Traditional Ritual of a Child – Bestowal of Names
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  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00002326
    Country Fiji
    ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Social practices, rituals, festive events
    Address 87 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Nasese, Suva Fiji
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Description Fiji is blessed because of its rich and diverse culture and traditional protocol. The manifestation of these cultures and traditional protocols are embedded in the indigenous language. It is also embedded in the traditional protocol the ceremony of nurturing child. This ceremony expresses the love of the vanua towards a child; outlines the ways of the vanua on how a child should be nurtured and cared for. It seeks the blessing of the vanua toward the child so they may grow and have a prosperous life and serving their community.
Social and cultural significance Naming systems round the world differ with respect to the relative emphasis they place on personhood and individuality. The authority of the name given to the child is decided upon by the grandparents of the child or anyone who might be older than grandfather. In some areas in Fiji children are named for a senior relative, not by giving the child that relative’s name(s) but by bestowing a new Fijian name, one that commemorates some event in the ‘namesake's 'life. Names are bestowed shortly after birth by an elder of the mataqali (e.g., the child’s father’s father or his classificatory equivalent). In giving the names this representative also confers group membership and gives public recognition of the infant’s personhood. The child’s features will develop and change and its ‘soul’ (yalo) will ‘harden’ or mature, but the names bestowed at birth remain important element of the person’s identify throughout life. They also constitute the child’s legal identity. Both names will be recorded in the A iVola ni Kawa, the official registry of mataqali membership maintained by the Fijian Administration. The recording of the names ensures a person’s legal rights in mataqali land. Naming a child is important because it: i. identify the child even though the child will grow and his complexity and natural features change but he will always be called by the name given to him/her; ii. The child’s right to the usage of land by registering in the iTaukei Register of Land Owning Units; iii. It strengthens the kinship ties and reaffirms the genealogy of the child and his/her relations. Names also identify a child traditional role and responsibility. The uses of Adi or Ratu signify that the child is of chiefly status, different province used different terms for the chiefly title. The first name is just the ordinary name but the second one is the traditional or ancient name. The arrival of Christianity impacted the naming of a child and most children adopted biblical names. In Matailobau, names serve as reminder to the people of ancient stories and significant events that happened in the past days. These are reasons why naming is really important. Naming of the first born is really important in the iTaukei culture, the first born usually inherit the name from his/her paternal relatives.
Transmission method
Community Naqelewai village, Nabobuco district Naitasiri province
Keyword
Information source
iTaukei Institute of Language & Culture (TILC)
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