Rarotongan Types Of Houses

Two variations of the Rrarotongan type of house introduced by the missionaries are shown in plate 1. The ridgepole is supported directly by end posts. Wall posts along the sides support a wall plate, also directly. The principal rafters extend between the ridgepole and wall plate, but their upper ends are crossed above the main ridgepole instead of below it. The upper ridgepole then rests in the forks formed by the principal rafters. The details of the Rarotongan form of framework have been described (27, p. 4).

One of the houses, used as an assembly place, has straight thatching at the ends and to almost the level of the side eaves. Below the thatching of the sides and ends the house is open. The other house is used for sleeping, and as a result of missionary influence, no doubt, the sides and ends are walled in. The walls receive the Rarotongan name, paruru, as they differ from the local haihai of movable screen sheets. The walls have also departed from the Rarotongan pattern in that the rods used to fill in the spaces between the wall posts are attached horizontally instead of vertically. The end thatching is also projected outward at its lower end to form a veranda. A raised platform of lime surrounds the house.

page 82

A third variation (fig. 17), which is popular in small dwelling houses, consists of carrying the outward projection of the tara (p1. 1, B, 1) to both ends and on the two sides. The small house is thus surrounded by a wide veranda on all four sides, and when set on a raised platform, the covered area looks more extensive than the space actually contained within the walls. The principle, however, of providing plenty of veranda space is a sound one for the tropics.