Eggsquisitely Mythical #23 : Fiji
- Dr. Fizza Younis
- Aug 28
- 5 min read
Hello, fellow eggs and mythology lovers!
For our next Eggsquisitely Mythical issue, we are doing a deep dive on the legends of Fiji.
Background
Officially, the Republic of Fiji is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It has more than 300 islands (of which 110 are permanently inhabited) and is a part of Oceania. It lies North-Northeast of New Zealand. About 87% of the total population of Fiji lives on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The majority of Fiji's islands were formed by volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago, and humans have lived in Fiji since the second millennium BC.
Mythology in Fiji is not an abstract theology; rather, it is very much part of the everyday life of the iTaukei (indigenous Fijians). Gods lived in mountain caves, sharks patrolled reef mouths as guardians, and seasonal spirits pushed fruit into blossom--stories that taught people how to live with the ocean’s moods and the island soils. Though time and colonial change reshaped belief, these myths remain alive, echoing in festivals, firewalking ceremonies, and the oral lore still told today. To understand Fiji’s spirit, you must meet its pantheon of gods, goddesses, and mythical beings.
Gods and Goddesses
Degei (Ndengei) appears across most accounts as Fiji’s supreme being: a ringed serpent who created the islands, the first people, and many of the world’s natural features. He lives in a mountain cave; his stirring is said to cause earthquakes. Importantly, Degei is the judge of the dead. Souls pass the caves of Cibaciba or Drakulu and receive his verdict: a few are sent to the paradisal isle (Burotu/Burotukula), most to Murimuria, where reward or punishment follows.
Ratumaibulu (Ratu-mai-Bulu) is associated with fertility and the seasonal abundance of fruit and crops. Traditional accounts say that he comes from Bulu, the spirit world, during a particular month (Vula-i-Ratumaibulu) to make trees blossom.
Adi-Mailagu is mentioned in several compilations of Fijian mythology. She is a sky goddess whose domain includes rain and weather, the broad atmospheric powers that influence crops and navigation. Her role complements the earthbound and marine deities and signals the balancing presence of female divinities in island cosmology. Sources for Adi-Mailagu appear in catalogues and ethnographic summaries, though detailed island narratives about her are relatively scarce.
Nangananga is commonly described as a deity associated with death and the afterlife. Roles and names vary by island and recorder, but she typically figures in tales about the soul’s transition from the living world into Bulu or Murimuria. Because funerary lore is often locally specialized, accounts of Nangananga differ and they are best read as regional variants rather than a single canonical portrait.
Ndauthina (frequently referred to as Daucina in later sources) is linked with fire and light. Fire plays both practical and ritual roles in Fijian culture, and deities associated with flame sometimes intersect with practices like the Beqa firewalking ceremony (vilavilairevo). As with many names beyond the major gods, evidence for Ndauthina comes from a mix of older missionary accounts and modern compilations.
Raivuki is often presented as a seasonal or fertility goddess, sometimes described as Ratumaibulu’s consort in certain traditions. She helps explain seasonal rhythms, i.e., why particular months bring fruit and why others don’t, anchoring agricultural cycles in the actions of divine partners. References to Raivuki appear chiefly in regional myth lists and modern retellings.
Ligadua, described in some sources as the god of music or the “one-armed drummer,” embodies the sacredness of rhythm and ceremony. Drumming and songs are central to Fijian ritual life; gods associated with music underline how art and the sacred are entwined. Most attestations of Ligadua are in pantheon compilations rather than long narrative cycles.
Lewa-levu (“Great Woman”) appears in several lists as a female guardian figure: a strong, maternal presence who complements male gods. As with many goddess names, localized storytelling determines how fully her character is described; surviving records are fragmentary and regionally specific.
Rokola is named in some sources as a deity connected with boats and canoeing, which is a fitting role in island societies for whom long-distance voyaging was sacred and necessary. Often, these boat-linked spirits overlap with ancestral and technical knowledge about navigation and craft. Attestations of Rokola come from ethnographic lists and local origin stories.
Note: Scholars emphasize that naming practices and the prominence of particular deities change from island to island and village to village. Comprehensive, uniform lists are modern constructions built from missionary records, oral histories, and 19th–20th century ethnography; treat peripheral names with caution and expect regional variation.
Mythical Creatures
Ngani-vatu (man-eating bird): Narratives of enormous, predatory birds exist in Fijian lore; one such creature is the Ngani-vatu, described in some compilations as a giant bird that could terrorize islands. Attestations of this creature are far less frequent than the core gods and often appear in regional or folkloric collections rather than formal ethnography, so the details are variable.
The Octopus of Kadavu: The clever octopus that outwitted Dakuwaqa is central to the Kadavu variant of the shark-god story. In some tellings, the octopus is a goddess or culture-hero who forces Dakuwaqa to promise protection for the island; the episode is widely referenced in both scholarly summaries and popular retellings.
Spirits of the Road to Bulu and Murimuria: Fijian funerary lore describes many intermediary spirits and tests the deceased must face while traveling to Bulu (the spirit world) or Murimuria. These beings are often named in local narratives and are part of a widely reported idea that death is a journey requiring guidance, judgment, and sometimes atonement.
Place-bound beings and sacred fauna: Many islands have tales explaining unusual natural features or species, e.g., sacred turtles, special prawns, or fish that respond to song. These localized myths underline a central Fijian belief: nature itself is inhabited by spirits and guardians, and everyday animals are often folded into sacred stories. Such tales survive in community oral histories and regional collections.
Famous Legends Retold
The Firewalkers of Beqa
On Beqa Island, the Sawau people are famed for walking barefoot across burning embers. It is a tradition rooted in an old legend. Long ago, a warrior encountered a spirit god (often described as a giant eel) in the forest. The eel was captured, but before it was killed, it pleaded for mercy and promised a gift in exchange for its life. The spirit taught the warrior and his descendants the secret to withstanding fire without pain. To this day, the firewalking ceremony (vilavilairevo) is performed on Beqa, not merely as a spectacle but as a ritual inheritance of that pact with the spirit.
The Tagimoucia Flower
High in the mountains of Taveuni grows the rare crimson-and-white tagimoucia blossom, and with it a tale of sorrow and love. One version tells of a young girl fleeing her family after being denied the one she wished to marry. Heartbroken, she wandered until exhaustion overtook her. Her tears, spilling into the earth, transformed into the first tagimoucia flowers. In this way, the delicate blooms remain a symbol of unfulfilled longing, eternally preserved in the highland mist, where only those willing to climb can glimpse their beauty.
The Paradise of Burotu
For the Fijians, death was not the end but a journey. The greatest reward awaited the virtuous few: entry into Burotu, a mystical paradise island hidden from mortal eyes. Souls judged worthy by the serpent god Degei would sail there, crossing the threshold between worlds. Burotu was said to shimmer with eternal abundance, lush gardens, endless fish, and peace unmarred by hunger or war. Those not chosen went instead to Murimuria, a shadowed place of mixed rewards and punishments. Even today, Burotu is remembered as the Fijian vision of heaven, a destination both longed for and feared.
That concludes today's discussion about the legends of Fiji. We hope you enjoyed learning about them!
Check out these other articles written by former team members:
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