This week is the Tonga Language Week. We decided to write about The Mysterious Stones of Tonga. Do you think you like my work work so far?:
There were three large stones near the small village of Niutoua in Tonga. Two are standing up, and the other one is lying on the top of the other two. This amazing structure is called the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui. It is also known as the trilithon. (tri means three), and some people call it ”the king’s stone clock.
When was it built?
There are many things we don’t know about the Ha’amonga like when it was built, who built it, how it was built, and why it was built. People have different about when was the Ha’amonga built. Some people say it was 800 years ago, some say it was built 1,000 years ago, and some even say it was 3,000 years ago.
It was when the first people arrived in Tonga from the west. They were called the Lapita, and they are the ancestors of the Polynesian people.
Who built it?
Some people think it was built by Maui. They say only a god could do work this size. This is why it was called the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui. Others said. But some people also think that it was built by King Tu’itatui in 1200. They know some of the structures were built about the same time, so the idea that the King Tu’itatui also built the Ha’amonga makes sense.
Why was it built?
Some people think that the Ha’amonga was the gateway to the King Tu’itatui’s house. And some think it was built to show the king’s power. A lot of people are needed to build it. So the King Tu’itatui has to be very powerful to rule that many people. Tonga doesn’t have history written, but it has an oral history.
The chief of Niutoua, Tamale, is an oral historian. He says the king built the Ha’amonga to teach his children some important lessons. King Tu’itatui had two sons and one daughter. He said the two stones that were up stood for his sons. And the lintel, the one lying across on top of them stood for his daughter.
King Tu’itatui wanted to show his sons that they should work for the good of Tonga. In the same way, the king wanted his sons to support their sister. This was a way to show the importance of women in Tonga.
How was it built?
Tamale says the Ha’amonga was built by, cutting big blocks of stone from rocks on the coast. Then, hundreds of people dragged the stones to the building site using strong ropes. They dug two holes for the side stones. Once the side stones were in place, they used earth to make a ramp. Then they dragged the lintel stone up the ramp and onto the side stones. After that, they took away the earth ramp.
In 1967, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV suggested another reason why the Ha’amonga was built. He said it was a kind of stone clock. There are V-shaped marks on top of the lintel stone. The king said that on the shortest and longest days of the year, when the sun rises, it shines through these marks.
If the Ha’amonga was a clock, it would have been very important to the Tongan people back then.
So, what do you think about my writing? ^^