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Bulu - The spirit World according to the iTaukei Culture of the Fijian People
  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00002335
    Country Fiji
    ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Social practices, rituals, festive events Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe
    Address
    iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, 87 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Nasese, Suva, Fiji Islands [Ph.: +679 3100 909]
    Year of Designation 2022
Description It is important to define Bulu or the spirit world because it can be a foundation to which our beliefs are derived from. It is understood that our culture is ‘fixated on Bulu’ (Sekove Bigitibau). If this is so, then our culture, customs and ethos are focused towards the spirit world known as Bulu. Prior to Christianity, who’s to say that the beliefs of our ancestors were inaccurate? It is a common belief that Christianity was the best thing to happen to our vanua. On the contrary, Christianity brought about the demonization of iTaukei belief system. At the offset, the missionaries knew that there was an existing belief system unfortunately they chose to disregard this and not use it as a foundation for Christian faith. If they had contextualized the Christian faith, they would have also valued iTaukei culture. There would be minor alterations to the protocols but more focused to the God Almighty, Jehovah.
Social and cultural significance Our traditional beliefs about Bulu is precise and not a misconception. There is indeed a world for the dead and the path of the shade is not a myth. This is confirmed by Jesus death. The arrival of Christianity also unveiled the fact that we have ancestral gods. During the arrival of Christianity, there were two accounts in Fiji, in Vuda and Viwa where the ancestral gods directed the people to worship a far superior God that has arrived on their shores. He is all powerful and his body is all covered with eyes (Rev. Manasa Bale ) This profess to the people that a God is coming and is superior to all other gods, his eyes are all over his where the an An account from Viwa suggested that the chief upon his early morning worship was advised by their ancestral god to accept the ‘new’ God that was about to berth their shore and discontinue worshipping him. When a vanua is overpowered in war, it is a customary for them to be subject to the conqueror and their Ancestral Gods because their God is more superior (Thomason B, pg. 112). Christianity has conquered our vanua and that means that Jehovah the God Almighty is superior to all our Ancestral gods. Therefore, our traditional beliefs is now aligned to Christ. Before Christianity, the cultures and traditions of the iTaukei people was focused on Bulu. When Christianity arrived and infiltrated our culture, customs and ethos there was a paradigm shift in that it now turns towards the Almighty God above. Therefore our culture and traditions are not demonic in nature solely due to the presence of Christ.
Transmission method The element is transmitted through oral transmission and observation.
Community The iTaukei People of Fiji

Information source
iTaukei Institute of Language & Culture (TILC)

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