Society Islands

Archipelago in French Polynesia

The Society Islands (, officially Archipel de la Société; ) are an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean that includes the major islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Huahine. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. Geographically, they form part of Polynesia. The archipelago is believed to have been named by Captain James Cook during his first voyage in 1769, supposedly in honour of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands; however, Cook wrote in his journal that he called the islands Society "as they lay contiguous to one another".

The first Polynesians are understood to have arrived on these islands around 1000AD.

The islanders explain their origins in terms of an orally transmitted story. The feathered god Ta'aroa lay in his shell. He called out but no one answered, so he went back into his shell, where he stayed for aeons. When he came out he changed his body into the multi layered dome of the sky. Other parts of his body he transformed into Papa fenua, the earth. Other parts he made into Te Tuma, the ata, or shadow of his phallus. Ta'aroa said, "Cast your eyes on my phallus. Gaze upon it and insert it in the earth." He came down to earth at "Opoa in Havai'i" (now Ra'iatea), one of the most sacred places in the Society Islands. Other gods were created, and these ran directly into the time of the people. The high chiefs or ari'i rahi were descendants from the gods, reckoned to be forty generations previous. In their presence commoners showed respect by stripping to the waist. The high chiefs erected marae as places of worship. In the generations before Europeans arrived, a cult called 'Oro maro 'ura developed: the cult of the red feathered girdle. This became a tangible symbol of the chief's power. Key followers of the 'Oro cult were the 'arioi, who lived separately from the common people. They wore scented flowers and adorned themselves with scents and scarlet dyed cloth. The head of each 'arioi group was heavily tattooed from ankle to thigh and known as a blackleg. Both male and female blacklegs were a privileged group but they were forbidden to have children. Their babies were all killed at birth. They received and gave lavish presents. They had a wide range of artistic skills and could be priests, navigators and lore specialists. Only good looking men or women could become 'arioi. They played a crucial role in ceremonies associated with birth, deaths and marriage. The Society Islands are home to the Taputapuātea Marae, a UNESCO world heritage site on Ra’iātea.

In 1767 HMS Dolphin, sailing under Captain Samuel Wallis, landed on Tahiti. The captain and crew were quite sick with scurvy on arrival and were keen to obtain fresh food. Europeans quickly found that the islanders were desperate to obtain iron, which was prized for use in woodworking and as fish hooks. The sailors found that young women and girls were eager to exchange sex for a nail. The islanders were delighted at the abundance of iron on the ship and tried to board the ship in search of iron. Wallis reported that he shot cannon to maintain control of his vessel and the iron on board. By the time he reached the Society islands in 1768, his crew was stricken with scurvy. Despite the crew being twice as numerous as that of the Dolphin, the islanders had sufficient food to trade their surplus for axes, knives and other iron goods. and "Júpiter",

In January 1775 the priest Fray Jerónimo Clota celebrated the first Catholic mass on the islands. with headquarters on the island of Tahiti. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Cathédrale Notre Dame de l'Immaculée Conception) stands out on the island. On each island the religious situation is different. On Bora Bora, for example, there are more Protestant Christians than Catholic Christians, as a result of the fact that the English arrived there before the French, however, both groups now regularly perform ecumenical Christian acts and live together.

Each of the Society Islands has a small airport. Faa'a International Airport is located in Tahiti and is the largest airport in the Society Islands.