Research Papers - Elizabeth Spillius nee Bott

The collection consists of research material, correspondence, drafts, photographs, field notes and copies of Tohi Hohoko, the outcome of anthropological fieldwork undertaken in Tonga 1958-1960 by Elizabeth Spillius (nee Bott) and James Spillius. Material in the collection dates from April 1958 to 1981.

The collection is organised into five broad subject areas or sections within which material is arranged in a roughly chronological order.

I. Research material pertaining to the study of psychoanalysis and ceremony, Tongan Society at the time of Captain Cook's visits, social structure and kinship.

II. Papers and Correspondence, 1961, 1962, including James Spillius's Ph.D thesis draft.

III. Field work in Tonga, 1958-1960, which includes valuable ethnographic research on hingoa, hohoko and observations of taumafa kava, and information collected in the course of work on the Environmental Sanitation Project for the WHO: data on geneologies, kinship, rank, history, political structure, weddings, funerals, fonos and family life. This section includes a valuable collection of photographs, 43 field notebooks and materaila concerning the 1959 filming of the taumafa kava ceremony for the Tongan Traditions Committee.

IV. General miscellaneous.

V. Confidential material - some items in this section are partly restricted.

This collection also includes James Spillius' notes and field reports on water sanitation in Tonga for the World Health Organisation.

E.J.S.

Elizabeth Spillius

J.S.

James Spillius

H.M.

Her Majesty Queen Salote Tupou

H.V.

Honourable Ve'ehala

TT

Tu'i Tonga

TK

Tu'i Kanokupolu

TH

Yu'i Ha'atakalaua

TTC

Tongan Traditions Committee

WHO

World Health Organization

ESP

Environmental Sanitation Project

Hw

Handwritten

?

Uncertain

p

Page, both sides used

l

Leaf, one side used

n.d.

No date

faikava

kava ceremony.

faifekau

minister.

fakanofo

appoint; ceremony where the new title holder's title is issued for the first time in faikava, kava being given to him first, regardless of the usual order of serving.

fakamatala

description, explanation, report.

fanua

children.

fatongia

duty, obligation.

fono

chief's meeting; no discussion.

hingoa

name, title.

hohoko

genealogy.

kainga

kin group.

koloa

goods, wealth, riches.

lakalaka

action song, standing.

liongi

to go into mourning; involving haircutting.

lo'au

an assembly of the Queen and her matapule; a meeting to discuss kava matters.

ma'u

extract, quoted from speech or book.

ngaue

food brought in for pongipongi.

pongipongi

ceremony for new titleholder where subjects present their homage to the Queen or King - a presentation of food and kava followed by kaumafa kava.

sino'i ieiki

the body of aristocrats.

taumafa kava

royal kava ceremony.

tohi hohoko

genealogy book.

toutai

navigator, fisherman.

vahe

district; vahe Hihifo - western division of Tongatapu.

'api

area of land held by one man (8 ¼ acres).

'eiki

aristocrat of very high rank.

'Ene Afio

His/her Majesty.