Message #195063

[Sentihauke]

While villagers like Kemueli can only guess what the monuments and drawings mean, Jone Wailevu, a researcher in ancient Fijian culture, believes they are important for the people of this country.

He believes the Narara site is an ancient worship plateau dedicated to the oldest religion in the world, the worship of nature.

"The indigenous inhabitants probably chose the site for its height, with its panoramic view of their world, especially the eastern seaboard.

The significance of the east for the ancient people is that it is the front of the Earth where the day and night begin, the rising of the sun and moon."

"The Narara cult would have been prominent in its day as the mount of the gods. Its seclusion, non-accessibility and panoramic view denote its role as the place from which the gods bless the whole of Fiji.

"At the foot of the mountain would probably reside the various social groups that define their culture in terms of the cultus.