Detailed description of a Heeva

Georg Forster offers a detailed description of a Heeva, the first one he had the opportunity to assist.

We followed soon after, and were invited by him to become spectators of a dramatic dance or heeva; which was the most readily accepted by us, as we had never seen one before. The place where it was performed was an area, about twenty-five yards long and ten wide, enclosed between two houses which stood parallel to each other. The one was a spacious building, capable of containing a great multitude of spectators; but the other was only a narrow hut, which was supported on a row of posts, and open towards the area, but perfectly closed up with reeds and mats on the opposite sides; one corner of it was matted on all sides, and this was the dressing room of the performers. The whole area was spread with three large mats of the best workmanship, striped with black on the edges. In the open part of the smaller hut we saw three drums of different sizes, cut out of solid wood, and covered with shark's skin, which were continually struck with the fingers only by four or five men with amazing dexterity. The largest of these drums was about three feet high and one in diameter. We had already sat some time under the opposite roof, amidst the principal ladies of the island, when the actresses appeared. One of them was Poyadua, the fat daughter of the Chief Orèa, and the other a tall well shaped lady, of very agreeable features, and likewise a very fair complexion. Their dress was remarkably different from the usual fashion of these islands. It consisted of a piece of the brown cloth, of the country fabric; or, instead of that, of a piece of blue European cloth, closely wrapped round the breast, so as to resemble the close dresses which our ladies wear; a kind of ruff of four rows of their cloth, alternately red and white, resting on their hips, being tied on with a string; and from then a great quantity of white cloth descended to the feet, forming an ample petticoat, which we expected, from its length, would be a considerable impediment to their agility, as it fairly trailed on the ground on all sides. The neck, shoulders, and arms were left uncovered, but the head was ornamented with a kind of turban, about eight inches high, made of several skains of plaited human hair, which they call tamòw. These being laid above each other in circles, which enlarged towards the top, there was a deep hollow left in the middle, which they had filled up with a great quantity of the sweet-scented flowers of the (gardenia) Cape jasmine. But all the front of the turban was ornamented with three or four rows of a small white flower, which formed little stars, and had as elegant an effect on the jetty black hair as if it had been set out with pearls. They moved to the sound of the drums, and to all appearance under the direction of an old man, who danced with them, and pronounced several words, which, from the tone of his voice, we took to be a song. Their attitudes and gestures were much varied, and sometimes might admit of being constructed into wantonness; but they were entirely free from that positive degree of gross indecency which the chaste eyes of English ladies of fashion are forced to behold at the opera. The movement of their arms is certainly very graceful, and the continuous gesticulation of their fingers has something extremely elegant. The only action which gives offense to all our ideas of gracefulness and harmony, is the frightful custom of writhing their mouths into the strangest distortions, which it was impossible for any one of us to imitate. They screwed their mouth into a slanting direction, and at last threw the lips into a waving or undulated form, which seemed to us to be performed by means of a habitual and sudden convulsion. After they had danced for about ten minutes, they retired into the part of the house which I called their dressing-room, and five men, dressed in mats, took their place, performing a kind of drama. This consisted of dancing in an indecent manner, and of a dialogue which had some cadence, and in which they sometimes pronounced a few words shouting all together. This dialogue seemed to be closely connected with their actions. One of them kneeled down, and another beat him and plucked him by the beard, repeating the same ceremony with two others; but the last seized and beat him in his turn with a stick. After this they withdrew, and the drummers gave notice of the second act of dancing, which the two ladies performed with little variation from the first. The men took their turn a second time; the ladies succeeded them again, and concluded with a fourth act.

pp. 398-401

1773 09 11