Page 38 - Melanesia
P. 38
eads of the enemies were shattered from that environmental change. While no been “washed” in blood.
one knows why the people in Fiji took to
H against a club or stone. “On taking eating each other; they became famous for T he arrival of missionaries started the
it, and up to the time the practice stopped decline of the practices of human
a particularly notorious enemy, a chief in the late 19th century Fiji was literally sacrifice and cannibalism. But its cessation
might decide to keep him all for himself in dripping in blood. These were vicious and took some time and was dependent upon
supreme sacrifice to the war god, the body gruesome times, not only were people gaining the support of the major chiefs
being cut up and only lightly cooked then killed to be eaten, they were also killed for who often saw their role as being guardians
preserved by daily light cooking until it had religious and ceremonial reasons. Human of traditional customs. No doubt revenge
been entirely consumed. “ This was done sacrifice was common. For example when , maintaining authority and instilling fear
more in vengeance than to gain the mana an important bure, such as a chief ’s house amongst enemies and potential usurp-
or spiritual virtue of the slain, for the Fijians or temple was being built human sacrifices ers were also motives. There are many
did not generally believe that this could be could occur at various stages of building examples recorded by the missionaries of
absorbed by eating the body.” such as the felling of the trees, the tying cannibal practices. People to be eaten were
of the first rafters and upon completion of called “bokola” and were most often killed
A rchaeological research has shown the building. When a new canoe’s keel was by being clubbed or by having their heads
that while Fiji has been occupied for laid down people were to be sacrificed and bashed against a rock used specifically for
slightly more than 3000 years cannibalism at the time of lunching it would be rolled the purpose. They cut up, using pieces of
probably started around 700 years ago. It over human bodies to the sea. People were sharp bamboo; the pieces were baked in
start followed a fall in sea level of around killed upon the raising and lowering of its earth ovens, or boiled or grilled. They could
80 cm which caused a large amount of mast for the first time and on each stop of also be cooked whole, sometimes being
reef areas to die off. Food from these reef its maiden voyage. If the canoe was given put into the oven while still alive. At other
areas would have been providing the major as a present it was expected the recipient times the unlucky victim could be cut up
part of Fijian people’s protein. At the same would make a return voyage bringing a piece-by-piece while still alive before being
time the first hill forts appeared as peo- dead body (or bodies) laid upon the deck, cooked and eaten.
ple moved inland from the coastal areas. at which point the deck was said to have
It seems that warfare over the declining
resources and cannibal practices developed
