The Tale of Molituva

Last Wednesday I went to Molituva to see the workshop project of the arts council. I met two same trainers with the one in Kaba, the ladies were giving trainings on weaving mats (tali ibe) and screen painting. Semi, the marketing officer of FAC, told me that they have an ecotourism site in Molituva, I was interested in it so he asked the chief’s son to guide us because only with permission from people of the village (or tribe) outsider can enter the site. Thus, Semi and son of the chief guide us for a brief tour of the old village.

Molituvu Tribal Village, Kuku community based tourism project was officially launched in 2009. It was an old village of indigenous cannibal Fijian prior to the age of Christianity; as they call it ‘the dark times’. The story about their old ring ditch fortified village was on a TV program called ‘Na Noda Gauna’.

The old village of Molituva had 4 rings of protection of ditches filled with spikes made from bamboo. Apparently, enemy might come anytime and the people had always to be on guard. Like any other villages in Fiji, Molituva also composed of different roles of people; each role had its own area in the village. Thus, Hester, Yifan and I walk through the areas of the Chief, Spokesperson, and Warriors which were mostly covered with tombs.

The guide was also telling us about some mystical, supernatural, experiences and local beliefs of the village. There was a magical bamboo tree that has a static size; it is taboo to cut the tree. The locals believe that if someone cut the tree, his/her daughter will be lack of skin melanin or albino. This happened few years ago when someone cut the tree and his daughter is now albino. The guide also forbid us to go to the old spokesperson area because they believe if someone surpass the area without permission from people of the tribe the person will be affected by skin disease. The last one was a sacred tomb of a premature baby; the baby died soon after it was labored and no one was allowed to go to the area. Three years ago someone accidentally walk through the tomb and he was not able to stand, so he was crawling until the chief of the village presented a sevusevu ceremony to ask for forgiveness from the spirit. The site closes at 12am and 6pm because during those hours the atmosphere of the place changes; become more humid and spooky—Semi said it was ‘uncomfortable’.

The ecotourism site was nice and clean, Hester, Yifan and I enjoyed our brief tour so much. Few days later I interviewed Semi about his past work experiences for the FAC website. Surprisingly, he was the one who discovered the potential of the ring ditches of Molituva to be an ecotourism site. I was impressed with the development through culture approach of the village—to preserve and to promote.

Molituva reminds me of various tourism sites in Indonesia which also embodies supernatural and local belief. The tombs of Walisongo (Wali means guardian and Songo or Sanga means nine), the nine most influential saints of Islam in Indonesia, particularly in the island of Java. The members of Walisongo were buried throughout Java. I have been to some graves of Walisanga and just like Molituva they also full of supernatural and metaphysical tales. The locals (and numerous domestic tourists) belief that the Walisongo were the 'Friends of God' so if they pray and ask for something it would be come true. I always thought that this is very normal practice in Indonesia. However, after I converted to Islam this fact became interesting because this is certainly not inline with the islamic teaching which requires a Muslim to pray directly to God. This might be the case of varied interpretation of the Koran (Al-Qur'an) and Islam itself. This is a very sensitive issue as people are bias and very judgmental--A belief can be stronger than the thing itself.

*my camera charger is hiding somewhere in the lodge, I will post the pictures ASAP after I charged my camera