Ha'afeva (Ha'apai)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Haʻafeva is a small island in the Haʻapai group of Tonga, but still the main island of the Lulunga archipelago. Kolongatata is the name given to the village on Ha'afeva and is a reference to Ha'afeva's exposure to strong winds.

The area around the island was the site of the 1789 mutiny aboard the HMAV vessel Bounty.

It is the home estate of chiefly line of Tuʻuhetoka, (now merged with Lasike). It was one of their ancestors who once saved Tāufaʻāhau I from losing a decisive battle and even death at Velata in 1826. When Tāufaʻāhau had come to Haʻafeva to ask the chief for help with his war against Laufilitonga, the last Tuʻi Tonga to be, initially the chief did not want to help him, having his allegiance with the other. But when his sister threatened to go instead, he switched loyalty, and fought close to Tāufaʻāhau. Then the latter was hit on the head by several attackers and lay unconscious on the ground. The Haʻafeva chief fought off all the enemies until Tāufaʻāhau became conscious again. Later this warrior was named "Tuʻu-he-toka" meaning "Standing while the chief is sleeping". Interesting note: if Tāufaʻāhau would have been a commoner instead of a chief, the proper term were tuʻu-he-mohe, if he would already have been king, tuʻu-he-tōfā were to be used.

In other languages