article
Kava'onau and the Tongan chiefs
journal of the Polynesian Society • 100 (3) • Published In 1991 • Pages: 231-268
By: Biersack, Aletta.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a study of myths and practices surrounding the KAVA ceremony, which for Biersack is an important Tongan ritual used to demonstrate rank and authority among elite. In the first part of her article, she analyzes the Tongan creation and kava myths, which according to Biersack explicates Tonga polity, its social order and power relations, and also the symbolism surrounding the KAVA ceremony. Where participants sit, who serves whom food and drink, and associated taboos all index status relations. According to Biersack the anticannibalistic motifs of myth and ritual are key to understanding a Tonga authority based on a contractual relationship between the king and chiefs, and chiefs and commoners.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Recreational and non-therapeutic drugs
- Status, role, and prestige
- Visiting and hospitality
- Etiquette
- Chief executive
- Executive household
- Mythology
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Tongans
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2006
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Oceania
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Polynesia
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard;2004
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1986
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1958-1986
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Tonga
- NotesAdditional notes
- Aletta Biersack
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 266-268)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 08012644
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Tongans