When Europeans first made contact with the Pacific islands in the early 18th century, they found kava to play a central role in the islanders’ religious, political and social life (Lebot, 1992: 1). The natives chewed or pounded the root and mixed it with water to produce a brownish, often bitter brew, which they then consumed for its psychoactive properties. Captain Cook’s voyage to the Pacific in 1768-1771 may have produced the first account of white man encountering the plant and its consumption in sacred ceremonies. A number of writers and scholars have since described this plant and its properties, giving various theories of origin and explanations of use. Many writings examine the cultural role of kava. Questions such as how kava is affected by the introduction and use of alcohol, the commercialization and appropriation of kava and its use in foreign cultures are some issues that are of interest.
Kava is so prevalent in Oceania that it can be seen as the one item in the Pacific peoples’ material culture that connects them across thousands of ocean miles. It is thought to have a similar sociological role comparable to the use of peyote in many Native American tribes, the chewing of coca leaves in Peru and the use of opium in the Middle East and Asia. Although the use of kava has lessened due to missionary prohibitions and introduction of alcohol, which was non-existent in Oceania prior to first contact, kava is still consumed today, most especially in Western Polynesia in both formal and informal ceremonies. There is a growing interest in kava due to political independence and renewed concern for ethnic traditions, which had been clamped down by missionaries and colonization. The kava drink still holds an important position and continues to function as a social beverage, as a medicine for various ailments, and as a soothing relaxant in islands such as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
Traditional Purposes of kava ceremony
 | Kava can be found in recreational and social gatherings. It has been used as a social
drink for high-ranking chiefs and elders, drank as a form of welcome for honored guests,
consumed for preparation and completion of an event or of work, to validate status,
observe births, marriages and deaths, to relieve stress, remedy illnesses etc. |
| In Hawaii, kava is drank during divination ceremonies, naming of children aged one years
old, the consecrating of a male child, or initiating of young girls into traditional hula
and chanting. In Tikopia, it affirms sacred symbols and can be used as a religious
libation and poured onto the ground instead of drunk. |
| It is drank in kinship and chiefship rituals, for public atonement of misdeeds. Many
people were pardoned for their crimes after a kava ceremony. |
| Sharing a kava bowl allows for socialization and friendship to occur. Fears are allayed
and friendships cemented. |
| On Wallis Island, official decisions are made during the kava ceremony, and enemies are
reconciled and goodwill is restored. Those who committed crime are often allowed to go
free, thanks to the kava ceremony. |
| Kava has a key role in social ceremonies. It is usually the only way to welcome honored
visitors. Former First Lady Mrs. Johnson drank it as well Pope John Paul II upon their
visit to the Pacific. |
| But drinking kava is not the only way for relationships to be cemented. Sometimes, presenting others with a kava root is a sign of welcome and peace. |
Some Important Functions of Kava in Fiji and Tonga
| In Fiji, kava allows participants to communicate with the supernatural. |
| Kava reaffirms hierarchical status of those present by leaving no doubts as to who has certain rights and privileges. This is achieved in a formal kava ceremony through the order of seating, serving in order of rank, a detailed procedure in making the brew, and the formal commands controlling the preparation. |
Medicinal Purposes
| Kava was used throughout Oceania to calm nerves, cause relaxation and sleep, fight
fatigue. It was drank to unclog urinary tracts, to lose weight, relieve asthma and
rheumatism. Drinking kava is thought to be good for headaches, cramps, and to cure
syphilis and gonorrhea. Many islanders believe kava to restore strength, to soothe stomach
pains and to cure such ailments as boils. |
| In addition to drinking the pounded root, some people use kava leaves. Fumigation with
the leaves is believed to treat general illnesses. |
| Macerated kava as well as external application of the masticated kava stump are other methods of cure, although drinking it in the traditional way is the most popular method of cure |
Theories of Origin
It is hard to have definite theories about the origin of kava usage in Oceania because no written records existed prior to European contact. The Pacific islands had an oral tradition and not a written one. Nevertheless, some scholars have proposed the following theories:
- Newell argued in 1947 that kava was spread throughout Oceania by early Polynesians and
that it originated form New Guinea-Indonesia area.
- A second theory is that kava originated from the Asian subcontinent. Handy in 1972 links
the kava ceremony with the Chinese tea ceremony.
- Williamson in 1939 said that kava came from the southern part of India.
- Kava drinking is related to betel chewing in that migrants who were unable to find betel
nuts to chew turned to kava for their needs.
- The most recent and well-argued theory is Vincent Lebot’s idea which uses botanical
evidence to prove that kava originated somewhere in Melanesia: either on Vanuatu, the
Solomon Islands, or New Guinea.
Geographical Distribution
| In the past, kava could be found and was consumed in almost all the Pacific islands. Consumption ranged from areas like New Guinea to Hawaii, except for New Caledonia, New Zealand, and most of the Solomon Islands. These days, its use is seen primarily in western Polynesia, especially in Samoa and Tonga, and most of Melanesia, including Fiji. It can also be found in Pohnpei Island, in Micronesia. It is not found in the Cook Islands or in Tahiti or in Easter Island |
| In Hawaii, kava or "awa" was used until the end of 19th century. It was used
by the ali’i (chiefs) and the kahunas (learned men) as well as the commoners to help
them relax and for medicinal purposes. But by 1948, it was no longer drank despite the
fact that the plant continues to grow in the wild today. |
| In the past, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa were the centers of kava consumption and in these islands, the kava ceremony was an important ritual with magical and religious features. |
Meanings of Kava from its Folklore
As can be expected with a traditional plant, much folklore surrounds kava. Riddles, chants, folkspeech, and jokes about kava are plentiful. Myths and legends tell of kava’s properties and origins. Three Fijian legends narrate how the plant began. One legend is about how the root was found growing on top of a Tongan leper’s grave. Another talks about kava being introduced into Tonga from the Fijian island Lau, while another explains why kava was previously used only at religious rituals.
1. A Tongan legend tell of how a couple, Feva’anga and his wife, kill their leprous daughter to feed the chief during a time of starvation. Instead, the chief tells Feva’anga to bury the body and bring back the plant to him once it is grown. Weeks pass and a kava plant grows on top of the daughter’s head. In some versions, sugar cane is found as well, growing from the area where the daughter’s vagina lay buried. A mouse is usually observed to be chewing the root. Someone, usually a woman, observes how the rat is put into a coma and how it eventually reawakens. She then tells others of the powers of the plant as an intoxicant.
a. Two especially interesting ideas should be noted here. Lebot writes that a common theme in the kava texts show how women may have encountered first a sacred or valuable object, but that through their incompetence, ignorance or stupidity, they lose control of the object to men (Lebot, 1992: 134). Such legends are then used to reinforce the male control of the plant and to limit access to women. Lebot says that "every time people recount these chartering myths, present-day male domination and control is legitimized on the grounds of past female transgressions" (Lebot, 1992: 134).
b. The theme of kava growing from a dead body that was usually sacrificed is
connected to the idea that kava is a sacrificial drink. Drinking kava symbolically
transforms the kava drinker into a sacrificial victim.
Lebot, Vincent et al. Kava: The Pacific Drug. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1992.
| Lebot’s book may be the best overall study of kava that has been published. He
proposes along with the other authors a theory of origin for kava which has not been
satisfactorily established up to this point. |
Singh, Yadhu N. "Kava: an overview." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 37 (1992): 13-45.
| A good introduction to kava which addresses the origins and role of kava in past and
present Oceania and provides an updated review of kava scholarship. Drawing from a
multidisplinary approach (ethnology, anthropology, pharmacology) and personal experience,
the author explains in detail the kava ceremony, as well as the preparation and
consumption of the drink. The various uses of kava, its effects on humans, its chemical
and pharmacological components are also discussed. |
Turner, James W. "The Water of Life: Kava Ritual and the Logic of Sacrifice." Ethnology 25.3 (1986): 203-214.
| This reading was chosen because it gives students an idea of the significance of the
kava-drinking ritual in Fiji. Turner discusses the cultural meanings of the kava ceremony.
He analyzes the nature of the ritual as well as its symbolism while probing the question
of how it is connected to chiefly politics. |
Recommended Readings: [For those who desire to learn more about kava]
Brunton, Ron. The Abandoned Narcotic: kava and cultural instability in Melanesia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
Freund P. and M. Marshall. "Research Bibliography of Alcohol and Kava studies in Oceania: update and additional items." Micronesia 13 (1977): 313-317.
Marshall, M. "Research Bibliography of Alcohol and Kava studies in Oceania." Micronesia 10 (1974): 299-306.
Pollock, Nancy et al. Canberra Anthropology vol. 18, nos. 1 & 2. (1995): 1-182. Special volume with various articles devoted to "The Power of Kava." .
Singh., Y. N. Kava: a bibliography. Pacific Information Centre, University of
the South Pacific, Suva, 1986.
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