Ever since taking an anthropology class at university, and reading about the Kingdom of Tonga, I had longed to go there.
Kingdom of Tonga
Anthropology of the Kingdom of Tonga
Reading that the bigger you are in Tonga, the more prestige you have, shocked me. There was also something about cultural sexual norms hundreds of years ago that included encouraging teenagers to experiment with both sexes. Interesting. And many many years ago – cannibalism was the norm in Tonga.
The people were family oriented, gentle and super friendly! Then there was the intrigue of pristine, crowd-less and peaceful Polynesian islands. I wanted to go there for a long time and it did not disappoint. The Kingdom of Tonga is still beautifully untouched and largely undiscovered.
Kingdom of Tonga
Last Kingdom in the South Pacific
Tonga is the last Kingdom in the South Pacific. That is, it is the only South Pacific island to avoid colonization, a fact that is the source of much pride among Tongans. The present King, George Tupou V, though more democratic than earlier kings, follows the traditional structure of commoners, nobility, and above all royalty. The royal title is to be passed down from father to eldest son.
The Kingdom of Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga (don’t you love the grand sound of that?) is an archipelago of 176 Polynesian islands. 52 of the islands remain uninhabited. The unspoiled beauty of island after island surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters is simply jaw-dropping.
Kingdom of Tonga
The people are a little shy but with easy natural smiles, and have a genuine warmth in conversing. These girls were just sitting in the ocean water picking and eating clams.
Kingdom of Tonga
Traditions in Tonga
Family is the central unit of Tongan life. Core values include mutual respect (Fefaka’apa’apa’aki), sharing, cooperating and mutual obligations (Feveitokai’aki), humility and generosity (Lototoo), and loyalty and commitment (Tauhi vaha’a). Village life remains much the same as it always has been.
Tonga
The traditional dress (woven waist mats), the most respectful form of dress in the Kingdom, are still commonly worn for church, weddings, funerals and other special occasions.
Traditional Waist Mats
Talihau Church, Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga
Kingdom of Tonga
Although it might astonish North American men, many Tonga men wear wrap skirts in their daily lives because skirts are much cooler than pants in the warm sun. Smart, we say.
Kingdom of Tonga
Men wear skirts in Tonga
Fish and vegetables are still cooked in earth ovens called Umus, and the ceremonial tradition of Kava drinking continues as a very real part of Tongan life. See post Tonga: Invitation To A Kava Ceremony
Tongan men drinking somewhat intoxicating and traditional Kava in daily Kava Ceremony.
No longer true now, Tongans once revered fat people. The larger you were, the more prestige you had. They are still very large people. In fact T, who is considered a big man at home, with broad shoulders and muscular thighs, looked small beside most Tongan men!
Big men in Kingdom of Tonga
Genuine and Unspoiled Tonga
Genuine, authentic and unspoiled, Tonga is one of the last South Pacific Islands that has remained virtually the same for the last 1000 years. Oh, it has cell phones and internet now, and they are no longer cannibals, but the culture and people and traditions remain the same.
Fire Dancers, Tonga
We never did find out about some things, like the truth of being bigger in Tonga equating to more prestige, or anything about the cultural sexual norms hundreds of years ago that included encouraging teenagers to experiment with both sexes. And Tongans openly laugh about cannibalism, sometime with a teasing wink. We loved their sense of humour.
The Kingdom of Tonga. Peace. Beauty. Tranquility. And Humour.
Kingdom of Tonga
* This post originally published June 2013 on Travel To Little Known Places
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