My introduction to Kila Wari came from Wari Lui Kila Rupa of Irupara. Wari Lui was, at the time of my fieldwork, a man in his mid-30s whose self-stated occupation was ‘Christian evangelist’. As such he had devoted himself to spreading the gospel and was not often to be found in his home village. Our meeting was fortuitous. Wari Lui told me that he and a brother had wanted to film a documentary about the life of Kila Wari which was to be titled ‘Shark Warrior’ but the demands of his work did not allow the time to pursue this goal. He anticipated my assistance and consequently shared with me his accumulated knowledge of local history—his ‘family treasure’—most of which had been gathered by his father during his long employment as a magistrate in the land courts.
Wari Lui’s family treasure includes a genealogical book such as that described above as a poni poni. His underlying motives for sharing his family treasure with me are partly obscured by a complex intertwining of local politics and Christianity. Nevertheless, his evangelical employment suggests that he is well placed to recognise the power of a good story. To Wari Lui’s credit, then, The Shark Warrior of Alewai will be the title of my book. He is not, though, the only story-teller of note in this collection. We will encounter a cast of other narrators as well, all of whom are important contributors, and discover that the telling of the legend of Kila Wari does not entail the construction of a single ‘true’ story or a fixed chronicle of events.
I will begin with Wari Lui and note that his genealogical relationship to the great warrior is of the utmost importance.[8] His brief, written account of the Kila Wari story is prefaced by a genealogy which links him to the warrior’s sister, La‘a, who married one of the chiefs of a neighbouring inland village in order to secure land for the people of Alewai. Having family links to that village, Makerupu, as well as Irupara, Wari Lui describes himself as being of ‘mixed-blood’ (see figure 1). He explains that:
Wari Lui’s (the founder of Alewai) daughter, La‘a Wari, Kila Wari’s sister was given to the chief of Makerupu’s son in exchange for land and peace. She was eventually forced to return to Alewai with her children. She had two sons and two daughters. Her first born daughter married land lords of Irupara.[9] Her second born son married the daughter of Irupara land lords. From this alliance came my grandfather Kila Rupa. His son, who was also called Kila Rupa had seven children. Among them I am the sixth born named after the forefather and founder of Alewai village.
Before I relate Wari Lui’s story of Kila Wari, I want to draw attention to an aspect of its narration. James Clifford, commenting on the characteristics of myth in Melanesia, has written that the mood of a story is recreated as its teller re-enters the space-time of the occurrence.[10] This was borne out in the transformation which Wari Lui’s person underwent as he recounted the greatness of Kila Wari. Drawing on every aspect of his ancestral connections, he appeared as the embodiment of the legendary figure. For instance, Wari Lui did not merely describe Kila Wari’s spear throwing ability, he lived it out. His expression changed. His eyes were seemingly focused on another reality as he demonstrated the action the warrior used. The persuasiveness of his engagement with the subject—his familiarity with the minutiae of the events described—was captivating. Ancestor, place and story-teller became a single mythic identity in that moment.
What follows then is Wari Lui’s verbal description of Kila Wari.
Wari Lui, the father and founder of Alewai village, had ten children. Kila Wari was the fourth born son. One day the father took his sons out to the reef to fish. At low tide the father sighted a small shark in a reef pond. He challenged his sons saying, ‘The one who catches the shark will become a great warrior’. The brothers rushed to the pond. Although Kila Wari was the youngest among his brothers, he caught the shark and held it up by the tail. From that day onward, he was to live like a warrior—fasting, eating only certain foods and sleeping lightly. He was not to touch any woman but to sleep in the company of men.
As a young warrior, Kila Wari underwent extensive training and had to pass many tests. Wari Lui elaborates:
Kouagolo, near Kwaipo[11] village, was known as a mountain of power and mystery. It had been said that no one ever returned alive from this mountain. Kila Wari was the first warrior from the coast to receive its special powers and return unharmed. He procured a powerful ginger called lavi rakava [bad, or spoiled evening] which made him a fierce and great battle warrior. The Kwaipo war chief gave him special gingers and spells for protection and extra strength. His final test, which he passed, was to jump into many spears.[12] Kila Wari became known as a great spear-thrower. He could kill his enemies from 50 metres away. Enemy spears were beaten aside by a wooden club. In his left hand other spears were caught and thrown back at the enemy with accuracy, never missing their targets. He would move four to five metres ahead of his fighting men with his armoury bearers following behind him with dozens of spears. His eyes were fixed and forecast on the enemy. Spears were placed one by one in Kila Wari’s hand as he charged forward without fear. He could throw them from 30 to 50 metres ahead. His head dress was unique and colourful. He fought his battles as far away as Kapa Kapa, Kila Kila, Manumanu and on to Kerema.
Walo Kalawa of Alewai is a direct descendant of Kila Wari. I will say more about him later. Here I include his description of Kila Wari’s visit to Kwaipo.
One day Kila, wanting to get some mula‘a (power from some plants or other sources) went to Kwaipo, further inland from Kalo village. Upon meeting the Kwaipo chief, Mapakulu, they tested him making him jump from the treetop and onto the ground where sharp sticks were planted pointing upwards. This he achieved without injuring himself. And so to him was given an ivoa (ginger) called lavi rakava.
The special powers that Kila Wari received from the mountain near Kwaipo village are part of a system that is conceptualised by the Vula‘a as waka. Generally speaking, waka is a form of ritual preparation which is based on a period of fasting and sexual abstinence. Ani waka (lit. food abstinence) is that part of the preparation which relates specifically to fasting. It includes restrictions on the type of food eaten as well as the way it is cooked and usually consists of so-called ‘burnt’ vegetables, the emphasis being on dryness. Waka abstinence aimed to eliminate moisture and hence softness from the body. For example, fish and meat were to be avoided and smoked banana was acceptable. The aim of the practice is to become like the ancestors, who are perceived to be dry and light. It is used today in preparation for sporting events.
Traditionally waka aimed to develop a relationship with the ancestral spirits—to gain their favour, and protection against malevolent forces. The more difficult the task to be undertaken the more intense must be the waka. In the case of warfare, there is a sense in which the battle is fought by invisible forces as well as visible ones. Certain types of hunting and fishing are approached in the same way. Battles undertaken by war chiefs required an intense waka which also included social restrictions such as periods of seclusion, and the chewing of powerful gingers. To be in breach of these requirements was to invite death. Wari Lui told me that Kila Wari returned from Kouagolo Mountain, where he had gone for his waka, via the village of Makerupu. He was in such a wild state that he was yelling and screaming. During this ‘uncontainable’ outburst he is said to have killed a pregnant woman.
Chewing special gingers during waka heats the body, providing courage and power. Both the terms ‘heat’ and ‘power’ are translated as iavu in the Hula language. When a successful waka has been performed the practitioner is said to be in a state of vea‘a. In Christian times vea‘a is translated as holy. Ultimately, the success of a war chief was perceived to be determined by his iavu but, as we have seen, Kila Wari was appointed over his brothers because he exhibited chiefly qualities. Much of Wari Lui’s description focuses on Kila Wari’s physical prowess. The kinds of skills required of such a great war chief are consistent with the legends of other areas of the Pacific. The Hawaiian story of ‘Lono and Kaikilani’, for example, in which we are told that ‘Early in life Lono exhibited remarkable intelligence, and as he grew to manhood, after the death of his father, in athletic and warlike exercises and other manly accomplishments, he had not a peer in Hawaii’.[13]