Things To Do & See > Historical and Cultural Sites > Historical and Cultural Sites of Tongatapu > Ha’amonga ‘a Maui Trilithon & National Historical Reserve

The Ha’amonga ‘a Maui Trilithon & National Historical Reserve is in Tongatapu.

The name Ha’amonga ‘a Maui means ‘Maui’s burden’, referring to the Polynesian God Maui, who according to legend formed the Kingdom of Tonga by fishing the islands from the depths of the sea. The ha’amonga is a form of yoke or carrying pole worn across the shoulders, in a similar shape to that of the trilithon. It is thought that only a great god like Maui would have the strength to carry a yoke such as this.

Tradition has it that the coral rock used to build the trilithon came from ‘Uvea (now Wallis Island), which was then part of the Tongan Empire. It is more likely that stone quarries closer to home produced the rocks. The two upright pillars, each weighing between 30 and 40 tonnes and extending some metres into the ground, support the lintel, which has been mortised into the two uprights.

The Ha’amonga ‘a Maui is thought to have been built around 1200 AD by the eleventh Tu’i Tonga, Tu’itatui. It was Tu’itatui and his father Momo, the tenth Tu’i Tonga, who moved the capital city from Toloa (near where Fua’amotu airport is today) to Heketa, where the Ha’amonga stands now.

There are several theories regarding the purpose of the structure. One is that Tu’itatui, fearing his two sons Talatama and Talaiha’apepe would quarrel over his estates when he died, erected it as a symbol of brotherhood. Each son was represented by a stone pillar, and united by the lintel above.

An alternate theory is that the Ha’amonga stood as the gateway to the King’s palace at the new capital, though Heketa as the site of the royal seat did not last long. The capital was moved to Mu’a, on the banks of the Fanga ‘Uta Lagoon, by Talatama and Talaiha’apepe, who were said to prefer the lagoon as a calmer anchorage for their great double canoes.

Another theory regarding the Ha’amonga, expounded by King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV in 1967, presents the archway as a means of registering the seasons. A ‘W’ shape said to be etched on top of the lintel aligns with the position of the rising sun on the days of both the summer and winter solstice, and the centre line matches the sun’s position at the equinox.

It is also unknown how the edifice was built. One theory is that a heap of dirt was mounded between the two upright pillars, and the lintel raised into position that way. How ever the Ha’amonga was constructed, it remains an incredible feat of engineering for the Tongans of the 13th Century.

Upon close examination, it can be seen that the rock has eroded throughout the years, and plants now grow in the crevices. The weathering that has occurred on the Ha’amonga is especially evident when compared with the Maka Faakinanga stone, located further into the National Historic Reserve.

The Maka Faakinanga stone is made of the same rock as the Ha’amonga, and is thought to have been erected at the same time. It is said that Tu’i Tatu, who is reported to have stood 7 feet 9 inches tall, would sit with his back against the stone facing the water. Here, holding a long staff, he would strike out at anyone who came near, as he feared being assassinated. Tu’i Tatui translates as ‘King Strike Knee’.

His fear could be construed as paranoia, however according to one story Tu’itatui was accused of raping his half-sister Latutama, and fled to ‘Eua, fearing revenge at the hands of her brothers. Another version of events has Tu’itatui buried in the Langi Heketa, alongside his daughter Fatafehi.

The Langi Heketa is located further into the compound. This three-tiered royal burial mound has been created using slabs of beach rock, and appears slightly trapezoidal in shape. The Langi Heketa is an important structure, as it is thought to be the oldest of these tomb-style structures on Tongatapu, and a prototype for the langi now found in Mu’a.

In the north-western corner the langi is connected with a single-tiered stone platform. It is said that on this platform was erected a house, in which a matapule (an attendant of one of the Chiefs) lived as caretaker or guardian of the langi. A fragment of worked stone was in fact discovered on top of the platform, and may have been the end piece of a stone beam. As it is against the law in Tonga to excavate such burial sites it may never be confirmed who lies beneath this ancient earth and stone construction, or how they died.

The truth behind the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui and the other structures that lie within the National Historical Reserve may have been lost in the intervening centuries, but contemplating the stone pillars and burial mounds today gives us an insight into the accomplishments and social structures of ancient Polynesia.