Who's That Tiki Over There?
Yeah,that one. The one that Clyde and Claude are perched on. Who is that?!
It's a question I've asked before but no one knew the answer. People assumed that he simply had no name but that's wrong. His name has been said over the "Goddess Spiel" since 1971. But the roar of the waterfall and the quietness of the speakers have caused this detail to go unnoticed to most guest. But to the discerning Walt Disney World historian,a hidden connection between Magic Kingdom and the Florida Citrus Growers can be found in the tiki god's name.
His name is Citrikua.
Real vs Fantasy
My initial assumption was that this Tiki God was a real Polynesian god like that menagerie of deities that populate Disneyland's Enchanted Lanai. But a quick trip to a Hawaiian language site provided that this assumption was incorrect. There is no "S"-sound in the Hawaiian language,but there was clearly an s-sound at the start of the name. It was after I saw this picture that the answer struck me.
Those little plastic oranges provided me with the answer.
His name is Citrikua to connect him with all the other orange references that appeared in Tropical Serenade.
They basically gave Marc Davis's tiki god a fictional orange-evoking Hawaiian name to continue the theme that already prevailed in the show. They even call him a "god of health",as pointed out by How Bowsers,which connects oranges and healthiness in peoples's minds.
Like the Orange Bird,Citrikua lives on as a reminder of those Florida Citrus Growers days.
"Kiliki-wiki-ui! Kiliki-wiki-ui!
Spirits of the Tropics, heed our call!
Descend with your rhythms
For one and for all!
Goddess of Fire
Pele, by name!
Transform our pool
To an ocean of flame!
And now from the waters,
Citrikua emerge!
Oh,great god of health,
Your secrets we urge!"
