Kava culture
Encyclopedia
Kava cultures are the religious and cultural traditions of western Oceania
which consume kava
. There are similarities in the use of kava between the different cultures, but each one also has its own traditions.
, at least 30 varieties of awa (kava) were used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes by all social classes, both men and women. Kava is the original pau hana drink of working people to relax and ease achy muscles. Kava was also given to fussy babies and children to calm them and help them sleep.
, kava is traditionally drunk at night in a place called a nakamal
. Nakamals are village club houses and in many areas are open only to men. Kava is normally drunk from an empty coconut shell.
In urban areas of Vanuatu there are large numbers of kava bars, which are open to both men and women. The availability of kava is signalled by a lantern at the entrance, and many kava bars are identified by the colour of their light. In these bars, kava is generally served in plastic or glass bowls instead of coconut shells.
In all these venues the emphasis is more on recreational purposes and socializing than on the spiritual or medicinal qualities of kava consumption.
In northern and central Vanuatu, kava roots are traditionally ground using hand-held stone grinders, while in southern Vanuatu the traditional method of preparation involves chewing the roots then spitting the resulting paste into a container. Nowadays these methods of preparation are increasingly being replaced by rams (in which kava is pounded in a section of pipe), meat-mincers, and mechanical grinders. After grinding the kava is mixed with water and sieved before serving.
The residue from kava preparation, known as makas (a Bislama term derived from from megasse "sugar cane residue"), may be re-used to prepare additional batches of the drink, although these are much weaker than the original batch.
In Tonga
, kava is drunk nightly at "kalapu" (Tongan
for "club"), which is also called a "faikava" ("to do kava"). Only men are allowed to drink the kava, although women who serve it may be present. The female server is usually an unmarried, young woman called the "toua." In the past, this was a position reserved for women being courted by an unmarried male, and much respect was shown. These days, it is imperative that the toua not be related to anyone in the kalapu, and if someone is found to be a relative of the toua, he (not the toua) will leave the club for that night; otherwise the brother-sister taboo would make it impossible to talk openly, especially about courtship. Foreign girls, especially volunteer workers from overseas are often invited to be a toua for a night. If no female toua can be found, or it is such a small, very informal gathering, one of the men will do the job of serving the kava root. This is called fakatangata (all-man).
The kava is served in rounds. Typically the toua will first stir the kava in the kumete, then pour some in the ipu (coconut
cups) which are then passed from hand to hand to those sitting farthest away. They drink, and the empty cups are returned again from hand to hand. Everybody remains seated, cross-legged, although one is allowed to stretch the legs from time to time. Meanwhile the toua has filled other cups for those next from the farthest away, and so the drinking goes forth until those nearest to the kumete have had their drink too. Then the men talk again (about politics
, sports, tradition & culture, jokes, or anything else) or they will sing a traditional love song, often accompanied by guitar
. Some now-famous string bands have had their origin at a faikava. Finally the next drinking round starts.
In some of the outer islands of Tonga, kava is drunk almost every night, but on the main island, Tongatapu
, it is usually drunk only on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Kava drinking frequently lasts as long as eight or nine hours. With the introduction of television
, rugby
is usually watched by the kava drinkers, and the songs are sung in the commercial breaks. On Saturday nights, a short pause for prayer is made at midnight (as the day moves to Sunday), and then hymn
s replace the love songs. These hymns are mostly traditional English melodies with new words in Tongan.
All important occasions are also marked by drinking kava, including weddings, funerals, and all church-related functions. For example, when a new king takes his throne or a new chief is established in his title, he must participate in the pongipongi, ancient kava ceremonies to make his rule official. These formal kava parties follow completely different rules. A male chief is now the toua, and the kava is very solemnly prepared by pounding the roots to powder (instead of buying of bag of already pounded kava powder). Once the kava is the right strength (as deduced from the colour), the ceremony master will call out the nickname of the first recipient using an old archaic formula ("kava kuo heka"). The toua will fill the cup and the cup is then brought, often by a young lady, to the intended chief, and brought back afterwards. Then the next name is called, and so forth.
) the informal kava parties are like those of Tonga, except that the cups are not passed from hand to hand, but young boys are appointed to run around, bringing the cups to the next person (as in the formal Tongan ceremony). When they get the kava, they pass it to the next person on the side or to the person who has not had one, and the young ones they are the one to go and get the water to mix with the kava.
kava drinking is used to install a new chief, much as in Tonga.
, kava (also called "grog" or "yaqona") is part of the fabric of life, drunk nightly by families and also used for important political and social events. The importance of the kava in Fiji is not so much physical, but a psychological event where stories are told and jokes bantered. It is often seen as a peace pipe between quarreling groups.
During a visit to Fiji, the late Pope John Paul II drank a bowl of yaqona during a traditional welcoming ceremony.
, kava has two contexts, ceremonial and informal. The kava ceremony, when it functions as part of any ceremonial event, is a highly political affair, with individuals served according to rank. In pre-European times, the kava was chewed by virgin girls, (marked by caked limestone on their hair), before it was mixed with the water to make the drink. Prior to European influences the kava ceremony was carried out with chewing and serving done by chiefly virgins, and mixing done by older, experienced and culturally aware women.
Nowadays, in the informal, social context Rotuman men commonly drink kava to relax, often while singing and dancing
, and in some instances mix it with alcohol
, evidence to its cultural shift in Rotuman society.
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
which consume kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
. There are similarities in the use of kava between the different cultures, but each one also has its own traditions.
Hawaii
In HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, at least 30 varieties of awa (kava) were used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes by all social classes, both men and women. Kava is the original pau hana drink of working people to relax and ease achy muscles. Kava was also given to fussy babies and children to calm them and help them sleep.
Vanuatu
In VanuatuVanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, kava is traditionally drunk at night in a place called a nakamal
Nakamal
A nakamal is a traditional meeting place in Vanuatu. A nakamal is found in every significant rural Vanuatu community....
. Nakamals are village club houses and in many areas are open only to men. Kava is normally drunk from an empty coconut shell.
In urban areas of Vanuatu there are large numbers of kava bars, which are open to both men and women. The availability of kava is signalled by a lantern at the entrance, and many kava bars are identified by the colour of their light. In these bars, kava is generally served in plastic or glass bowls instead of coconut shells.
In all these venues the emphasis is more on recreational purposes and socializing than on the spiritual or medicinal qualities of kava consumption.
In northern and central Vanuatu, kava roots are traditionally ground using hand-held stone grinders, while in southern Vanuatu the traditional method of preparation involves chewing the roots then spitting the resulting paste into a container. Nowadays these methods of preparation are increasingly being replaced by rams (in which kava is pounded in a section of pipe), meat-mincers, and mechanical grinders. After grinding the kava is mixed with water and sieved before serving.
The residue from kava preparation, known as makas (a Bislama term derived from from megasse "sugar cane residue"), may be re-used to prepare additional batches of the drink, although these are much weaker than the original batch.
Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, kava is drunk nightly at "kalapu" (Tongan
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...
for "club"), which is also called a "faikava" ("to do kava"). Only men are allowed to drink the kava, although women who serve it may be present. The female server is usually an unmarried, young woman called the "toua." In the past, this was a position reserved for women being courted by an unmarried male, and much respect was shown. These days, it is imperative that the toua not be related to anyone in the kalapu, and if someone is found to be a relative of the toua, he (not the toua) will leave the club for that night; otherwise the brother-sister taboo would make it impossible to talk openly, especially about courtship. Foreign girls, especially volunteer workers from overseas are often invited to be a toua for a night. If no female toua can be found, or it is such a small, very informal gathering, one of the men will do the job of serving the kava root. This is called fakatangata (all-man).
The kava is served in rounds. Typically the toua will first stir the kava in the kumete, then pour some in the ipu (coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
cups) which are then passed from hand to hand to those sitting farthest away. They drink, and the empty cups are returned again from hand to hand. Everybody remains seated, cross-legged, although one is allowed to stretch the legs from time to time. Meanwhile the toua has filled other cups for those next from the farthest away, and so the drinking goes forth until those nearest to the kumete have had their drink too. Then the men talk again (about politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, sports, tradition & culture, jokes, or anything else) or they will sing a traditional love song, often accompanied by guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. Some now-famous string bands have had their origin at a faikava. Finally the next drinking round starts.
In some of the outer islands of Tonga, kava is drunk almost every night, but on the main island, Tongatapu
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population...
, it is usually drunk only on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Kava drinking frequently lasts as long as eight or nine hours. With the introduction of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
is usually watched by the kava drinkers, and the songs are sung in the commercial breaks. On Saturday nights, a short pause for prayer is made at midnight (as the day moves to Sunday), and then hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s replace the love songs. These hymns are mostly traditional English melodies with new words in Tongan.
All important occasions are also marked by drinking kava, including weddings, funerals, and all church-related functions. For example, when a new king takes his throne or a new chief is established in his title, he must participate in the pongipongi, ancient kava ceremonies to make his rule official. These formal kava parties follow completely different rules. A male chief is now the toua, and the kava is very solemnly prepared by pounding the roots to powder (instead of buying of bag of already pounded kava powder). Once the kava is the right strength (as deduced from the colour), the ceremony master will call out the nickname of the first recipient using an old archaic formula ("kava kuo heka"). The toua will fill the cup and the cup is then brought, often by a young lady, to the intended chief, and brought back afterwards. Then the next name is called, and so forth.
Uvea (Wallis)
On Uvea (Wallis IslandWallis Island
Wallis is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna....
) the informal kava parties are like those of Tonga, except that the cups are not passed from hand to hand, but young boys are appointed to run around, bringing the cups to the next person (as in the formal Tongan ceremony). When they get the kava, they pass it to the next person on the side or to the person who has not had one, and the young ones they are the one to go and get the water to mix with the kava.
Futuna
On FutunaFutuna Island, Wallis and Futuna
Futuna is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. It is one of the Hoorn Islands or Îles Horne, nearby Alofi being the other...
kava drinking is used to install a new chief, much as in Tonga.
Fiji
In FijiFiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, kava (also called "grog" or "yaqona") is part of the fabric of life, drunk nightly by families and also used for important political and social events. The importance of the kava in Fiji is not so much physical, but a psychological event where stories are told and jokes bantered. It is often seen as a peace pipe between quarreling groups.
During a visit to Fiji, the late Pope John Paul II drank a bowl of yaqona during a traditional welcoming ceremony.
Rotuma
In RotumaRotuma
Rotuma is a Fijian dependency, consisting of Rotuma Island and nearby islets. The island group is home to a small but unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognizable minority within the population of Fiji, known as "Rotumans"...
, kava has two contexts, ceremonial and informal. The kava ceremony, when it functions as part of any ceremonial event, is a highly political affair, with individuals served according to rank. In pre-European times, the kava was chewed by virgin girls, (marked by caked limestone on their hair), before it was mixed with the water to make the drink. Prior to European influences the kava ceremony was carried out with chewing and serving done by chiefly virgins, and mixing done by older, experienced and culturally aware women.
Nowadays, in the informal, social context Rotuman men commonly drink kava to relax, often while singing and dancing
Dance of Rotuma
Dance in Rotuma refers to the traditional and modern dance styles performed by the people of the island of Rotuma, which became a dependency of Fiji in 1881...
, and in some instances mix it with alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, evidence to its cultural shift in Rotuman society.