The legend of the Fe'e (Update 29)
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Date: Friday 14th May
Time: 1700 Hours Tahiti Time (GMT - 10 hours)
Position: Baie d' Opunohu, Moorea

Bula Viti kei Rotuma

As promised here is an update on our welcome to Moorea.

After mooring alongside the Papetoai Jetty to the beat of the Tahitian
drums, we dropped sails and tidied up on deck. While we waited to be invited
ashore, many onlookers reached across to shake hands and to ask questions
about our canoe, our voyage and where we were from.

Once we heard the call from the local priest or bete, "Hare mai Uto ni Yalo,
hare mai", we lined up behind Ratu Manoa and walked to the area where the
crowd and crews were assembling. Once we reached the small open square lined
by people, girls stepped forward to place leis around our necks, then the
priest marked the position where we should stand.

The priest was dressed in a white sulu va toga and white poncho like tunic
with a cevuga (ginger) leaf headband. Once all the crews were ashore, the
priest slapped the ground with his cevuga branch and started his welcome
speach in the Maohi language. While we could not understand the speech, we
could make out the gist of the speech through his hand motions and use of
words 'fenua' which means vanua, 'va'a' which means canoe, 'maruru' which
means vinaka, 'iorana' which means welcome and so on.

Following his speech he motioned to the drummers who struck up a fast loud
beat which was followed by children singing. Then he called a group of girls
forward to do the tamure which was met with a loud cheer from the voyagers,
the Fijians giving up the loudest kaila!

I slowly moved my way to the back of the crowd knowing what was coming next.
At the back of the crowd I found Moala also hiding. Paul, Sonny and Steven
stood out amongst our crew so they were first to be picked by the girls for
a dance. The drum beat started off slowly and the priest signaled to each
pair when they should step forward to dance. As the beat reached lightening
speed, Steven was the last to dance. The crews all applauded and yelled "go
steve", "go shrek"....

Next it was each crews turn to respond to the welcome starting with the
Tahitian crew, followed by Marumaru Atua, Te Matau and then Uto ni Yalo.
Ratu Manoa stepped forward in his Fijian costume and addressed the crowd. At
the end of his speech he called the boys forward to perform the 'Bole'.

Right through Ratu's speech, the boys were priming themselves for the bole
and once they stepped forward, they were raring to go. Each time to boys
perform the Bole, they get better. They were fantastic and really got the
crowd behind them.

Once the formalities were over we were led to a tent not far from the jetty
for some light refreshment before ushered into the compound of a benevolent
octagonal structure said to be the first church built on Moorea. A local
woman signaled us to sit by a spring situated within a well manicured lawn
beside the church.

The church sits on the site of an old marae where the legend of the octopus
called fe'e in Tahiti. The fe'e represents very positive mana for the people
of Moorea. The old marae was the resting place of the fe'e which protected
and united the people of Moorea.

The waters of the spring were said to have the healing powers of the fe'e.
The crews were invited to be anointed with water from the well. The crew
from Tahiti had bought a stone to place beside the spring. Many of the
overseas crew members stepped forward to be anointed with water being lifted
from the spring in a conch shell and poured over their heads.

We then boarded buses to head to Atitia Cultural School where we were hosted
to a lunch by Teurumereariki Hinano Murphy, the director of the school.

On the bus, a local women explained we were heading to a lunch being hosted
by Hinano. Everyone cheered thinking we were being hosted by the local beer
company, 'Hinano'. But the local lady explained who Hinano was. There was a
loud cheer from all on the bus once they realised we would not be getting
free Hinano beer.

Before lunch, the bete or elder welcomed us and introduced a young boy who
would perform a 'Orero'. The boy who was only 8 years old was learning the
skills to be an orator. He was dressed in a bright red sulu and a head dress
of red feathers.

The confidence he showed throughout his oration was incredible and he
totally captivated the crowd gathered around him.

Following lunch Hinano introduced her grandmother who was from the Tuamotu
Islands. She was 86 years old and Hinano asked her to perform a chant used
by the women of the Tuamotu Islands to encourage their men to pull their
canoes across the reef.

The Tuamotu Island's do not have passages in the reef so they drag the
canoes across the reef using long ropes.

Watching the old lady sing and chant was the highlight of the day. She had
the locals in stitches with the words of her chants. Her grand daughter,
Hinano translated her final words. The old lady had said, "now I am finished
all the men can come with me". She must have been some woman when she was
younger.

Before we departed Atitia, Ratu Manoa arranged with Hinano for us to return
the next day to perform a Kava Ceremony.

Moce

Colin/Uto ni Yalo