Meke
Encyclopedia
Meke is a broad term in the Fijian language
, primarily referring to all traditional style of dance. It is a cognate
of the words "maka" (Rotuman
) and "mele" (Hawaiian
). It is typically performed during celebrations and festivals. Traditionally the dances that comprise the meke art form are performed by groups of men only or women only, however, foreign influences, such as the male/female Tonga
n ma'ulu'ulu
becoming the Fijian vakamalolo, are evident throughout.
Professor Friedrich Ratzel
in his 1896 publication (Macmillan of London), The History of Mankind, writes about the Fijian meke as both song and dance which only a few are given to invent and which those who do, allege that they do so in the spirit world where divine beings teach them the song and the appropriate dance. He wrote that the ideal of the Fijian poet is poetry with every verse ending with the same vowell of regular measure
, which, in practice is often achieved with poetic license through the use of arbitrary abbreviations or lengthenings, and omission of articles, etc.
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
, primarily referring to all traditional style of dance. It is a cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of the words "maka" (Rotuman
Rotuman language
Rotuman, also referred to as Rotunan, Rutuman or Fäeag Rotuma, is an Austronesian language spoken by the indigenous people of the South Pacific island group of Rotuma, an island with a Polynesian-influenced culture that was incorporated as a dependency into the Colony of Fiji in 1881...
) and "mele" (Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
). It is typically performed during celebrations and festivals. Traditionally the dances that comprise the meke art form are performed by groups of men only or women only, however, foreign influences, such as the male/female Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n ma'ulu'ulu
Ma'ulu'ulu
thumb|576px|right|Teachers training college students ready to perform their māuluulu examinationThe māuluulu is a traditional Tongan dance, performed by a group of seated men and women; stylistically, the dance form is a direct successor of the ancient Tongan otuhaka having been synthesized with...
becoming the Fijian vakamalolo, are evident throughout.
Professor Friedrich Ratzel
Friedrich Ratzel
Friedrich Ratzel was a German geographer and ethnographer, notable for first using the term Lebensraum in the sense that the National Socialists later would.-Life:...
in his 1896 publication (Macmillan of London), The History of Mankind, writes about the Fijian meke as both song and dance which only a few are given to invent and which those who do, allege that they do so in the spirit world where divine beings teach them the song and the appropriate dance. He wrote that the ideal of the Fijian poet is poetry with every verse ending with the same vowell of regular measure
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
, which, in practice is often achieved with poetic license through the use of arbitrary abbreviations or lengthenings, and omission of articles, etc.