Notes on the history of the lakeside Tonga of Nyasaland

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Abstract
The early history of the Lakeside Tonga, that is before the arrival of the missionaries in the 1870's, is barely documented. For that period one has to rely heavily on such oral information as legends and genealogies. From a historical point of view these legends and genealogies become more meaningful if one can view them in the light of present social and political realities. Conversely, from the standpoint of the social and political groups concerned, present realities find their justification in their legends and genealogies. But different groups may compete for the same privileges, titles, status, etc., and justify their claims with different versions of the same legends and genealogies or with different legends and genealogies altogether. The different and conflicting legends and genealogies are as much a social reality as the social and political competition itself. Particularly in the absence of documentary evidence, a search for the ‘true’ legend or genealogy is therefore fruitless; the bias of a legend or genealogy is inherent in the social and political situation. This article is therefore not only an attempt to reconstruct the pre‐1870 period of Tonga history; it is also a description of the way legends and genealogies are manipulated by the various factions to support present claims. At the same time, this is for the author an essay in the circumspect use of legends and genealogies in order to learn about the Tonga past and present.

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