Origins of the people of namosi
WITH its soaring rocky cliffs and immaculate forests teeming with myriads of flora and fauna any visitor to the interior of Namosi will surely be amazed by the sight that greets their eyes while driving up along one of Fiji’s untapped piece of paradise. Located in the highlands, the mist wreathed mountains and crisp air with cliff formations straight out of a movie set would surely make one feel like they could touch heaven anytime soon.
Standing on the Navunikabi Village green on an early Tuesday morning I began to wonder if the words that village headman, Waisea Bera told me jokingly over a yaqona bout the previous night was true.
As a traditional rival of the Namosi people (tauvu) Mr Bera had told me that Namosi was the closest to heaven anyone could get.
The same words were slowly resounding in my ears as I watched the thick mist flood the village giving it an almost ghostly apparition.
This is indeed a part of Fiji that still belonged to the days of old, a time where time stood still and one could even hear the welcoming chirp of the tiniest bird within the deep forests.
Upon a conversation with Navunikabi Village elder Mr Bera senior the previous night, he shared that like the rest of the iTaukei people around the country the people of Namosi also trace themselves back to Nakauvadra in the Ra highlands one of the earliest indigenous settlements taken up by the early settlers of Viti or Fiji as we know it today.
The 70-year-old man who is rich in his people’s folklore said that the people of Navunikabi belonged to the chiefly clan of Nabukebuke which was one of the eldest clans of Namosi.
“Our original ancestor is named Veredrau and our elders say that he came from Nakauvadra,” he said.
“He went to Naituvutuvu near Lutu in the district of Matailobau and while there married the Radini Waikalotu a chieftain of the Lutu people.
“They went to the Wainimala River and then followed the Wailase creek to Nabukebuke near Nakorobalavu.
“There they established the settlement of Nabukebuke which gave its name to their descendants who formed the chiefly clan of Namosi – Nabukebuke.”
Mr Bera said Nabukebuke was regarded as the original settlement or yavu (foundation) of Veredrau and his wife with whom he had nine children.
“The names of the nine children’s yavu or house mounds became the names of the nine mataqali descended from the nine children making up the clan of Nabukebuke,” he said.
Mr Bera said the nine mataqali had special roles that they fulfil to their paramount chief the Tui Namosi or the Vunivalu and these roles depended on the seniority of the nine vu (tribal ancestors) from whom nine clans originated.
He said the roles played by the nine mataqali were varied, but were all traditionally obliged to the Tui Namosi who is also known as the vunivalu or warlord.
“These roles include the mata ni vanua (chiefly herald) which I belong in, chiefs grave diggers, those responsible for putting on the chief’s malo or girdle, those responsible for presenting tabua to the vunivalu during his chiefly installation; the chiefs personal workers, jesters (dau ni va lasa) and the so called ‘foundations of the spirit house’ (qase ni vale) who also served as priests,” said Mr Bera.
“We are originally from Nabukavesi but have been brought to serve our traditional role as herald of the Tui Namosi.
“Our clan is responsible for preparing the food of the Tui Namosi and his clothe (tapa) while a different clan prepares his yaqona and as herald we have the
task of drinking after the Tui Namosi (I rabe).
“Then there are those from Qwelekaujia who are jesters of the chief and during the old times two women from the clan who were said to be goddesses would come out bare-chested doing funny jokes just to entertain the chief.” Mr Bera said in the olden days when the women of Qwelekaujia heard the lali of the Tui Namosi beat the women of the clan would walk bare-chested to the river and swim just so they could catch the chief walk by.
“People of the Nakorowaiwai and Nasoroiwaqa clan are the warriors of the Tui Namosi,” he said.
“These are just a few examples of the various roles played by the nine clans and during any traditional function everyone knew their roles and they can never do things carelessly.
“This in itself gave the vanua of Nabukebuke a form of orderliness as people knew their roles and could not do things anyhow.”
Meanwhile, recorded history by early European settlers has it that when the descendants of Veredrau were at Nabukebuke, they were attacked by the neighbouring Waimaro people, under their leader Roko Tui Waimaro.
Some of them moved south and were again attacked moving further on until they came to a site where they settled calling it Namosi.
Records reveal that the Vunivalu of Namosi, Qereqeretabua quarrelled with his son about some coconuts and told him to go away to his mother’s village.
Therefore his son went behind his back and gathered an army, telling his father to vacate Namosi so that he could burn it. It was to be a buka vakaturaga, or chiefly burning without bloodshed.
The young chieftain’s supporters scattered down to the coast where some settled with the Dravuni people while the rest were recalled by the son to reconstruct Namosi.
At Namosi, there were continual family quarrels about their leadership, and one of the chiefs Kuruduadua went south to Navua. Another group went southwest to Korolevu territory in Serua where they were given land at Rewalau. Kuruduadua quarrelled with a brother about a woman and asked Dravuni for help.
Kuruduadua also sent a tabua to Korolevu requesting their allegiance requesting them to aid him while Kuruduadua’s brother with whom he had quarrelled was killed.
The Namosi people were then based at two centres, at Namosi in the mountains and at Delaivuna near the coast. Tui Namosi Ratu Kuruduadua, made the fort at Delaivuna into a stronghold on the slopes on which his supporters were settled. Later there was a third centre on the coast at Veivatuloa, where Kuruduadua’s son Ro Matanitobua went to live.
Here he made his headquarters, and here he lived before he was later appointed to be Governor of Namosi at the time of the Cakobau government shortly before the session.
History being the subject it is, a group’s version of events may not be the same as that held by another group. When publishing one account, it is not our intention to cause division or to disrespect other oral traditions. Those with a different version can contact us so we can publish your account.