BLOG

UNCAT

Don’t wake up Te Fiti

There are different islands recognized as Te Fiti, the sleeping goddess with the power to create life and all Polynesia islands. There are different traditions at support and against even the presence of Te Fiti in Polynesian mythology. The island mostly accredited as Te Fiti is Huahine: let’s fly (alone) to Huahine, 1 hour  from Tahiti. Huahine is a pristine island, you can drive along its shore for 6 hours (with many photographic stops) and meet virtually no one.

Indeed here is Te fiti, just behind the bay of Tahateao: the head on the right, with mouth,nose and eyes. Breast on the left

In Huahine fishing walls are present at the mouth of Lake Fa’una nui: fishes get trapped in the walled spaces and are easily pulled out in the terminal pools

Several Maera (ritual temples) are also present along lake and Ocean shores: human sacrifices where still in fashion 200 years ago on those very stones. Some say bones are still beneath

Huahine is so pristine that several resorts got bankrupt. The resort in the gorgeous Coral Garden bay lies in ruins, together with its pools

A pearl farm is present in front the village of Faie, on the west coast, all the pearl colors available: get a free tour.

The largest temple is the A’nini Maeva is on the Southern tip of the island.  These large slabs were for cannibalism and human sacrifice rituals.

Savage tribes live in the proximity and like to scare lonely tourists like me with loud roaring from the jungle across the street. They totally hit me: I run away in panic!

No savages on the beautiful beach, nobody on the beach in front of Motu Araara: low season or dangerous place? I did not explore the most probable answer

A safer sunset back in Fare, at the yacht club for dinner, and I will not be the dinner of anyone today…

Each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the following episodes will be published and links will be activated at 11AM CEST of the scheduled date:

September 2023-
0. French Polynesia: my displacement in time – from 6.9.23
1. Dots in the ocean – from 8.9.23
2. With wet ankles in Big Moana – from 10.9.23
3. Would you mind bringing the fruit? Be quick! – from 13.9.23
4. Coconut split – from 15.9.23
5. Moana’s ritual – from 17.9.23
6. On the road to the Rock of Displacement – from 20.9.23
7. A dangerous hug – from 22.9.23
8. It’s war! – from 24.9.23
9. Heiva nights: dancing the myth– from 27.9.23
10. Catch the fight – from 29.9.23

– October 2023-
11. Another portion of fruit, please – from 1.10.23
12. Lift it if you can – from 4.10.23
13. Keep Moorea always on your mind – from 6.10.23
14. Allons enfants de la Patrie a Tahiti! – from 8.10.23
15. Return to the Spear Age – from 11.10.23
16. What’s on in Papeete – from 13.10.23
17. Teahupo‘o, surf for the gold medal – from 15.10.23
18. Papeete open air – from 18.10.23
19. Heiva nights: back to the origins – from 20.10.23
20. Va’a: the displacement in time – from 22.10.23
21. Va’a: the competition – from 25.10.23
22. Heiva nights: across time – from 27.10.23
23. Heiva the champions – from 29.10.23

– November 2023 –
24. Don’t wake up Te Fiti – from 1.11.23
25. Sharks ahead! – from 3.11.23
26. Na na Huahine – from 5.11.23

PEOPLE, REPORTAGE, TRAVEL

Heiva the champions

 

Heiva prize night is the last night of Heiva. A fine rain brings luck, they say

Prizes for best costumes, best dancing, best songs, best choreography, best music, best solo and best ensemble performance etc. etc are assigned.

Heiva stadium is filled with joyful representatives from all the Pacific

Sponsors from Air Tahiti and other local companies give the prizes.

And after every prize, dances start again and again until late night. Long live Heiva!

Each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the following episodes will be published and links will be activated at 11AM CEST of the scheduled date:

September 2023-
0. French Polynesia: my displacement in time – from 6.9.23
1. Dots in the ocean – from 8.9.23
2. With wet ankles in Big Moana – from 10.9.23
3. Would you mind bringing the fruit? Be quick! – from 13.9.23
4. Coconut split – from 15.9.23
5. Moana’s ritual – from 17.9.23
6. On the road to the Rock of Displacement – from 20.9.23
7. A dangerous hug – from 22.9.23
8. It’s war! – from 24.9.23
9. Heiva nights: dancing the myth– from 27.9.23
10. Catch the fight – from 29.9.23

– October 2023-
11. Another portion of fruit, please – from 1.10.23
12. Lift it if you can – from 4.10.23
13. Keep Moorea always on your mind – from 6.10.23
14. Allons enfants de la Patrie a Tahiti! – from 8.10.23
15. Return to the Spear Age – from 11.10.23
16. What’s on in Papeete – from 13.10.23
17. Teahupo‘o, surf for the gold medal – from 15.10.23
18. Papeete open air – from 18.10.23
19. Heiva nights: back to the origins – from 20.10.23
20. Va’a: the displacement in time – from 22.10.23
21. Va’a: the competition – from 25.10.23
22. Heiva nights: across time – from 27.10.23
23. Heiva the champions – from 29.10.23

– November 2023 –
24. Don’t wake up Te Fiti – from 1.11.23
25. Sharks ahead! – from 3.11.23
26. Na na Huahine – from 5.11.23

PEOPLE, REPORTAGE, TRAVEL

Heiva nights: across time

Traditional medicine and its conservation and application is another topic shown at Heiva. While richer people have the possibility to meet medical doctors and access modern medicine, the rest of the population is still counting on ancient recipes, based on plants and their extracts. Heiva calls for the maintenance of these ancient remedies, that recently got successfully integrated in Tahiti hospital for terminal patients.

The topic of the creation of the universe is shared by more than one dancing group. Myth says that everything started with an egg-like shell, called Rumia. Inside Rumia was Ta’aroa. When Ta’aroa came out of the shell, total darkness surrounded him. Rumia then created the sky, oceans, earth and all creatures and divinities. The first human being, Ti’i, was created by the artisan god Tu. Ti’i discovers what will be his world together with Ao, the white heron. Ti’i then meets the second human being, named Hina-te-’u’uti-maha-ai-tua-mea. The two did not like each other (similarly to Cain and Abel), and Tu, the artisan god, had to put in discussion his creation.

Midwives were once not only needed for helping women giving birth, but also were told to have the power to change the aspect of the babies just after birth. Beautiful babies were on high demand: midwives satisfied this request. Until, once, a mother told the midwife of Tarai to not change the aspect of her baby born. And instead to leave it as beautiful as it was already in the womb of her mother.

           Again, on Polynesian cosmology, now with more details on the creation of sky and earth. Once the egg-shell got split, Ta’aroa popped out in the dark universe. One hemisphere of the egg turned to be earth, the recipient for what the sky originated above it. One the recipient, one the filler. One female, one male. The two halves, coming from the primordial egg, represent the union of two people and their ability to generate life again and again.

Tells of sacrifice, of sailing tribes lost at sea are also part of the evening dances. So, an example is the story of Ruataata, who sacrificed her life to nourish her kids. She trans mutated in a bread tree. Or the story of the parents of Pipiri and Rehua, who stole their food and left them starving. The two kids died but gained paradise on the wings of Ta’aaroa’s kite. Kites are very traditional and still popular on Tahiti.

Each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the following episodes will be published and links will be activated at 11 AM CEST of the scheduled date:

September 2023-
0. French Polynesia: my displacement in time – from 6.9.23
1. Dots in the ocean – from 8.9.23
2. With wet ankles in Big Moana – from 10.9.23
3. Would you mind bringing the fruit? Be quick! – from 13.9.23
4. Coconut split – from 15.9.23
5. Moana’s ritual – from 17.9.23
6. On the road to the Rock of Displacement – from 20.9.23
7. A dangerous hug – from 22.9.23
8. It’s war! – from 24.9.23
9. Heiva nights: dancing the myth– from 27.9.23
10. Catch the fight – from 29.9.23

– October 2023-
11. Another portion of fruit, please – from 1.10.23
12. Lift it if you can – from 4.10.23
13. Keep Moorea always on your mind – from 6.10.23
14. Allons enfants de la Patrie a Tahiti! – from 8.10.23
15. Return to the Spear Age – from 11.10.23
16. What’s on in Papeete – from 13.10.23
17. Teahupo‘o, surf for the gold medal – from 15.10.23
18. Papeete open air – from 18.10.23
19. Heiva nights: back to the origins – from 20.10.23
20. Va’a: the displacement in time – from 22.10.23
21. Va’a: the competition – from 25.10.23
22. Heiva nights: across time – from 27.10.23
23. Heiva the champions – from 29.10.23

– November 2023 –
24. Don’t wake up Te Fiti – from 1.11.23
25. Sharks ahead! – from 3.11.23
26. Na na Huahine – from 5.11.23

REPORTAGE, SPORTS, TRAVEL, WATER

Va’a: the competition

While adult male teams circumnavigate Moorea, female and young teams paddle past Point Venus and back

We wait for them on the black sandy beach, together with their fans

Paddles go in and out of the ocean at impressive speeds

When all Va’s are Past point Venus, we return to the starting point to see the arrival of the male 100km race.

One helmsman died in the strong waters Western of Moorea today,  his team came back in mourning

The Shell Team won the competition once more.

 

Each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the following episodes will be published and links will be activated at 11AM CEST of the scheduled date:

September 2023-
0. French Polynesia: my displacement in time – from 6.9.23
1. Dots in the ocean – from 8.9.23
2. With wet ankles in Big Moana – from 10.9.23
3. Would you mind bringing the fruit? Be quick! – from 13.9.23
4. Coconut split – from 15.9.23
5. Moana’s ritual – from 17.9.23
6. On the road to the Rock of Displacement – from 20.9.23
7. A dangerous hug – from 22.9.23
8. It’s war! – from 24.9.23
9. Heiva nights: dancing the myth– from 27.9.23
10. Catch the fight – from 29.9.23

– October 2023-
11. Another portion of fruit, please – from 1.10.23
12. Lift it if you can – from 4.10.23
13. Keep Moorea always on your mind – from 6.10.23
14. Allons enfants de la Patrie a Tahiti! – from 8.10.23
15. Return to the Spear Age – from 11.10.23
16. What’s on in Papeete – from 13.10.23
17. Teahupo‘o, surf for the gold medal – from 15.10.23
18. Papeete open air – from 18.10.23
19. Heiva nights: back to the origins – from 20.10.23
20. Va’a: the displacement in time – from 22.10.23
21. Va’a: the competition – from 25.10.23
22. Heiva nights: across time – from 27.10.23
23. Heiva the champions – from 29.10.23

– November 2023 –
24. Don’t wake up Te Fiti – from 1.11.23
25. Sharks ahead! – from 3.11.23
26. Na na Huahine – from 5.11.23

REPORTAGE, TRAVEL, WATER

Va’a: the displacement in time

Va’a are Polynesian pirogues. Va’a means displacement in time, space on time, movement,  voyage. Va’a can be single armed, double armed, in the past carved out a single tree log. Nowadays Va’a are cast in wool glass or composite materials. Va’a are used for fishing, tours or for competitions. Some say Va’a allowed Polynesians to explore as far as Chile.

Before the competition (100 km rowing around Moorea island and back to Tahiti), Va’a are weighted

Teams (female with young paddlers or male) take care of the last details of the pirogues

Each team signs up for the race, here is the Shell sponsored team, multiple winner of past competitions

The jury on the pink support boat gives the last recommendations, rowing on strong winds like today can be dangerous, despite that Va’a are extremely stable

Va’a are aligned at shore, everything’s ready to start the race

Each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the following episodes will be published and links will be activated at 11AM CEST of the scheduled date:

September 2023-
0. French Polynesia: my displacement in time – from 6.9.23
1. Dots in the ocean – from 8.9.23
2. With wet ankles in Big Moana – from 10.9.23
3. Would you mind bringing the fruit? Be quick! – from 13.9.23
4. Coconut split – from 15.9.23
5. Moana’s ritual – from 17.9.23
6. On the road to the Rock of Displacement – from 20.9.23
7. A dangerous hug – from 22.9.23
8. It’s war! – from 24.9.23
9. Heiva nights: dancing the myth– from 27.9.23
10. Catch the fight – from 29.9.23

– October 2023-
11. Another portion of fruit, please – from 1.10.23
12. Lift it if you can – from 4.10.23
13. Keep Moorea always on your mind – from 6.10.23
14. Allons enfants de la Patrie a Tahiti! – from 8.10.23
15. Return to the Spear Age – from 11.10.23
16. What’s on in Papeete – from 13.10.23
17. Teahupo‘o, surf for the gold medal – from 15.10.23
18. Papeete open air – from 18.10.23
19. Heiva nights: back to the origins – from 20.10.23
20. Va’a: the displacement in time – from 22.10.23
21. Va’a: the competition – from 25.10.23
22. Heiva nights: across time – from 27.10.23
23. Heiva the champions – from 29.10.23

– November 2023 –
24. Don’t wake up Te Fiti – from 1.11.23
25. Sharks ahead! – from 3.11.23
26. Na na Huahine – from 5.11.23

Privacy Settings
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Youtube
Consent to display content from - Youtube
Vimeo
Consent to display content from - Vimeo
Google Maps
Consent to display content from - Google
Save
%d bloggers like this: