Delailoa (born on

Lakeba Lakeba (pronounced ) is an island in Fiji’s Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers.Steadman (2006) It is fertile and we ...

) was a Fijian

High Chief A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categorized a ...

. He had an instrumental role in maintaining the fortunes of the

Vuanirewa The Vuanirewa is the ruling tribe (yavusa) of the Lau Islands, a scattered group of more than a hundred islands (16 inhabited) and reefs along the eastern edge of Fiji. Origins The members of this clan all hail from the village of Tubou on t ...

under the reign of his relative Malani.

Family

Delailoa was a son of the Chief

Qoma Delailoa (born on Lakeba) was a Fijian High Chief. He had an instrumental role in maintaining the fortunes of the Vuanirewa under the reign of his relative Malani. Family Delailoa was a son of the Chief Qoma and grandson of Chief Kalouyalew ...

and grandson of Chief

Kalouyalewa Kalouyalewa (pronounced ) (born on Nayau) was a Fijian High Chief. Kalouyalewa was a son of the Chief Naosara (Tuivanuakula II) and his wife, ''Adi'' Gelegeleavanua, and thus a grandson of Chief Kubunavanua II, who was very famous. He was born ...

and his wife Tagiamarama. Mother of Delailoa was a wife of Qoma. Delailoa's lineage relocated and remained on the island of Nayau. Delailoa's descendants still live on Nayau. His relative was Malani. Delailoa's spouse is not known, but he had two sons – Lokininayau and Uluinayau, and one daughter – Vakadewa. One son of Delailoa warned Malani of Chief Dranivia's impending plans.

Biography

Chief

Niumataiwalu Niumataiwalu was a Verata high chief who was the father of Roko Rasolo and his siblings who became the Vuanirewa siblings or clan in Lau. The name Niumataiwalu, translated as 'I came first at Walu beach' was in memory of his grandfather-Tuivanuak ...

killed his uncle Qoma and tried to kill Delailoa, who survived in this way – he was saved when his mother's people from Waciwaci in

, hid him from Niumataiwalu. Delailoa would later be welcomed back by Niumataiwalu after Niumataiwalu realised that upon his impending death by the Bauans after impregnating the Radini Levuka in Bau, that Delailoa would be his only surviving close relative. He would then welcome Delailoa back, and would ask Delailoa to return to Nayau and to protect his name. Delailoa would then conquer all of Nayau (see works by Hocart) and become its overall leader until

Rasolo Rasolo was a Fijian High Chief. Family Father of Rasolo was Chief Niumataiwalu of Lakeba. Rasolo's mother was Lady Tarau of Tovu Totoya. Rasolo was a brother of Lady Sivoki and Uluilakeba I and half-brother of Matawalu. Rasolo's first wi ...

and his brother

Matawalu {{unreferenced, date=December 2009 Matawalu was a Fijian chief. He was the son of Niumataiwalu—first ''Roko Sau'' of Lau Islands—and Uma of Nukunuku. Matawalu became the fourth ''Roko Sau'', ruler of the Lau Islands, after the death of his ha ...

would seek refuge there and later where Rasolo be installed as ''

Tui Nayau ''Tu’i Nayau'' is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, ''Tu’i Nayau'' means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the l ...

''.''Tovata I & II'' by AC Reid, printed in Fiji by Oceania printers Kalouyalewa

Delailoa could not claim this

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

since it had been transferred to Niumataiwalu's

lineage Lineage may refer to: Science * Lineage (anthropology), a group that can demonstrate its common descent from an apical ancestor or a direct line of descent from an ancestor * Lineage (evolution), a temporal sequence of individuals, populatio ...

in Lakeba that would be consolidated by the installation of Rasolo.

Family

Biography

Sources

See also