15th century Tongan fortress a tourist attraction in 'Uvea
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 - 19:52
The restored ruins of a 15th century Tongan fortress known as “Talietumu” in the French dependency of ‘Uvea (better known as Wallis Island) has become a popular tourist attraction.
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Hello 2 things in this story
Hello 2 things in this story are interesting. 1. Tongan influence certainly extended across the Pacific and this fort built sometime in the 1400's is significant.
2. The island of 'Uvea is a little bit confusing as it is also now known as Ouvea off the east coast of New Caledonia and was colonised by both the Wallis islanders and people from New Caledonia in the 13th Century. legends from Ouvea state that Tongans also inhabited the Western part and that they were known as 'master carpenters'. There are 2 quarries there and one in particular is of interest.
I do know the Wallis islanders believe that the Ha'amonga stones were brought from that island however I think the Lintel came from Ouvea. The uprights for the Ha'amonga are coral and if you go to the cutting created by Maui about 100 yards into the bush by the sea it is plain that the uprights were taken from just above the cutting. The depressions are still there and locals have told me they were hauled up to the site of the Ha'amonga. In fact hauled up past the Ha'amonga onto the slope beyond it. Then the holes were dug and the uprights were slid down into place.
The lintel is a different problem and from what I have been told by locals Maui brought it from 'Uvea slung between 2 large canoes and then dragged up through the cutting to the Ha'amonga. How they placed it onto the uprights I haven't been told but I am sure someone in Tonga may have an idea or tradition.Please contact me if you do.
For interest see https://www.academia.edu/7140397/secrets_of_tonga_pdf
Jim Wakefield