CONFEDERACIES AT WAR

War and warriors

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What we know

  • In the 1800s the great confederacies — among them Bau, Rewa and Cakaudrove — competed for power.
  • Warriors fought with clubs, spears and bows; muskets arriving with traders changed how wars were fought.

The story

Chiefdoms competed for influence, resources and allegiance. Alliances shifted, and fighting could involve raids, defended settlements and canoe fleets. Clubs and spears were weapons, but finely made clubs also expressed status and spiritual associations.

Cannibalism occurred in some historical ritual and conflict contexts. Its meanings and extent should not be reduced to one explanation, or used to define all Fijian life. Claims that every warrior ate enemies to absorb their power flatten a varied history and require evidence.

In the nineteenth century, imported firearms became another resource within these rivalries. They mattered alongside local leadership, supplies, terrain and allies.

Pictures in this chapter

Sources

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