Sau (Rotuman king)

Sau, (often mistranslated as “King”), refers to the role of spiritual leader in pre-Christian Rotuman society. The title was neither primogenitary nor held for a lifetime, but rather was cycled through the chiefs of each of Rotuma’s districts.

Nobility of Fiji
Titles
Institutions
Confederacies
Rotuman Traditional Leadership

Overview

The position of sau was primarily tied into Rotuma’s pre-Christian fertility cult and the worship of the supreme deity Tagroa Siria. This is reflected in the fact that each reign was generally for the six-month ritual cycle of the Rotuman calendar. At the beginning of each sau's reign, they would be installed by the fakpure or secular ruler, and would subsequently be deified for six months, in the polity's hope that the appeasement of the sau, as a proxy for the God on earth, would result in prosperity and peace on the island.

There were also instances where the sau was female, then called "sauhani". The other major political roles in Rotuman society were the fakpure and the mua.

List of title holders
OrderReignedSau
1.unknownSauhani
2.unknownKaurifanua
3.unknownRiamkau
4.unknownKaufose
5.unknownTaio
6.unknownFonomanu
7.unknownVaromua
8.unknownTiu I
9.unknownMarafu-Kauat
10.unknownIrava
11.unknownTokoara
12.unknownAsesekava
13.unknownMariseu
14.unknownSakanane
15.unknownTausia
16.unknownSautupuak
17.unknownPaka
18.unknownRavak
19.unknownTokoniua
20.unknownTitofag
21.unknownIrava
22.unknownRavak
23.unknownTua-Oajo
24.1820Gagafag
25.1825Fatafesi
26.1829Fatenefau
27.1833Vuna
28.1838Fatafesi
29.1838Tamanava
30.1839Solovalu
31.1839Riamkau
32.1839Tirasoko
33.1840Otorovao
34.1841Ragafua
35.1843Vaurasi
36.1843Vavaoti
37.1845Ufat
38.1845Patipat Vavahina
39.1845Furisefaua
40.1845Tirotorava
41.1846Marafu
42.1846Pogisemose
43.1846Tarupea
44.1846Sukamaso
45.1847Mua
46.1847Kausirafe
47.1847Toporotu
48.1848Tokaniua
49.1849Garagasau
50.1850Fakarufono
51.1850Matagatage
52.1851Manava
53.1851Sokagatau
54.1851Vavaoti
55.1851Tavao
56.1852Vaimanoko
57.1852Katoagatau
58.1854Kautane
59.1855Fonogarotoi
60.1856Tiporotu
61.1857Fonmanu
62.1858Tiu II
63.1858Sarsartau
64.1859Taipo
65.1859Kauika
66.1860Faoriro
67.1860Farapapau
68.1860Saurorota
69.1860Ufamarata
70.1862Sarasortau
71.1862Teau
72.1864Ufagatau
73.1865Kavasakamua
74.1865Saurativa
75.1865Fotoafuru
76.1865Fonomanu
77.1866Jimi
78.1866Varea
79.1866Ravak
80.1866Maraa
81.1867Fonomanu
82.1867Vasea
83.1867Tavo
84.1867Sokagaitu
85.1868Ragafua
86.1868Irava
87.1868Hanifiro-Asoatemuri
88.1868Tuipenau
89.1869Tigarea
90.1869Vasea
91.1869Maraia
92.1869–1870Suakamasa

Sources
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