ABSTRACT
Of the many ritual formulae in use in Tikopia none can have been more striking than that formerly recited as a public address or proclamation at Rarokoka. The people of Tafua take their appointed place also, but their Ariki remains in his sacred house till the assembly is complete. When all is ready, dad in a new white cincture, he walks down the path from the building to the Marae. The statement that ‘the god of the land is one’ is highly figurative. It means briefly that die chief is the sole source of authority in the land. The English term ‘to relieve oneself’ is an analogous usage. It will be noted that the other terms used in this part of the fono also follow the same lead; they allude to the act of defecation without employing the common direct words.
