The Fijian myth of the greedy god - Raiana McKinney and Esther Wozniak

Dig into the Fijian myth of Dakuwaqa, the shape-shifting shark god who is determined to take over all of Fiji's islands.
--
Long ago, the ancestral gods of Fiji settled on the Pacific archipelago. They eventually metamorphosed into various forms, with the god Dakuwaqa transforming into a shark. But he was unsatisfied. He became proud and greedy and wanted to establish himself as the mightiest god, and dominate all of Fiji’s islands. Raiana McKinney and Esther Wozniak share the tale of Dakuwaqa’s quest for power.
Lesson by Raiana McKinney and Esther Wozniak, directed by KERO Animation.
Support Our Non-Profit Mission
----------------------------------------------
Support us on Patreon: bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon
Check out our merch: bit.ly/TEDEDShop
----------------------------------------------
Connect With Us
----------------------------------------------
Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter
Follow us on Facebook: bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook
Find us on Twitter: bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter
Peep us on Instagram: bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram
----------------------------------------------
Keep Learning
----------------------------------------------
View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-god-wh...
Dig deeper with additional resources: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-god-wh...
Animator's website: www.keroanimation.com
----------------------------------------------
Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, Laurel-Ann Rice, Fernando A. Endo, Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Gerardo Castro, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Vandana Gunwani, Abdulmohsin Almadi, AJ Lyon, Geoffrey Bultitude, Mi Mi, Thomas Rothert, Brian Elieson, Oge O and Weronika Falkowska.

[@tec-jones5445]

I love how this story incorporates shark biology in Dakuwaqa's defeat! And I love even more that he reformed and became the protector of the islands. It really gives a great insight into the lens of how Fijian people traditionally view these animals.

[@ripmorld9909]

They really just rotated him

[@Dude-xb3xh]

@@ripmorld9909 Yeah but how would you do if you were held upside down. You wouldn’t really like that

[@blingblingboy9358]

Spoilers

[@parkerhynson3581]

I know there's a reasonable explanation for why they know that, but the first thing I think of when I think about that is what Fijian had the balls to grab a shark and hold it upside down.

[@simionelomu1280]

Ted Ed gave the PG version of this story and helped use modern-day science to explain what happened here, but the way it kind of gets passed down over in Fiji is a lot more violent from what I remember. I'm glad they went this route instead.

[@PLScypion]

I just can't over the image of giant squid scolding shark warrior. No, bad shark! (Slap) No terrorizing the villagers! (Slap)

[@alargeredlizard3003]

"How do I know you're not lying?" *Slap* "Get rotated!" *Slap* "Who's the better Mario brother? No, it's not Mario, it's Luigi!" *Slap*

[@Dreymidnight]

“You cut your sandwiches vertically?” *slap* “What do you mean pineapple pizza is good!?” *slap*

[@inkchronos]

Undertale is overrated? slap You love BTS slap

[@alargeredlizard3003]

@@inkchronos you can like bts tho, it's just that you shouldn't LOVE it, that's when it reaches the creepy area

[@videogollumer]

Where's Mr. Krabs? *slap*

[@kennethsatria6607]

Its cool that Tonic Immobility was known since mythology

[@LeprosuGnome]

Maybe the fishermen knew this tecnic and used it to defend themselves? Like divers do in the videos we see today.

[@matthewmarx9251]

I think that it is amazing to see that some ancient cultures knew and respected sharks for what they were rather than seeing them as mindless killing machines that people do nowadays.

[@biomutarist6832]

Blame the movie Jaws for starting it all :)

[@matthewmarx9251]

@@biomutarist6832 I think the fear of sharks has always been around even before Peter Benchley wrote the novel in 1974.

[@biomutarist6832]

@@matthewmarx9251 you're right, but a popular movie has better reach and more impact on public consciousness.

[@videogollumer]

Honestly, it also depends on the shark. Whale sharks and basking sharks, though huge, are filter feeders; and dogfish are relatively small. Great white, tiger, and bull sharks are the ones usually responsible for the 80 some shark attacks each year; but it doesn't exactly dissuade fear toward others, like hammerhead and reef sharks. Still, you gotta keep in mind that sharks are cold blooded, and cold blooded animals don't have to eat nearly as often as warm blooded ones. Plus, the shoe is really on the other foot when you consider shark finning. For anyone who doesn't know, shark fin soup is a delicacy in China and some other Asian countries; but the practice of shark finning involves catching sharks, cutting off the fins, and dumping the shark back into the sea. The sharks are typically alive as this is all happening; and since most sharks need to swim in order to breath... well, you get the picture. No matter how scary you find sharks, you've gotta admit that it's a pretty messed up thing to do to an animal.

[@videogollumer]

@@biomutarist6832 Apparently, there was a some serial shark attacks back in 1916, and that was a major contributing factor to fearing sharks.

[@Hallows4]

Fun Fact: Orcas have been observed using tonic immobility to hunt. They can flip both sharks and stingrays upside down to immobilize them before feeding.

[@sord.fightmusic7066]

I had a friend in college who was Fijian. He taught me all about Dakuwaqa. Since then, I’ve been utterly fascinated with Pacific mythology and folklore. I’m glad their stories are being shared and recognized.

[@thedorku9500]

I’m Fijian, it’s crazy to see my culture on KZbin! Thanks for the vid, and great pronunciation btw

[@raidaiwik2006]

bro did you know this story

[@neogamess]

yes, for some reason, the pronunciation seems to put my brain at work.

[@diegohaung2831]

King Shark’s Ted Talk

[@AlienBemular]

Nom nom! Hand!

[@TL-hu5hr]

Ted! Watch!

[@siegebug]

Nanaue?

[@simionelomu1280]

This is Fiji's version of Nanaue's dad. In Polynesia, we have A LOT of overlap (like Maui for example). Dakuwaqa is the name Fijians gave to the same Shark God.

[@Alpharius_Dominatus]

king shark is a shark

[@galihrizkisetiadi3651]

Shark with a stick is so funny to me

[@Ps-channel_andstuff]

he could've chose ANY weapon..... AND HE CHOSE A S T I C K?

[@calebnainoca3130]

That is a tradition Fijian war club called na-I-wau

[@Daulomani1]

You don’t want to be at the end of that so called “stick” lol

[@abthedragon4921]

I love the different types of stylized animation they do for videos like these!

[@Maame.e]

I love this story so much and the ending was beautiful. I really wish “Dakuwaqas” of the society encounter such strong opponents who cause them to let go of their selfishness and greed and instead work for the common good. I absolutely loved the animation and the vivid story telling. The reciprocal relationship between the shark king and the villagers melted by heart. Reminded me of the importance of extending love and kindness to everyone because it always comes back!

[@ChappalMarungi]

The world leaders of today are like the previous dakuwaqa, astray by their greed and selfishness, and I don't know where that is going to take humanity

[@Paolo-ec2si]

Happy to know King Shark went trough character development.

[@wiandryadiwasistio2062]

that game sucks, but man it’s good to see him becoming green lantern for a while. this tale proves it

[@simionelomu1280]

Not King Shark, this is his dad

[@videogollumer]

@@wiandryadiwasistio2062 You DO realize he was already made famous by the Flash TV series, the Harley Quin TV series, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, and the second Suicide Squad film; right?

[@mohammadmotiwala7672]

Excellent video, Anis! It's refreshing to witness such enthusiasm and high energy from you & team.

[@damie9412]

Bice

[@faaa999]

Anyone else just love the names and the way they were pronounced? What a neat story

[@germanomagnone]

nice myth. to see Dakuwaqa from a trouble-seeking god, to the protector of the seas. rokobakaniceva deserves thanks for averting a marine apocalypse by using a "tentacle of peace" at the right time.

[@NAVEMAN3]

I LOVE Dakuwaqa stories. I'm so glad you guys did one.

[@jamessirot854]

It's been forever since the last mythology video. Great job.

[@universe1879]

the battle between rokobakaniceva and dakuwaqa reminded me of something to happens irl Dakuwaqa may have associations with flooding or the temperamental waters of Fiji, since it is known for punching Rewa hard enough to make the river the longest in Fiji and making locals prone to flooding Since Rokobakaniceva hovers around the coral reefs, and eventually manages to subdue Dakuwaqa, this reminded me of how, when storms strike or the ocean gets temperamental, coral reefs often take the brunt of the surge towards land, and reduces the severity of flooding, though may just be a coincidence

[@Daulomani1]

I’m pretty sure they knew what they were doing tbh. Our ancestors literally crossed the ocean using nothing but a pair of ballsack, canoes and stars, sticks, currents, and animals. They had to have an extensive knowledge about their environment to do all that. Mythologies and legends are there for a reason, there always something historical or factual about it

[@MrsJudithWright]

Loved learning a little about Fiji's story. TED Ed is amazing.

[@victornoagbodji]

The illustrations are so beautiful 😊

[@SharowbladyeGaymerPorate]

I love learning about all the different stories from different cultures

[@simionelomu1280]

Many people are saying King Shark/ Nanaue and mentioning Maui. Polynesian Mythology has plenty of overlap in our stories, often having different names reflecting how our languages and cultures branches out. This TRULY isn't Maui, but Dakuwaqa, also known as Kāmohoali'i in Hawai'i. For you Suicide Squad lovers, this is Nanaue's Dad

[@soltersortna]

All of those names seem so fun to say out loud, props to the narrator! And the animation was great!

[@Papecy_23]

Bula ted ed thank you for telling the myth of dakuwaqa the shark God❤❤❤i love how you dreww the people of my land i come From the provice of Rewa and Vasu from Rotuma I just wanted to give you a big vinaka vaka levu❤❤❤🇫🇯🇫🇯

[@waluigihentailover6926]

Wow, the music at the end is boppin! It sounds so happy. Great story, and greater animation.

[@butchdeadlift10]

Ok, the fidelity on this is through the roof. I half expect this to be native-advertising (advertising disguised as news) for Moana 2

[@ClarenceDass]

This is totally my new favorite video. Great job, I love the art and animation do much.

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

I was thinking of King Shark like some others but hes based on Hawaiian mythology Lovely vid!

[@wiandryadiwasistio2062]

polynesian myths do share several aspects, like this one; for me, the most notable example is maui

[@simionelomu1280]

Kāmohoaliʻi is the Fijian name for Dakuwaqa and Kāmohoaliʻi is Nanaue (King Shark's) dad

[@videogollumer]

@@simionelomu1280 I don't think King Shark's dad was ever given a name besides "The Shark God". Some fans jokingly suggested that he'd be called "Emperor Shark".

[@grzegorzdziedzic9592]

Redemption stories, my favourite 😊

[@zeybarur]

This just became one of my absolute favorite myths!! Real life biology AND a reformed villain?? 😍

[@user-bp5qr8ye7k]

How cool! Educational on both mythology & shark flipping!

[@maxhill9254]

great story with many valuable lessons 🥰

[@Parth080]

It is heartbreaking to see how our greed is destabilizing and destroying the mutual balance between us and nature. These legends are evidence of our mutual coexistence with nature we don't care about now

[@aliferetirichard8460]

Huge fan of ted ed ❤❤...thank u for posting on my cultural oral traditions, tbh i wasn't expecting this.

[@nicolehuber-braendli5797]

I love this story - well done dear Ray!

[@doornumb]

I love the story, the voice and the animation combined together!!!

[@litojonny]

beautiful drawing

[@JeniseKT]

I love this animation for this story

[@simionesevudredre921]

Superb rendition! Kudos to the team for this. Just for improvement consideration: pronunciation of the ancestral gods must be correctly done for it is the crux of the story. Plus Dakuwaqa, like many other gods, is a shape shifter. He alternates from human to shark at whim. Transform implies permanence. Shape shifting suggests otherwise.

[@coreyholt8522]

Great art and storytelling as usual!

[@uhkvfjvr]

I adore the art style!

[@Hallows4]

Is there geological evidence for when the river actually expanded? If humans had arrived on the island by that time, the shark - eel battle sounds like a mythologized analogy of an actual event. It’s a trend you see in the stories of many cultures if you look hard enough.

[@heterodontosaurustucki]

maybe it was around the time of Noah’s Flood and the Great Flood in China

[@sushicartman01]

The animation and character design are impeccable. I always look forward to TED-ed videos!

[@calebnainoca3130]

As a Fijian I love seeing my culture being recognized. I live close to the Rewa river and yes we are still very much flood prone 😅

[@LeprosuGnome]

Stories of gods with happy endings? That's awesome.

[@astick5249]

oh yea i forgot how often they end up with a horrific end one way or another.

[@sleepysapa9874]

hes just a lil shark guy! i love him!!

[@user-uu2cd4wl3i]

Or you could the photons energy inside the photon was so unstable that it acts like a ghost and can go through other energy in the photon until it vibrates vertically and builds up on the vertical edges and becomes so condensed that it either collapses itself or pulls in a field to collapse it ....and it would generate this field for a very short time... Or you can just say the energy in the photon is acting like it goes became so condensed in his vertical edges because it collided with other energy that it was around the same condensity and then they pulled in to each other and as the energy became more condensed on the edges it collapsed the wave because the two edges pull back in to each other

[@knowledgejourney2888]

How does the transformation of the ancestral gods, particularly Dakuwaqa into a shark, symbolize the themes of pride, greed, and the quest for power in Fijian mythology?

[@SorenAlba54]

Once again, TED-Ed demonstrates another story told by the indigenous people from another part of the world that, unlike most people around then and now, they had true respect for the natural world and all that dwells upon it because they understood that we are living in a planet that is inhabited by various forms of life and since we have the capability of doing great things, we felt the need to be responsible to look after them as if they were our own kind. In return, we reap the benefits of what nature can offer. The world would be a better place if only we lived in the same ways of our ancestors.

[@-Alxia-]

Interesting! ☺

[@171QA]

Great style.

[@eushinkang4137]

Hi ted ed A humble suggestion for a video idea could be the Korean creation myth - Ungnyeo Love ur videos!

[@thefloppykangaroo1984]

Can we take a second to appreciate the narrator's perfect pronunciation of every Fijian name?

[@atlas94450]

Could you guys also put this on your other socials so it can be shared please =D

[@NuelTechC]

Waw I love this story, there is more to the story that just a culture Fijian people must be a wise tribe

[@Pedrosa2541]

It is true that Cephalopods are becoming more common as fish are becoming rarer due to fishing?

[@HandyMan125]

imagine your weakness being being upside down

[@user-tl8my1ml2d]

But do the sharks of the age learn their lesson?I love those stories so much.

[@thztan7492]

Nice👍👍

[@guru-pathik]

Here in Fiji a lot of us have forgotten the old gods. I learnt about them when i was 12 and not being a native, what little knowledge i found fascinated me. This video does justice to those stories.

[@iLiveOnFijiTime]

Not really. Story is white washed. Check mada latest post for more depth by littlellama. Insightful and logical.

[@mgsgamer8340]

HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP WHY AM I FOUR MINUTES EARLY TO THIS VIDEO???????????????????

[@SuperSylar]

It's the sign. You finally reached this moment of your life. It's been 32 years since you entered in this machine induced coma. Wake up. Your family is waiting for you.

[@Manowar458]

Cool

[@freshlyspeed_gaming5797]

i just cant get enough of her voice

[@thescoobymike]

I love a good redemption story

[@notfunny3397]

These names sound really similar to the names from James Cameron's avatar. Guess now I know where some of the inspiration came from.

[@Vex.fy.]

Yuppp

[@user-eq2dx2jp6v]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 thank uuuu

[@jonahs92]

Small correction: octopuses do not have tentacles, they have arms. This is an important distinction in cephalopod morphology.

[@user-uu2cd4wl3i]

So the energy in photons vibrate vertically if you say time is in a photon then you can say the time is vibrating vertically and it's so uncondensed that it can pass through the energy in the photon and through the other time until enough of it collides on the the edges of the vibrating photon... To be able to pull on the other time on the other side of the vibrating particle to collapse it in to a wave ... Or this happens and then time creates fields on the edge of the photon that then collapses into a wave because it's vibrating.. basically the top of the photon in the bottom of the photon will generate fields that then pull on each other to collapse the photon in to a wave

[@maxandlily6074]

Who knew that the Fijians were the first Ichthyologists?

[@Mastermindpirate]

Here we go again

[@marifyles]

MYTH IS BACK! (I've watched the whole series)

[@MdRijon130]

Moana vibes

[@mitsuhidebiore8480]

Wow nanaue managed to get a ted talk?

[@philsophkenny]

❤

[@Ps-channel_andstuff]

1:10 rip eel vu you will forever be missed

[@containedhurricane]

Truman has always wanted to go to Fiji

[@notfunny3397]

There are many stories of real dolphins and orcas forming bonds with human tribes and societies. I wonder if this practice possibly caused less shark attacks on human fishing vessels, although I do believe those aren't common.

[@videogollumer]

I mean, Orcas DO occasionally eat sharks.

[@Pseudo921]

I really love that I immeduatly recognized the shark's name from that one furry comic on myreadingmanga, I'm actually pretty proud of myself lmao

[@somethingsomewheresometimes]

Ok but why does Masilaca look so cute and tiny when being treatened by Dakuwaqa

[@akarijiang9191]

it's very funny and I never heard of

[@TaLeng2023]

Octopus god taught humans the shark rotation techniques.

[@shahansindhi8141]

Melanesia 🌞

[@revinhatol]

Basically, the Fijian alphabet uses the "ng" sound for the letter G and the "g" sound for the letter Q.

[@Demetrius900000]

Why are subtitles wrong in names pronunciation?

[@joshuaclark9278]

It's most likely because Fijian has different pronunciations of certain letters. For example, Dakuwaqa is pronounced "dak(u)wanga", as it appears that Q in Fijian makes a "ng" sound and the "u" is sometimes silent. It is confusing, but not all languages pronounce Latin letters like we Englishmen do.

[@joshuaclark9278]

You can understand more here. -> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fijian_language#Orthography You're welcome.

[@Demetrius900000]

@@joshuaclark9278 so why not write how it's pronounced?

[@joshuaclark9278]

@@Demetrius900000 Well, I’m no linguist, but the reason might be because of the way Fijian is spoken. Technically, Fiji didn’t have a written language when this legend arose, so Europeans applied Latin to their language leading to some letters not being pronounced like their Latin counterparts.

[@Pecinta.Rusa10]

It remains me of Baby Shark dududu xixixi

[@dudo284]

that slap tho

[@cristopherherrera5506]

first time being this early

[@wiandryadiwasistio2062]

0:08 ah yes, king shark as the next mortal kombat guest kombatant

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Baby Shark-do-do-do-do-do!

[@Equ1n0x88]

There's a meme video with a diver flipping a shark upside down on its nose and then the shark just freezing. Now I know why

[@dex2834]

Once again the octopus rules supreme

[@andy284GM]

Just watched Killer Bee vs Kisame...

[@aperson22222]

Yeah, you don't want to mess with a giant octopus.

[@BillieSharkTooth]

Noooo, my shark bro "got flipped"! 😭😂

[@kevinlane1219]

This sounds rather similar to the story of Maui.

[@nathanlevesque7812]

Arlong vs Surume

[@Graphomite]

Dakuwaqa was an 80s Guy.

[@dgr8nikhilsrivastava]

there is one god alike loki in very religion

[@bennycarter5249]

Tell the one about how David Gilmore became the biggest 'vu' of Fiji by stealing water from villages and selling it to the world.

[@ooooooooooo9999]

😭😭😭