Update: 2:18PM POPULAR iTaukei song ‘Mai Oneata ni kata na namu, sigalevu tu e dumu na taunamu’ is based on a true story of the olden times.
This song, well known through out Fiji, tells the legend of how the warrior God from Kabara island named Rokola gave his gift to his friend Kumidamu, the warrior God from Oneata island in the Lau group.
These two Gods are very good friends and most of the time, they used to visit one another on their different islands.
Kumidamu used to stand on the top of Oneata island and called out to Rokola to visit him, or Rokola would call out to Kumidamu to visit him in Kabara.
One night while Kumidamu was sleeping on his island, he heard the sound of mosquitoes beside his bed.
“Hey, what’s that sound, it’s so lovely,” Kumidamu said.
“Do you want it?” Rokola asked.
“Yes, very much my friend,” said Kumidamu.
“I can give it to you, and exchange it with the kekewa (sea shells),” Rokola told his friend.
“Don’t worry my friend, you can take all the kekewa, but I want the mosquitoes,” said Kumidamu.
So the two God’s exchanged gifts, and Rokola told his friends to uncover the mosquitoes when he reached the reef.
From that time up until today, the mosquitoes are still in Oneata island, and the kekewa are found on the island of Kabara.
Read about this interesting story in this week’s edition of the Na i Lalakai (13/09) or check online next week.
