Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa Vunivalu of Bau [289] ^93,96

   Another name for Tanoa was Ratu Tanoa.

   FamilySearch ID: LVWG-ZFD.

  General Notes:

Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa (pronounced [ßisa: 'wa: nnga] was a Fijian Chieftain who held the title Vunivalu of Bau . With Adi Savusavu, one of his nine wives, he was the father of Seru Epenisa Cakobau , who succeeded in unifying Fiji into a single kingdom .


The son of Ratu Banuve Baleivavalagi and father of the first Tui Viti , Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau , Ratu Tanoa was installed as Vunivalu upon the death of his elder brother Ratu Naulivou Ramatenikutu , who was involved in a fierce power struggle against the Roko Tui Bau, Ratu Raiwalui , which led to his death.
The idea of a Tui Viti was conceived in the Rule of Tanoa but saw fruition in the reign of his son Seru.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanoa_Visawaqa

Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa, 5th Vunivalu of Bau 1829/1832 and 1837/1852, married 9 wives (6 of whom were strangled to death in December 1852), 1stly, Adi Talatoka, daughter of Ratu Yavalu, 4th Tui Cakau , (married 1stly, Ratu Naulivou Ramatenikutu, ), married 2ndly, Adi Savusavu, married 3rdly, Adi Qereitoga from Rewa, married 4thly, Adi Vulase from Vuda, married 5thly, Adi Manakilagi from Koro, married 6thly, Adi Reki, married 7thly, an unknown lady, married 8thly, Vulaono, married 9thly, Litia Vereivalu of Gau, and had issue, twelve children. He died 8th December 1852.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/states/fiji/vunivalu.html
Notes on Fijian Burial Customs. By the Rev. Lorimer Fision.

The Rev. Thomas Williams, in his valuable work on "Fiji and the Fijians," has described the funeral ceremonies which came under his notice. To that account many interesting particulars may be added, for there is no uniformity of custom in Fiji, and no description of what is done by any one tribe can be taken as applicable to all others.

One custom, however, seems to have been everywhere practiced, namely the strangling of widows that they might be buried with their dead husbands. On the death of a great chief, many women were thus sacrificed, the victims being generally his Patina lalai, or "little wives." I.e., women of inferior rank, though sometimes one or more ot the patina mbau, who were all marama, or ladies of rank, would volunteer to be buried with him. The strangled women were the thotho, or "carpeting of his grave."

Notes on Fijian Burial Customs.
Lorimer Fison
The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
Vol. 10, (1881), pp. 137-149
Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland <http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=rai>
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2841604

  Research Notes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fijian_chiefs

http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/states/fiji/vunivalu.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanoa_Visawaqa

https://www.geni.com/people/Ratu-Loaloadravu-Tubuanakoro/6000000020575290244

Tanoa: He succeeded his brother Na-Ulivou and died at an advanced age, a heathen and cannibal, December 8^th, 1852. His reign of twenty-three years was not happy or peaceful. Rebellious subjects and rebellious sons filled it with anxiety. Once he had to fly his chief city; and for a number of years his fear of Raivalita\endash one of his sons\endash kept him a close prisoner. Several years before his death, old age disqualified Tanoa for the discharge of the active duties of his position, which were attended to by one of his sons acting in the capacity of Regent. Tanoa was a proud man: when gray and wrinkled, he tried to hide these marks of age by a plentiful application of black powder. He was also cruel and implacable. Mothelotu, one of his cousins, was so unhappy as to offend him, and sought with tears and entreaties for forgiveness; but the purpose of the cruel Chief was fixed, that Mothelotu should die. After having kissed his relative, Tanoa cut off his arm at the elbow, and drank the blood as it flowed warm from the severed veins. The arm, still quivering with life, he threw on the fire, and, when sufficiently cooked, ate it in the presence of its proper owner, who was then dismembered, limb by limb, while the savage murderer looked with pitiless brutality on the dying agonies of his victim.

At a later period, Tanoa sentenced his youngest son to die by the club. The blow given by the brother who was appointed as his executioner, was not fatal. The father, knowing of his entreaty for mercy, shouted angrily, "Kill him! Kill him!" and the horrible act was completed. Nearly the last words spoken by this man of blood were formed into the question, "How many will follow me?"meaning, How many women do you intend to strangle at my death?" Being assured that five of his wives would then be sacrificed, he died with satisfaction.
Page19 and 20

The name of the tribe from which the kings of Mbau are taken is Tui Kamba. The four chief personages or families in this state are the Rokotuimbau, the Tunitonga, the Vusarandavi, and the Tui Kamba.
Page 20

"Fiji and the Fijians", Vol. I., The Islands and Their Inhabitants., by Thomas Williams, late missionary in Fiji,. Edited by George Stringer Rowe., London; Alexander Heylin, 28, Paternoster Row. 1858. Printed by William Nichols, 82, London Wall.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Acceded: Vunivalu of Bau (1st term), 1829, Bau, Tailevu, Fiji, Pacific Islands. Vunivalu of Bau 1829 - 1832; Preceded by Ratu Naulivou Ramatenikutu Succeeded by Navuaka Komainaqaranikula Tui Veikoso

• Name change: Visawaqa "Burner of boats," Bef 1832. The Burner of Boats
It was before his exile that Tanoa was named Tanoa "Visawaqa" for his bloody campaign and slaying of the Roko Tui Bau, Ratu Raiwalui, he set fire to the War Canoes of the warriors of the Roko Tui Bau, and was thereafter called Tanoa "Burner of boats" or figuratively "excessive killer", even though Ratu Naulivou sent his brother Tanoa on the mission to punish the Roko Tui Bau and his followers he did not expect the bloodbath that would follow and Tanoa's actions greatly worried his brother.

• Exile, 1832. As the animosity intensified, Ratu Tanoa was forced into exile, firstly on Koro Island and then in Somosomo on Taveuni , where he remained until his son, Ratu Seru Cakobau led a coup in 1837, reinstalling his father as Vunivalu until his death in 1852, whereupon Cakobau inherited the title. He had 9 wives; amongst his issue were Ratu Tubuanakoro and Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau .

• reinstaled: Vunivalu of Bau (2nd Term), 1837, Bau, Tailevu, Fiji, Pacific Islands. In 1837, Ratu Cakobau reinstalled his father as Vunivalu and he was Vunivalu until his death in 1852

Vunivalu of Bau (2nd Term) 1837-1852
Preceded by: Navuaka Komainaqaranikula Tui Veikoso
Succeeded by: Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau

Tanoa married Adi Savusavu [66094] [LVWG-Z2L] [MRIN: 105], daughter of Ratu Koroiramudra [66484] and Adi Lusiana Qolikoro [66485], in Fiji, Pacific Islands.⁹³

Tanoa next married Adi Talatoka [66111] [MRIN: 551619263], daughter of Ratu Yavalu 4th Tui Cakau [66119] and Adi Levulevu [66242].

Tanoa next married Adi Qereitoga [66120] [MRIN: 551619270].

Tanoa next married Adi Vulase [66121] [MRIN: 551619271].

Tanoa next married Adi Manakilagi [66122] [MRIN: 551619272].

Tanoa next married Adi Reki [66123] [MRIN: 551619273].

Tanoa next married Unknown Lady [66124] [MRIN: 551619274].

Tanoa next married Vulaono [66125] [MRIN: 551619275].

Tanoa next married Litia Vereivalu [66126] [MRIN: 551619276]. (Litia Vereivalu [66126] was born about 1800 in Bau, Tailevu, Fiji, Pacific Islands and died in Bau, Tailevu, Fiji, Pacific Islands.)