ABSTRACT
The rites of Somosomo and Fiora are composed of a series of incidents which, though in no way spectacular to a casual witness, are yet of the deepest religious interest to the Tikopia. In each case die ritual centres around a house site in an open glade, near the lake, the central feature being the re-carpeting of the site with fresh coconut matting. One cardinal distinction exists, however, between the work of Somosomo and Fiora and that of the temples in Uta. The glade of Somosomo is a picturesque spot on the north shore of the lake, beneath the lofty cliffs leading up to Reani. The work of Somosomo began on the last day of the re-carpeting of Kafika temple in the trade-wind season. After the final kava was made and the people dispersed some of them went and cut coconut fronds.
