King, Queen and congregation joined together this morning to remember the late Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata’aho at the Kolomotu’a Centenary church.

Their Majesties, King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho, and some members of the royal family joined hundreds of people at the Free Wesleyan service.

The congregation was visibly moved by the realisation that the Queen Mother was no longer with them.

The  Church’s Secretary General, Dr Tevita Havea, told the king the church today looked shapeless (“fuofuanoa”), a Tongan reference to a situation where someone was showing no interest in what was being doing because something or someone had gone or was lost.

Although the Queen Mother was resting at Mala’ekula her image was in the church members’ thinking and prayers, Dr Havea said.

The king and the queen were visibly miserable, but watched in approval while Dr Havea spoke from the pulpit.

Some of the royals, including Hon. Virginia Rose Aleamotuʻa, Hon. Sālote Maumautaimi Tuku’aho, Prince Tungi and Princess  Latufuipeka took part in hymns and Bible readings.

The Haʻamo

After todayʻs thanksgiving service Prince Ata and Princess Latufuipeka led the Haʻa Ngataʻs haʻamo to the royal palace in Nukuʻalofa.

The haʻamo, or carrying a basket of food tied with long kavei to a stick over the shoulders of two persons will continue on until the 10th night of the funeral taboo is over.

The food includes fruit, root crops and meat to feed people with responsibilities during the funeral taboo.

These responsibilities include the kau nima tapu (people whose hands are regarded as taboo) after they touched the body of the Queen Mother and prepared her after she died and before her burial.

There have also been kava ceremonies at certain places around the palace as a show of respect to the deceased.

Those with these responsibilities are divided into three groups known as polas. Members of the Fale Haʻakili’s pola are staying at Pangai Lahi. Members of the Haʻa Tufunga pola are staying at Mapuʻafuiva  whereas the ʻUlutolu pola are at Talakaepau.

The burial of the Queen Mother on Wednesday was followed by the normal practise of feituʻui, led by Princess Pilolevu and a haʻamo by her daughter Hon. Fanetupou Vavaʻu Kaho and her kainga from Nukunuku.

Another haʻamo was carried by Lord Lavaka’s kainga from Pea. The title Lavaka was also held by the king.

Lord ‘Ahome’e, the Queen Mother’s late brother, also presented a ha’amo from his kainga.

Other ha’amos from Lord Veikune, Lord Vaea, Prince Tungi, Crown Prince ‘Ulukalala Tupouto’a were also presented.

Lord Tu’ilakepa told Kaniva News not all the nobles could carry ha’amo because the funeral taboo ran for only 10 days.

He said the ha’amo had already been taken up by the royals and most nobles had not had an opportunity to present it to the polas or go straight to the palace.

Instead, they presented their own ha’amo to the Crown Prince at his Liukava residence because they had no opportunity to

The funeral restrictions for the Queen Mother’s death will be lifted on March 11 with the practice of fakamalele.

The main points

  • The late Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata’aho, was remembered during this Sunday’s morning service at the Kolomotu’a Centenary church .
  • Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho and some members of the royal family joined hundreds of people at the Free Wesleyan service.
  • The congregation was visibly moved by the realisation that the Queen Mother was no longer with them.
  • The Church’s Secretary General, Dr Tevita Havea, told the king the church today looked shapeless (“fuofuanoa”), a Tongan reference to a situation where someone was showing no interest in what was being doing because something or someone had gone or was lost.

About The Author

1 COMMENT

  1. Ne kaungā ʻafifio ʻa e Tuʻí, Kuiní mo hona kāingalotú he pongipongí ni ke manatua ʻa Kuini Fehuhu Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻi he fale lotu Senitulí ʻi Kolomotuʻa.

    Ne ʻafio ʻEna ʻĀfifió Kingi Tupou VI mo Kuini Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho mo e niʻihi e fale ʻaló pehē ki ha kakai ʻe lau teau he lotu ʻa e Uēsilianá.

    Ne fongofonga mamahi e kāingalotú pea mahino ʻa hono ueʻia kinautolu he mahino kuo ʻikai ke nau kei kaungā fononga mo e Taʻahine Kuini Fehuhú.

    Ne fakataufolofola ʻa e Sekelitali Seniale ʻa e Siasí Dr Tēvita Havea ki he tuʻí ʻo pehē kuo “fuofuanoa” e ʻahó he vakai atu ki he feituʻu ne faʻa hāʻelea ʻe he Kuini Fehuhú he fale lotú.

    Neongo kuo tōtōfā ʻa e Kuini Fehuhú ʻi Malaʻekula ka ʻoku kei hā ʻa hono ʻīmisí he tūkunga fakakaukau mo e lotu ʻa e kāinga lotú, ko e fakataufolofola ia ʻa e Sekelitalí.

    Ne hā langiʻaoʻaofia ʻa e tuʻí mo e kuiní ka ne mahino mei hona langí ʻa ʻena tui ki he fakataufolofola ʻa Dr Havea mei he tuʻungá.

    Ne kau atu foki ʻa e fale ʻaló he maaʻimoa ʻo e houa lotu ni ʻo kau ai ʻa Honapolo Frederica, Honapolo Sālote Maumautaimi Tukuʻaho, Pilinisi Tungī mo Pilinisesi Lātūfuipeka he lau himí mo e Tohitapú.

    The Haʻamo

    Ne hili e ouau lotu fakafetaʻi ʻo e ʻahó ne hoko atu ki he ouau haʻamo ʻo tataki ai ʻe Pilinisi Ata mo Pilinisesi Lātūfuipeka e haʻamo ʻa Haʻangata ki he Palasí ʻi Nukuʻalofá.

    Ko e haʻamo foki eni ʻo e taumafa mo e meʻaʻilo ʻa ia ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e fuaʻiʻakau, ko e ʻakaufoha pehē ki he kakanoʻi manu ko e fafanga ʻo kinautolu ʻoku faifatongia lolotonga e tapu ʻo e meʻafakaʻeikí

    Ko e kau toʻo fatongia ko ʻeni ʻoku kau ai kinautolu e kau Nima Tapú mo e ngaahi faiʻanga faikava ʻi he ngaahi feituʻu takatakai pe ʻi he palasi Nukuʻalofá ko e fakaʻapaʻapa mo pukepuke fonua telia ʻa e tapu kuo pulonga ai ʻa e fonuá.

    Ko kinautolu toʻo fatongia ko ʻení ʻoku vahe kinautolu ki he pola lalahi ʻe tolu. Ko e pola ʻo Fale Haʻakilí ʻoku nau ʻi Pangai Lahi kinautolu. Ko e pola ʻo e Haʻa Tufungá ʻoku nau ʻi Mapuʻafuiva kinautolu pea ko e ʻUlutolú leva ʻoku nau ʻi Talakaepau kinautolu.

    Hili hono telio ʻo e Taʻahinen Kuini Fehuhú he Pulelulú ne hoko atu ai pe mo e fuofua feituʻuí ʻa ia ne fakahoko ia ʻe he Taʻahine Pilinisesí Pilolevu Tuita pea hoko atu ai mo e Haʻamo ʻa Honapolo Fanetupou Vavaʻu mo hono kāinga Nukunukú.

    Ne ʻi ai mo e haʻamo ʻa e kāinga ʻo Lavaká mei Pea pehē ki he kāinga ʻo Looti ʻAhomeʻé.

    Ko e ʻū haʻamo kehé ne kau ai ʻa Looti Veikune, Pilinisi Tungī, pea mo e Pilinisi Kalauní.

    Pehē foki ʻe Looti Tuʻilakepa ki he Kanivá ne ʻikai malava ha haʻamo taautaha ʻa e houʻeiki nōpelé kotoa koeʻuhi ko e pō pe ʻe 10 ʻa e tapu ʻo e fakaʻeikí.

    Ne ne pehē ne ʻosi fakakakato pe ʻe he fale ʻaló e haʻamo mo honau kāinga tautonú pea ko kinautolu leva kau houʻeiki tokolahi kau ai ia ne nau fakatūʻuta kinautolu ki Liukava ki he Tama Pilinisi Kalauni.

    ʻE fakamalele ʻa e tapú he ʻaho 11 ʻo Māʻasí.