Tafahi
Encyclopedia
Tafahi is a small island
in the north of the Tonga
archipelago
, in fact closer to Savaii
(Sāmoa) than the main islands of Tonga. It is only 9 km (5.6 mi) north-northeast away from Niuatoputapu
, and fishermen communicate in small outboard motorboats almost daily between the two.
Other names for Tafahi are Cocos Eylant (coconut island) or Boscawen island.
. The mountain is called Piu-o-Tafahi (fanpalm of Tafahi) and is 560 m (1,837.3 ft) high. (The island, 3.42 km² (1.3 sq mi), is smaller than Niuatoputapu, but higher). The soil is extremely suited for growing kava
and vanilla, whose exports to the rest of Tonga and beyond is the main occupation of the population.
The harbour (merely an opening in the fringing reef
, only passable by small boats) is at the northwest of the island. A steep staircase leads up to the village, with about 69 residents at the census of 2001, located on a plateau on the north side of the mountain. There is a government primary school.
that some naughty aitu
from Sāmoa one night wanted to steal the mountain of Niuafoou
to bring it to Sāmoa
. It started off well for them, they got the mountain, leaving Niuafoou behind with a big lake in its centre, and were dragging it through the sea, already halfway near Niuatoputapu. They had to hurry because aitu law prescribed that they had to complete the work before sunrise.
But the fish god Seketoa
saw them and did not like it. He ordered his matāpule (spokesmen) to cry as roosters, in the hope that the aitu would think that dawn was close and they could as well give up. But it did not work, the aitu were not ready yet to give up and only pulled harder. Then Seketoa himself acted. He swam in front of the ghosts, showing them his anus, which was red. The ghosts were frightened. They thought they saw the red sun rising and that it was already morning. They dropped the mountain and fled to Sāmoa. That is the reason that Tafahi is now where it is.
and Jacob Le Maire
during their famous circumnavigation of the globe in 1616. They were it who gave it the name Cocos Eylant because of the abundancy of coconut palms. A multitude of natives in their outrigger canoes came to see their visitors. As the explorers describe in their journal, the natives were peaceful, willing to come on board, leaving barely any space for the Dutch
themselves, and they traded large quantities of coconuts and ubes roots (probably ufi (yam
)) for iron nails and strings of beads. But as the island did not offer a suitable place to anchor, the ship the Eendracht (Unity) proceeded next to Niuatoputapu.
It is speculated by Swiss Walter Hurni and described by the Swiss author Alex Capus, that Robert Louis Stevenson
, the author of Treasure Island
, found the Treasure of Lima
around 1890 on this island while living on the nearby island of Upolu
and which made him and his family very rich.
, and those mislabeled as the Solomons Islands (where the Eendracht would not come at all) were actually from Tafahi. The many errors (e.g., the printer in Holland printed an 'n' as a 'u') do not help in the analysis. In addition, when the Dutch left Tafahi for Niuatoputapu, many canoes from there had already come to them. LeMaire probably recorded a mixture of the languages of both islands. When the words from his list are compared to modern Tongan
, Sāmoan
, Uvean
and Futunan, as well as Fijian
, it appears that they come from all of the languages, but mostly from Futunan and Samoan.
Nowadays the people from Tafahi and Niuatoputapu speak Tongan. But up to the 19th century both islands must have had a quite distinct language. In 1835 the missionary Peter Turner, on HIs way to Sāmoa, had a stop in Niuatoputapu and found that "there are many Samoans here…". The theory that the Tui Tonga empire
had thoroughly "Tonganised" its colonies using Loau's Falefā cannot be maintained.
The real subjection of Niuatoputapu and Tafahi to Tonga does not start until the establishment of the Haafalefisi line and the Māatu chiefly line in Niuatoputapu.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the north of the 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...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
, in fact closer to Savaii
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
(Sāmoa) than the main islands of Tonga. It is only 9 km (5.6 mi) north-northeast away from Niuatoputapu
Niuatoputapu
For the 2009 tsunami, see the main article: 2009 Samoa tsunami.Niuatoputapu is an island in the island nation of Tonga, Pacific Ocean. Its name means sacred island. Older European names for the island are Traitors island or Keppel island.Niuatoputapu is located in the north of the country,...
, and fishermen communicate in small outboard motorboats almost daily between the two.
Other names for Tafahi are Cocos Eylant (coconut island) or Boscawen island.
Geography
Tafahi is a volcanic island and has the typical cone shape of a stratovolcanoStratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
. The mountain is called Piu-o-Tafahi (fanpalm of Tafahi) and is 560 m (1,837.3 ft) high. (The island, 3.42 km² (1.3 sq mi), is smaller than Niuatoputapu, but higher). The soil is extremely suited for growing kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
and vanilla, whose exports to the rest of Tonga and beyond is the main occupation of the population.
The harbour (merely an opening in the fringing reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
, only passable by small boats) is at the northwest of the island. A steep staircase leads up to the village, with about 69 residents at the census of 2001, located on a plateau on the north side of the mountain. There is a government primary school.
Myth
It is told in local mythologyPolynesian mythology
Polynesian mythology is the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia, a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian triangle together with the scattered cultures known as the Polynesian outliers...
that some naughty aitu
Aitu
In Polynesian languages the word aitu refers to ghosts or spirits, often malevolent. The word is common to many languages of Western and Eastern Polynesia. In the mythology of Tonga, for example, aitu or eitu are lesser gods, many being patrons of specific villages and families. They often take...
from Sāmoa one night wanted to steal the mountain of Niuafoou
Niuafo'ou
Niuafoou is the most northerly island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is a volcanic rim island of 15 km² and with a population of 650 in 2006.-Geography:...
to bring it to Sāmoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. It started off well for them, they got the mountain, leaving Niuafoou behind with a big lake in its centre, and were dragging it through the sea, already halfway near Niuatoputapu. They had to hurry because aitu law prescribed that they had to complete the work before sunrise.
But the fish god Seketoa
Seketo'a
Seketoa was a fish god from Niuatoputapu and Tafahi in Tongan mythology.Originally Seketoa was a mortal, the grandson of Puakatefisi, the first of the traditional line of rulers of Niuatoputapu island, the Māatu dynasty. Puakatefisi had a son by a concubine of his, named Falefehi. That son had two...
saw them and did not like it. He ordered his matāpule (spokesmen) to cry as roosters, in the hope that the aitu would think that dawn was close and they could as well give up. But it did not work, the aitu were not ready yet to give up and only pulled harder. Then Seketoa himself acted. He swam in front of the ghosts, showing them his anus, which was red. The ghosts were frightened. They thought they saw the red sun rising and that it was already morning. They dropped the mountain and fled to Sāmoa. That is the reason that Tafahi is now where it is.
History
Tafahi was put on the European maps by Willem SchoutenWillem Schouten
Willem Cornelisz Schouten was a Dutch navigator for the Dutch East India Company. He was the first to sail the Cape Horn route to the Pacific Ocean.- Biography :Willem Cornelisz Schouten was born in c...
and Jacob Le Maire
Jacob Le Maire
Jacob Le Maire was a Dutch mariner who circumnavigated the earth in 1615-16. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados was named the Le Maire Strait in his honor, though not without controversy...
during their famous circumnavigation of the globe in 1616. They were it who gave it the name Cocos Eylant because of the abundancy of coconut palms. A multitude of natives in their outrigger canoes came to see their visitors. As the explorers describe in their journal, the natives were peaceful, willing to come on board, leaving barely any space for the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
themselves, and they traded large quantities of coconuts and ubes roots (probably ufi (yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
)) for iron nails and strings of beads. But as the island did not offer a suitable place to anchor, the ship the Eendracht (Unity) proceeded next to Niuatoputapu.
It is speculated by Swiss Walter Hurni and described by the Swiss author Alex Capus, that Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, the author of Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
, found the Treasure of Lima
Treasure of Lima
The Treasure of Lima is a treasure reputedly removed from Lima, Peru, in 1820 and never recovered. It is estimated to be worth up to US$60 million in today's money.-History:...
around 1890 on this island while living on the nearby island of Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
and which made him and his family very rich.
Language
Jacob LeMaire tried to collect words from the natives. He put 32 words in his journal as the Vocabulaer: Oft Tale van d'Eylanden Salomonis, and some more of the Tale van het Cocos Eylant. In was not until 1945 that it was discovered that those labeled as from Cocoa Island were in reality words from FutunaFutuna Island, Wallis and Futuna
Futuna is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. It is one of the Hoorn Islands or Îles Horne, nearby Alofi being the other...
, and those mislabeled as the Solomons Islands (where the Eendracht would not come at all) were actually from Tafahi. The many errors (e.g., the printer in Holland printed an 'n' as a 'u') do not help in the analysis. In addition, when the Dutch left Tafahi for Niuatoputapu, many canoes from there had already come to them. LeMaire probably recorded a mixture of the languages of both islands. When the words from his list are compared to modern Tongan
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...
, Sāmoan
Samoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
, Uvean
Fakauvea
Wallisian or Uvean is the Polynesian language spoken on Wallis Island . The language is also known as East Uvean to distinguish it from the related West Uvean spoken on the outlier island of Ouvéa...
and Futunan, as well as Fijian
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...
, it appears that they come from all of the languages, but mostly from Futunan and Samoan.
Nowadays the people from Tafahi and Niuatoputapu speak Tongan. But up to the 19th century both islands must have had a quite distinct language. In 1835 the missionary Peter Turner, on HIs way to Sāmoa, had a stop in Niuatoputapu and found that "there are many Samoans here…". The theory that the Tui Tonga empire
Tu'i Tonga Empire
Some early European commentators have propagated the notion of a pre-historic "Tui Tonga Empire" or "Tongan Empire" in Oceania.This idea has long been a source of cultural pride among some Tongans even though it has been seriously challenged and generally discounted by modern archaeologists,...
had thoroughly "Tonganised" its colonies using Loau's Falefā cannot be maintained.
The real subjection of Niuatoputapu and Tafahi to Tonga does not start until the establishment of the Haafalefisi line and the Māatu chiefly line in Niuatoputapu.