How To wear Tongan Ta'ovala

Nox shows us the different occasions the Ta'ovala is worn and the different mats used for these occasions. What is a Ta'ovala? Why are they worn? When are the best occasions for certain Ta'ovala?
From the Everyday Ta'ovala to the Funeral and Wedding Ta'ovala, Nox helps us Navigate our way through the special Tongan attire.
For MORE How To's check out www.thecoconet.tv/how-to/

[@mauifisi8720]

its a true sign of their navigating past. the first taovala was torn from the sails of a Kalia (Huge double hulled trans - oceanic canoes capable of transporting 100- 200 people plus food, animals, supplies and even gigantic monolithic stones weighing 40 - 50 tons) When a captian and his crew had their clothes blown off from the rough sea conditions of their voyage, they wore the taovala to be presentable to the king and also to show humility . Meaning that wearing it is almost like a sign of skill and knowledge of navigating the wide pacific ocean, but yet in a respectful and humble way. amazing. Perhaps thats why Tongans always gift those woven mats and taovalas during birthdays and other celebrations, because to a navigating culture, those mats would have been very useful as they would have been vital components to their ships. Not to mention the long hours it took to weave such things, it would have also been a sign of wealth in the pacific to possess such things. Interesting... Why are other pacific islands not as culturally in tune as the tongans are when it comes to these mats? The importance of these mats or shall i say "sails" is second to none, especially when navigation is supposedly the specialty of the south pacific? (Forgive me if youre samoan, i know you do have some ie toga or Kie Tonga but i dont see these woven sails as mass produced and as culturally upheld in samoa as it is in Tonga)

[@RastasNevaDie]

Maui Fisi Tonga is one of a kind🙌🏾 I guess we sailed the most n that’s why we have all the mats lol

[@jymanu2022]

Ie Toga literally translates to (Ie) Cloth & (Toga) Tonga. Ie Toga(s) are traditionally gifted during Cultural Ceremonies i.e Death, Wedding, Birthday, Chief Bestowal (tnaf) similar to how Mats are Gifted in Tongan Culture. This could possibly suggest that somewhere in our past Tonga/ns Once gifted Mats to Samoa/ns through Ceremony and Samoa has carried and added this to its already rich Culture. 😍 Guess we'll never know.

[@increasepeace4996]

What are you talking about? Ie Toga are the most prized mats in Samoa. This is what happens when you think you can talk down to other Pacific cultures.

[@increasepeace4996]

@@jymanu2022 No, that's not what happened. Ie Toga means prized mats. They didn't come from Tonga originally.

[@mkfleez5319]

Jy Manu Toga in this case does not mean Tonga, its a similarity to the Samoan word “Measina” which means treasured. So the ACTUAL translation of ie toga is “treasured mat”. And as for the main comment on this thread, Samoans treasure the art of the Ie Toga or Kie Toga. This art form to us is very significant to us because the ie toga to us is more valuable than a taovala, also known in Samoa as a Vala. We do not wear it because it has no cultural significance to us. The reasons why Tongans wear it is because historically (idk the story in detail so bare with me) there were Tongans who were sailing to visit the King (I think the Tu’i Tonga) and when they arrived, their clothes were torn so they ripped up their sail to wrap around themselves so they can be presentable to the King. Then the King declared something that caused Tongans to wear the taovala, up to this day, as a sign of respect and modesty. This is why Samoans or any other parts of Polynesia don’t wear it, because its only significant to the Tongans. I hope I don’t sound ignorant

[@warner2022]

Aw thank you brother, now I finally have full understanding about the beautiful Tongan ta'ovala, Malo aupito from Samoa

[@veteangesiale9619]

Love it ..ofa atu kingdom of Tonga

[@helpmereachplzplz]

Love from samoa

[@feretimua3642]

Awesome...toko Malo lelei!!!

[@moanakioa735]

You should explain why people wear those big liongi taovala at funerals. It has more meaning to why they wear such huge ones. And why they are the ones that stays outside near the firepit cooking.

[@g685uso5]

NOX THAT IS TRUE I WEAR MY TA'OVALA with the tongan shield to church , wedding , birthday. fakamalo atu ' i he ngaahi tokoni. ofa atu especially to nox and josh. were still mate maa tonga.

[@siniholani]

Ta'ovala explained by someone who never made one HAHAA Oua Ita e 😂🤗Next time CoconetTV get the real 101 from an elderly lady who's hands have been making Ta'ovala since her grandmother was alive. Thanks Nox you did your best tho 👏🏽💗✌🏽

[@talavaongata8765]

Senney Tupou exactly! lol

[@siniholani]

Talavao Ngata lol You probably know more than CoconutTV does lol

[@siniholani]

SOTIA POI Maumautaimi and TA'EMAHINO comment.

[@siniholani]

SOTIA POI what's your problem? You have issues because clearly you don't understand our culture either. You're respect is nothing more than mockery and comical. Can you make one yourself? Take your Maumautaimi comment because it ain't CONSTRUCTIVE and make yourself useful elsewhere. I haven't seen someone so TA'EMAHINO trying to tell me what to do. Make my own video... Like you can do any better than CoconutTV getting the scoop from secondary source. Lol can't even be bothered to be LEGIT and get Genuine resources LOL Sai Malo Ako

[@siniholani]

SOTIA POI READ MY COMMENT AGAIN. YOU THINK THE "GUY" CHOSE HIS TOPIC. NO. THEM BLOODY COCONUTTV PRODUCERS DID AND IT I WAS TALKNG ABOUT THEM WANNA BE "HOW TO TA'OVALA 101 LOI" GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT. I NEVER BASHED THE "GUY". I SAID HE DID HIS BEST. AND IF ANYTHING I BELIEVE HE WAS HAPPY HE SCORED A GIG WITH TV TIME. YOU MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU READ BECAUSE YOU ARE SO EAT-FRONT. OLD LADY? THATS WHERE OUR KNOWLEDGE WAS PASSED THROUGH THE STORIES OF THE OLD AND THE PRECIOUS HANDCRAFT THAT WAS TAUGHT TO PERFECTION. DON'T EVEN TRY YOU KAIMUMU'A.

[@mghazalli]

Interesting culture and people. from Libya :)

[@haviarhafoka8745]

NICE

[@matangofie0073]

❤❤❤

[@Skybar23]

someone help me please. Im going to a Tongan headstone unveiling service. Which Ta'ovala is best for this occasion/?. Ta'ovala number 1 or Ta'ovala number two as seen in this video, Malo

[@moanakioa735]

No 1 would be more appropriate.

[@Daybr3ak1991]

In Philippines we call this mats “banig”

[@Sambaby42]

Which ta'ovala would be best for an 8 yr old girls baptism? Where would I buy one? Also I've seen people by Asian mats with designs and pass it off as one or the ones made out of decorative ribbon? Is this okay or no?

[@tongatours]

Not OK because it's not made from original source. And it's a cultural thing so it should only be the locals that sell it.

[@jamiehaveka1770]

Yes Sāmoa do wear vala's, siapo and kiki's at 'ava ceremony, dancing performances and at festivals. It was i believe our original lavalava's or vala's back in the day, way before missionaries arrived. We then started to wear newer fabrics which got introduced. That's why we hardly wear it nowadays and keep our ie tóga's and siapos under our mattresses for the next si'i or fa'alavelave.

[@dave-jo1mc]

kilipati have taovala samoa have taovala tonga have same niue n futuna have taovala fiji have taovala like lau n rotuma have taovala.n more island so who the first one

[@top5deadoralive746]

David Linder the coconut tree the 1st

[@dymondzonly]

Read the history. It sounds like Tonga and Samoa were first in Polynesia so maybe the tradition started with them. Tonga ofcourse had their own overtime while Samoa did as well.

[@TM686K]

In Kiribati te kie ni mwaie (ta'ovala equivalent) eventually replaced the usual grass skirt because it gave a more hollow sound in our dances. Woven mats are all over the Pacific but the reason they became worn differs greatly and occured in different points in time it's not exactly a matter of who was first and then showed it to other islands. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4bZcquGf5uKaZY Watch the video and noticed the booming sound of the kie, if the men had only worn grass skirts it would have sound nothing like that.

[@aloitalauakauola5752]

Room for improvement malo

[@mastersta5267]

Tonga once conquered Samoa.

[@reeszahbihh3317]

The whole Pacific actually then Christianity came about & let go to let God...

[@aricali1056]

Master STA and?

[@sauceyyypukzzz1083]

Master STA and what your point.....I don’t what’s up wit all you Tongans and Samoan you guys are the same cultures

[@mauifisi8720]

i agree, no point starting shit. but no, we arent the same. similar, but not the same.

[@helpmereachplzplz]

Then samoa fought back and Tongan king said malie toa malie tau means brave warriors brave fought. So samoans was never conquered again. And then these stupid European palagis came

[@makavelithadon7883]

kie ha'amoa

[@STTisLife]

malo malo tokoua

[@karimyounes2605]

Tonga is not the only country that make and wear taovala. Other countries in the pacific wear em except they have a different ways of calling these grass skirts.

[@top5deadoralive746]

I agree,i once saw your mum wear one well she was getting hit from the back poor lad had blisters,didnt your brother tell you about it???

[@polylyfeee5869]

The only similarity that has with out ta'ovala is that it wraps around your waist. It not the same as grass skirts, it's very much different. When you wear grass skirts you don't use a kafa, the aveave is similar to a grass skirt but it is made from loakau. Tonga is very different from others

[@pjmasks7185]

Ain't no Polynesian refer to their mats as grass skirts. That's a white man's saying.

[@tongatapu3385]

@@pjmasks7185 for real though what the hell is a grass skirt hahahaha

[@alexiscolby9415]

grass skirts? usi

[@nitarellahhesitate3507]

It's actually spelt tau'ovala

[@kaydee818]

Hahahahaha NO.

[@polylyfeee5869]

Maniiiiii please exit mo ho'o "tau'ovala" me'a fakatupu ita mo'oni 🤦🏽‍♂️😂