Legend of the Yasawa Giant Eagle

Legend of the giant eagle

www.fijitimes.com -Sunday, October 04, 2009

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Sawailau Island

WHILE Sawa-i-Lau in Yasawa is known for its majestical caves, most people have not heard of the legend of the giant eagle the locals believe lived there once.

According to Josese Draya, legend says the island was home to a great eagle that only survived by eating virgins.

If you go to Sawa-i-Lau, try and use your binoculars and check out the top right hand corner of the island of Sawa-i-Lau. A large patch of guano or bird droppings is visible.

Draya is convinced that was the spot where the giant eagle or manu levu lived.

According to legend, whenever the eagle was hungry, it would fly to the nearby village and grab a virgin and took it to its nest.

Draya said one day, the eagle flew down and grabbed itself a virgin which did not augur well with her husband to be.

The husband to be swam to Sawa-i-Lau and climbed up to the eagle's nest to rescue his bride to be.

While trying to do that, the eagle flew back and they fought over the virgin.

Draya said they both fell to the ground and died. And that was the end of the eagle of Sawa-i-Lau. Draya says villagers still wonder why the large patch believed to be bird droppings was still there. He said people of Nabukeru and Tamusua believe in the legend.