Tonga emerged from the sea from a pair of volcanic chains from Australian and Pacific tectonic plates as some of these volcanoes rose above sea level. Some of these volcanoes below the surface provided a place where coral reefs would grow and later rise up forming limestone islands. The largest of these islands is Tongatapu. I. C. Campbell, professor of history, writes that “The settlers were not castaways or victims of accident at sea, but were representatives of a population that for the previous few hundred years had been exploring and occupying the islands of the south-west Pacific” (19).
Their outrigger canoes were for inshore sailing and larger twin-hulled vessels were for voyaging. They knew the stars and the winds well.
So, Disney’s Moana is not that far off. These adventurous, sea-faring people had high-order navigational skills as well as seamanship. These people brought with them seeds and roots, building materials, clothing, dyes, cosmetics, and medicines. Animals such as pigs, dogs, and birds were included. Some foods they brought with them were coconut, talo (taro), breadfruit, yam, and banana.
Campbell points out that “Canoe building and navigation were probably the most prestigious occupations because these were the activities most vital to their way of life” (20).
Campbell also states “Cultural continuities show that the first Tongans were the same people who came out of Asia 4,000 years ago” (19).
Historians know that the people of Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji remained in contact with each other as they found evidence of trading, pottery, and marrying between the islands. Cannibalism was also practiced at one point, but this could be due to a famine or war; historians are not sure.
The various creation stories begin with the earth, sea and sky already formed. People seemed to exist already in Tongan folktales.
Pulotu which is defined as the underworld where all the gods originated is a mystery. I wrote about Pulotu in my second book, Tangaloa and The Creation of Land. I had a hard time when I was doing my research to understand what it meant as there were so many myths and legends surrounding the word and different definitions. Some legends speak of Pulotu as if it were a real place visited by heroes of Tongan legend, such as in the retelling of “The First Yam and Taro” in my book.
“One morning in ancient Tonga, four gods from Mamani (Earth), woke up early and started packing their canoe to visit Pulotu, the underworld. Haveatoke, Fakafuumaka, Haelefeke, and Lohi wanted to see where the High Goddess Hikule’o lived. It was believed that the underworld was the place from which all of the gods originated and this is where Hikule’o lived. As they were about to leave for Pulotu, Lohi invited the goddess Faimalie to accompany them on their journey. Faimalie was an old woman with a flat nose whom everyone knew.”
These gods and the goddess, Famailie, end up outsmarting the ancient gods there and bring home yam and taro.
Philologist, Paul Geraghty, began to look for clues for a real Pulotu in Fijian legend and geography. He formed a hypothesis that Pulotu could be one of the islands of Fiji where some Tongans and Samoans migrated to and started this legend (Campbell 27).
I still believe Tonga is the Pearl of the Pacific! Deemed by Captain Cook as “The Friendly Island”, the island and the people still captivate many as well as their stories and legends. The Polynesian Islands hold so many mysteries even today!
Source: Island Kingdom: Tonga Ancient and Modern by I. C. Campbell
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