My grandfather once told me that stories were passed down from one generation to another and that was one of the method they used to keep records of things that happened. Another method they used to keep their stories passed on is through chanting and dancing – ‘meke’ in Fijian.
This is one example of one of their many stories that talks about them drifting from Lake Taganyika across the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and reaching the island that they named, “Viti” or Fiji today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UqFC_6m9X8The song/chant/meke in my own interpretation is:
My ancestors, let me talk about about them.
When the came from South Africa.
Oh! Verata(spelling is probably wrong b’coz it’s Fijian pronouncitation) their real village near the big Lake Tanganyika.
Lutunasobasoba led them as they travelled from South Africa.
With Nai his wife, a woman from East Egypt.
Lutunasobasoba had five children, Today, they are the chiefly descendants of Fiji.
He had only one daughter, Buisavulu(her name) she lives in Bureta.
Rokomautu(one of his son) lives in Verata,
Melasiga(second son) lives in Burebasaga.
Tuinayavu(third son) lives in the Batiki area.
Daunisai lives in Kabara.
The reason why they came out off Tangayika
A serious illness(some form of sickness) had struck them.
They travel across the Atlantic.
They looked for places/islands/land to stay across the Pacific Ocean.
Very very interesting while reading as I am searching for where do we really come from. Thanks guys