1843, ,
Vavaoti
, -
, 37., , 1845, ,
Ufat
, -
, 38., , 1845, ,
Patipat Vavahina
, -
, 39., , 1845, ,
Furisefaua
, -
, 40., , 1845, ,
Tirotorava
, -
, 41., , 1846, ,
Marafu
, -
, 42., , 1846, ,
Pogisemose
, -
, 43., , 1846, ,
Tarupea
, -
, 44., , 1846, ,
Sukamaso
, -
, 45., , 1847, ,
Mua
, -
, 46., , 1847, ,
Kausirafe
, -
, 47., , 1847, ,
Toporotu
, -
, 48., , 1848, ,
Tokaniua
, -
, 49., , 1849, ,
Garagasau
, -
, 50., , 1850, ,
Fakarufono
, -
, 51., , 1850, ,
Matagatage
, -
, 52., , 1851, ,
Manava
Manava (c. 750 BC – 690 BC) is an author of the Hindu geometric text of ''Sulba Sutras.''
The Manava Sulbasutra is not the oldest (the one by Baudhayana is older), nor is it one of the most important, there being at least three Sulbasut ...
, -
, 53., , 1851, ,
Sokagatau
, -
, 54., , 1851, ,
Vavaoti
, -
, 55., , 1851, ,
Tavao
, -
, 56., , 1852, ,
Vaimanoko
, -
, 57., , 1852, ,
Katoagatau
, -
, 58., , 1854, ,
Kautane
, -
, 59., , 1855, ,
Fonogarotoi
, -
, 60., , 1856, ,
Tiporotu
, -
, 61., , 1857, ,
Fonmanu
, -
, 62., , 1858, ,
Tiu II
, -
, 63., , 1858, ,
Sarsartau
, -
, 64., , 1859, ,
Taipo
, -
, 65., , 1859, ,
Kauika
, -
, 66., , 1860, ,
Faoriro
, -
, 67., , 1860, ,
Farapapau
, -
, 68., , 1860, ,
Saurorota
, -
, 69., , 1860, ,
Ufamarata
, -
, 70., , 1862, ,
Sarasortau
, -
, 71., , 1862, ,
Teau
, -
, 72., , 1864, ,
Ufagatau
, -
, 73., , 1865, ,
Kavasakamua
, -
, 74., , 1865, ,
Saurativa
, -
, 75., , 1865, ,
Fotoafuru
, -
, 76., , 1865, ,
Fonomanu
, -
, 77., , 1866, ,
Jimi
, -
, 78., , 1866, ,
Varea
, -
, 79., , 1866, ,
Ravak
, -
, 80., , 1866, ,
Maraa
, -
, 81., , 1867, ,
Fonomanu
, -
, 82., , 1867, ,
Vasea
, -
, 83., , 1867, ,
Tavo
, -
, 84., , 1867, ,
Sokagaitu
, -
, 85., , 1868, ,
Ragafua
, -
, 86., , 1868, ,
Irava
, -
, 87., , 1868, ,
Hanifiro-Asoatemuri
, -
, 88., , 1868, ,
Tuipenau
, -
, 89., , 1869, ,
Tigarea
, -
, 90., , 1869, ,
Vasea
, -
, 91., , 1869, ,
Maraia
, -
, 92., , 1869–1870, ,
Suakamasa
, -
Sources
Fijibure
Sau