Articles
Ancient Dancing - Polynesian
The Journey
Our vision of history is but a brief moment in the real history of mankind. Long before the Romans and the Egyptians, long before the Celtic realm of Europe, countless numbers of advanced stone age civilisations flourished for tens of thousands of years.
Beginning long long ago (2 to 5 million BC) variations of primitive Man left the Garden of Eden in Africa and migrated north to the then fertile plains of the Sahara and on to Europe and Asia.
About 75000 BC an Ice Age gripped the world, northern Europe/China was permanently buried under ice, and the sea levels were very low. The great continents were joined by land bridges. One could walk from Ireland across India and China into north and south America. Australia - New Guinea remained isolated but the Gulf of Carpentaria was a huge fertile plain populated by giant kangaroos.
A strange cultural explosion occurred about 60,000 BC, and it seems a new mankind had left Africa about 80,000 BC, crossed into Israel (then highly fertile) and up into Europe and gradually “displaced” the Neanderthal people already there. Most of our current understandings are traditionally and comfortably based on man in Europe. However the great bulk of humanity migrated and settled along the waterways of Iraq, India, south east China, and Malaysia / Indonesia (and some Pacific islands) Here was the powerhouse of ideas, trade, agriculture and exploration.From here arose the three greatest eras of migration in human history.
The First was a short sea hop across islands into New Guinea thence by land to Australia and Tasmania, about 50,000BC. Once colonised, Terra Australis remained somewhat isolated from the Asian maelstrom, so that the aborigines of NG, Australia and particularly Tasmania, represent the genetic makeup of our original explorers.
Second was a great move up thru China, Alaska, into America about 20,000 BC. Movement and trade continued for thousands of years, and eventually reached Easter Island.
About 17000 BC, a genetic “variation” occurred in east Asia and a new population grew. From 12000BC the Ice age gradually ended and seas rose 140 metres. Communities became isolated, but developed great sailing skills and maintained trading alliances.
The Third great migration was the Polynesian “empire“ beginning from 4000BC. From Malaysia / Philippines / Indonesia, several waves of explorers, conquerors and colonisers moved east into all the Pacific islands (Solomons, Samoa, Society, Tahiti, Marquesas, etc) by 1200BC, far out to Hawaii, and Easter Island (500 AD), North as far as Taiwan, West to Madagascar (400 AD), and South to New Zealand (500 AD). NZ and Madag. were the last great uninhabited land masses on earth, and were discovered by Polynesians. Meantime Rome had collapsed and European man was huddled in fortified villages, in ignorance, superstition, and fear. The Dark ages descended and it would take European man another thousand years before he would venture out on the great oceans.
Polynesia
The first wave of Polynesian explorers were dark skinned people from east Indonesia area. During their era, traders from Taiwan became very active in the Pacific area, and had a strong influence on the original Polynesians. Gradually the population changed. The original men started to take Taiwanese wives with them. It is not known who captured who.
Was it “grab a gal” or “bag a bloke”? But in any case there was one hell of a honeymoon in Polynesia. Its population soared and the “new” Polynesians became the dominant culture of the Pacific world.
Polynesia became the most complex and long lasting stone age culture known in “civilised times”.
A common language existed across Polynesia for over 2000 years. There were slight changes in various islands, and strong grammatical links to Taiwanese.
The sweet potato arrived from South America in 1000 AD, we all marvel at their travels.
Cannibalism occurred, not for protein, but only in the context that an enemy was not vanquished until his body was consumed.
Hawaii was found about 500 AD, a 4000 km journey from the Marquesas Islands.
A second wave of invasion of “new” Polynesians from Tahiti/ south pacific area in 1100 AD found the land already populated by “gnomes and dwarves” from the first journey. These unfortunate inhabitants were hunted, enslaved, and eaten out of existence. The new invaders called it “Hawai’i” after their ancient Tahitian homeland. They made the new islands their home in paradise, and ultimately the new “capital“ of Polynesia.
New Zealand. The first discovery, like Hawaii, was about 500 AD. Again, like Hawaii, a new expedition came about 1000 AD. Only last year did genetic studies confirm the ancient legend, that 8 Taiwan ladies and 8 Marquesan type men, arrived by ocean canoe, and were the ancestors of the entire current Maori population. They also found the “gnomes” of the first journey. There was bitter rivalry and cannibalism. Large and comprehensive forts were built, and can still be seen today.
Within several generations they had exterminated the “gnomes” (except on the Chatham islands), and the Moa and the NZ Eagle. Their dances reflect their aggressive origins.
Easter Island, the far flung outpost of Polynesian society, was reached about 500 AD, by navigating 4000 km east across the Pacific ocean. Unfortunately it was already colonised by South American Indians. They were soon “neutralised”, their stone working skills copied by the Polynesians, The island became a lush tropical paradise for 17 tribal “states”, amazing statues, and an overall king. After a 1000 yrs of growth, the forests were totally destroyed. Suddenly there was nothing for making fires, buildings, or boats. Society disintegrated, they cannibalised each other, villages, wrecked their monuments. In a horrific moment in history, the population plummeted, only the strong survived.
A century later the Spaniards arrived and noted the desolation of what must have been a flourishing kingdom.
The Americans came in the 1800, rounded up all the men and sold them into slavery! They left behind disease and treachery, the population was decimated, and lost forever was the history, beliefs, dance, and artefacts of a once amazing outpost of humanity. (feels good to be a “western man” doesn’t it).
Hawaii prospered and became the centre of Polynesian culture, trade, and power. It was ruled by many tribal kingdoms who seemed to spend their time in arts, dance, culture, or violent inter-tribal warfare. They had an advanced Feudal society, kings, nobles, priests, craftsmen, commons, and a reject or disposable caste. Strong rules (the origin of our “taboo” is Polynesian for rules), religion, and social and environmental caring, made Polynesia a strong and enduring civilization.
Spaniards arrived in 1600, set up trading posts, and lived there as noblemen for several generations. Captain Cook “re-discovered” Hawaii in 1778 and was hailed as a god. He returned the next year and was killed and eaten by the locals, because he had unwittingly deceived them about being a god.
King Kamehameha unified all the tribal kingdoms and islands under his rule by 1795. That’s a euphemism for mounting a few canons on his double hull war canoes and blasting any resistance to pieces. However he did go on to become a wise and respected monarch. When he died, so also ended all the rules, customs and culture of ancient Hawaii.
There followed a long line of kings and queens with all the trappings and aspirations of European royalty.
A Parliament, elected representatives, land ownership, education, new rules etc, were established by the monarchs of the 1800’s.
However, European traders established themselves. The Missionaries arrived and “converted” the locals. Polynesian beliefs, culture, dance, and dress were banned.
As the natives bowed their heads in prayer, foreigners bought their land, destroyed their forests and their birds, brought in thousands of workers from Asia, Spain, and South America to run sugar farms.
When they raised their heads, their Hawaii was gone!
European whalers all but exterminated the whales and seals, brought gambling, alcohol, and evil to the people, and spread devastating plagues of fatal diseases amongst the natives.
Britain, France, and America, each tried to take over the country by force, but somehow the Monarchy prevailed. Then by acts of treachery the American planters and traders sidelined the king in 1893, and transferred Hawaii to USA control in 1898.
The last defacto monarch died in exile in 1917.
Over-run and outbred by foreigners, the original Polynesian people and culture were all but gone within a century of “discovery”.
The old culture did survive in the back blocks of outer islands, and in the writings of some enlightened European scholars. However it was not until the 1960-70s that genuine interest in Polynesian history reignited. Scientists re-discovered the technology of the great ocean canoes, and found a Samoan fisherman who knew the ancient navigation skills. He actually sailed a canoe precisely from Hawaii to Tahiti without maps or instruments in 1976, and taught many “new Hawaiians” the ancient skills.
Samoa also suffered a western invasion to a lesser extent, and “American Samoa” joined the USA in 1899. There was a massive migration of locals to Hawaii in 1950’s, and also some friends from Tahiti, Fiji, Marquesas. They brought with them the original Polynesian language, culture, beliefs, and dance! Samoans loved their dance, “characterised by strong dance movements, and numbing intoxication of kava juice“.
The non-European Hawaiians by now were an absolute international polyglot of inter-racial breeding, lost and aimless, without history and culture, marginalised and ignored.
Until they saw the Samoans dancing. It was the Samoans who showed them their heritage, and ignited the “new Hawaiian’s” interest in their Polynesian origins!
Australia and New Guinea missed out on these invasions. Except for minor incursions in NT and north NG, we were untouched. No one knows why or how. Otherwise we all could have been doing the Hula by now.
Dance
Polynesian dance, the “Hula“, is well known in recent times for its swaying grass skirts and songs aimed at the tourists. However real Hula is different, and was always an important and revered part of Polynesian history. There were strict rules, special teachers, and it was performed on ceremonial and royal occasions. Dancers were mostly men, but later women, and celibate! They lived in the temple of the dance goddess Laka. It was like going into a monastery where the new ones learned the ancient lore - just as we do today with the Aus. Ballet School students. They underwent strenuous training. It was a professional, structured, sacred art, and was a central part of their mythology and beliefs.
Hula has existed in our at least five times longer then western Classical Ballet!
Like the Bards of ancient Europe, the Hula told the Polynesian history in chant and dance, and was passed from generation to generation. Ancient Hula embodies their origins, their great journeys, their ancestors, wars, heroes, divinities, and ceremonies. The storyline is chanted as a poem with a 3 note musical range, accompanied by drums, and divinely demonstrated by dance. Hula was a living book of all their ancient history.
Dance is based on a unique rolling motion of the hips and knees that does not move the torso. There is some rhythmic stamping, a smiling face, and very precise placements of arms and fingers. Like ballet, there are dozens of prescribed positions and meanings, the story is told with the arms. Hula can be hypnotic, sensuous, powerful, joyful, it is a demicharacter. Visitors are advised “to watch the hands”. There were 3 types of ancient Hula - Religious Hula performed in Temple ceremonies, Celebratory Hula for special events, chief’s birthdays etc, and could be performed standing (conventional) or sitting. Then there was the Night Hula, the local’s favourite pastime, when they could let their hair down and “Drank, Dance, & Chant” all night (just like our youth do now at the George). The missionaries did not like this at all.
The missionaries absolutely banned the Hula in 1812, but being taught hymns, the natives did learn to sing and harmonise beautifully. 40 years later the Hula was desperately re-instated by Royal decree, but alas much had been lost forever. By late 1800’s the remaining Polynesians were composing their own “modern” songs and dance.
They derived the Ukulele after seeing the Portuguese labourer’s instruments, and invented the sliding note style of guitar playing. Berger, a German conductor, arranged or composed over a thousand Hawaiian songs, and inspired/taught 2 generations of Polynesian musicians.
The dance became brighter and more seductive and told modern stories. By 1915 the Hula got to America and became famous. Someone (or some heretic) put English words to Hawaiian music in 1930, and unleashed an explosion of Hula popularity and movies across the world over the next 30 years.
Then the Beatles arrived and killed the Hula.
But slowly the “new age Hawaiians” woke up to their heritage (see Samoans), and in the 1970’s the Hula underwent a massive resurgence. Now there are a host of Hula schools, and dedicated Teachers. Thousands of children and adults now study the old and new Hulas, just as our students study Classical ballet and modern Jazz.. They perform in competitions, concerts, schools, hotels, night clubs, and anywhere they can, it is now the people’s dance.
Ancient Hula passes on the legends of their culture, and is more technical to watch. Modern Hula celebrates contemporary life, and is the common dance as seen by tourists. Although modern Hula is highly westernised, it retains its Polynesian roots. Respect, love, and sharing, are essential ingredients of both types of Hula.
*King Kalakaua, 1880, - “Hula is the language of the heart, and the heartbeat of the Polynesian people.”
“Hula must be danced with the fluidity of water, and the Spark of life.”
A. M. Cole 2003
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