Mythology Book

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all-seeing god had four eyes, two in

front and two behind, and his anger

was terrible. An individual who

offended Mapusia might be struck

down with illness or death. If the

whole society failed to appease

him, he might send pestilence, a

tropical cyclone, or drought.

Such events are realities in

Tikopian life. The remote island is

particularly vulnerable to tropical

storms and subsequent famines, as

was demonstrated in December

2003, when it was devastated by

Cyclone Zoë. Whole villages were

swept away, and their land was

soaked with seawater, taking three

years to recover.

To appease the gods

The rituals known as the Work of

the Gods were considered essential

for mollifying the gods and earning

their protection. Because Mapusia

was the principal atua, or god, of

the Kafika clan, the Ariki Kafika

(clan chief) acted as the high priest.

It was the Ariki Kafika who decided

when to “throw the firestick”—the

laying of a ceremonial brand across

the fire—to formally start the ritual.

Charcoal from the brand would

then be placed on the chief’s brow.

The Work of the Gods was

divided into two six-week ritual

cycles, the Work of the Trade Wind

and the Work of the Monsoon; both

natural forces were crucial to the

success of crops and the prevention

of famine. The whole of Tikopian

society devoted itself to performing

the necessary sacred tasks. These

included the rededication of the

sacred canoes, the reconsecration

MAPUSIA AND THE WORK OF THE GODS

of temples, harvest and planting

ceremonies, and a sacred dance

festival. Turmeric, extracted in the

trade wind season and said to be

the perfume of Mapusia, also had a

special preparation ritual, as it was

used in an edible form, in a sacred

dye for bark cloth, and in a ritual

body paint. The priest would chant:

“I eat ten times your excrement, My

Sacred Chief,” using a conventional

Tikopian expression to indicate

his subservience to the god. “Your

turmeric-making will be prepared.”

The priest then offered Mapusia

food and kava. The drink was made

from the root of the kava plant,

which grows throughout Southeast

Asia and the Pacific islands, and

has psychoactive, anesthetic, and

sedative properties.

Remembering the sequence of

rituals and accompanying dances,

and ensuring that all were carried

Tikopia islanders integrate dance

and songs, calling such recreational

performances mako. Serious songs are

termed fuatango. Firth described their

urge to dance as “almost obsessional.”

Mapusia! Fly in your paths.

Stroll about in the Heavens

and enter the Surumanga.

The Heavens shall obey.

Tikopia Songs 

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331

out correctly, was an impressive

collective act of memory and

commitment. The purpose was to

maintain contact with the atua, the

gods whose favor was required to

feed and protect the Tikopia.

A practical exchange

The food and kava offered to the

gods were believed to be the most

effective way of ensuring a plentiful

harvest of staple crops, such as

OCEANIA

Atua

The word atua is translated as

“god” or “spirit,” but atua were

thought to be as real as human

beings. One of the ceremonial

dances of the monsoon season

was the Taomatangi, the dance

to quell the wind. The atua were

believed to be present, sitting

with their backs against sacred

stones, the male atua cross-

legged, the female atua with

legs stretched out in front of

them. When Raymond Firth

photographed this dance, the

Tikopia were amazed that

the atua, whom they could

collectively see, were not visible

to the camera. Throughout the

20th century, Christianity

eroded traditional Tikopian

beliefs. After an epidemic in

1955, in which 200 people died,

including the Ariki Kafika, there

were not enough believers left

to carry out the Work of the

Gods. The remaining chiefs

performed a final ceremony, a

“kava of parting,” to inform the

atua that their rites were being

abandoned and that they should

drink their kava and retire to

rest forever in their spirit homes.

breadfruit or yams. They were not

simply acts of worship, but part of a

logical system of trade between the

Tikopia and the atua. The people

performed the rituals for the gods,

and in return the gods granted the

Tikopia the necessities of life.

It was a system in which ritual

performance and economic activity,

such as food production, were

inextricably combined. Although

the ostensible sacrifice to the gods

was of food and kava, as the atua

consumed only the essence of the

food and kava offered, the rest was

available for human consumption.

The real sacrifice was of time

and energy, but it was not wasted,

as many of the activities—such as

braiding mats, making thatch, or

fixing canoes—were economically

valuable. The rites ceased in the

1950s, when there were too few

atua believers to perform them. ■

The Tikopia perform

ceremonies.

The gods grant

the necessities

of life.

Reconsecration

of temples

Harvest and

planting rites

Rededication of the

sacred canoes

Turmeric-making

In most types of dance

there is vigorous bodily

movement of rhythmic kind,

often with highly structured

gestures of hands and arms

in progressive style.

Tikopia Songs 

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