The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (Detailed Summary)

The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu

Detailed Summary

          Kadavu is an island which is part of the Republic of the Fiji Islands. There is a village named Namuana which is fifty miles away from Kadavu. It is situating near to the Government Station in Vunisea Harbour. In the village named Namuana, there is a strange ritual which is still practiced by the women of Namuana village. The ritual is that the virgins of the village sing a “strange chant” which will rise the turtles from the sea. But if anyone, who is from another village named Nabukelevu, is there, the turtles will not come.

          There is a reason why virgins of Namuana village do the turtle calling ritual. The legend says that once there lived a luring princess named Tinaicoboga who was the wife of the Chief of Namuana. They had a daughter named Raudalice. They used to go for fishing on the reefs. Once while they engaged in fishing, fishermen from Nabukelevu arrived there with a “great war canoe”. Seeing Tinaicoboga and Raudalice, these fishermen jumped from the canoe and abducted the women although they pleaded several times not to harm them. But the fishermen did not listen to them.

          But “gods of the sea” heard their plea. They created a storm which destroyed the canoe. In front of the fishermen, the women transformed into turtles so that they could protect their lives. But the men took them and threw into the sea. Thus Tinaicoboga  and Raudalice escaped from these savaged fishermen. The sea became calm once again. The fishermen went back. The two women, who transformed into turtles, live in the sea for the rest of their life.  It is believed that the descendants of these turtles used to come when the virgins of Namuana chant the strange song in which they tell that they are wearing mourning dress and have a “tattooed” sacred club in each woman’s hand. In order to invoke Raudalice and Tinaicoboga, they call them and ask them to come to the surface of the sea.