Tit Mal heta

Titi, or girdle is a waist piece, and Mal or Malamala is a metaphor that describes the potency of the Titi referencing the red hot stones used in the koua or traditional earth over. It is likely this this indicates the color of royalty and the methaphorical reference to ‘mal heta’ the hot, red stone of the koua, indicates its potency, its mana. The photos in the gallery was experimenting with different natural dyes found on Rotuma to understand how the Tit Mal heta may been dyed.

in the archives I found a sketch of the appointment of the Sau in Rotuma which noted that the Sau also at the time of investiture wore a red girdle, “On the appointment of a sau, a large feast called Taokianmarai" had to be made, which he attended, dressed in a costly mat with a girdle of red leaves round his waist” (Allardyce, 1886).

This sketch above is called the 'transmission du pouvoir rotuma' or 'Change of power' which depicts an old ceremony of a transfer of power possibly from one Sau or Mua to the next. In this sketch we get a hint of some of the dress our ancestors used to wear, the adornment, the hairstyles and marked with our tattoo.

This led me to then begin searching for other references to a red girdle.

Tit Mal heta was the key reference I found that seemed to connect to the Sau.

The Tit Mal heta, or Titi malheta which was discussed with Elders in our storytelling sessions discussed that this Titi, or girdle, waist piece and Mal or Malamala is described by a metaphor that describes the potency of the Titir. Metaphorically it references the red hot stones which are used in the koua or traditional earth over which indicates the color of royalty and the reference to the ‘mal heta’ the hot, red stone of the koua, indicates its potency, its mana.

“this titi, it's referring to that which kind of seems to imply that it's like it's very potent it's very like, it's full of mana, you know that part of the girdle” (Elder)

“the color of red it was a color of royalty and this had stemmed from you know from the Armea bird and how they used the red feather so this was like a sign of royalty like the mats were like the finest, especially for royalties” (Artist)

The Titi Malheta is an adornment piece was a sacred girdle or Titi worn by the Sau in Rotuma which was noted in archival notes by Gardiner,

“Sau's dress was made of several components which including the Mal heta”.. “the really distinctive part was the malhida, which it was taboo for anyone else to wear” (1898).

In our online storytelling sessions, one of artists also noted hearing of this Titi in cultural lessons at school,

“I heard it on the island, mal heta, mal titi, I heard of it when I was in primary school, they referred to it like it was the kings mat” (Participant).