The supreme god of Fiji, Degei, lived in the mountains of Rakiraki in Fiji. The islands of Malake and Nananu, which sit just off the coast of this part of Fiji, are home to communities that are renowned for their pottery practices. Legend tells of a time when these places were joined to the mainland as part of the Rakiraki District. When the noise of the villagers beating clay to make pottery became too loud, Degei separated these islands by pushing them away with his foot. This also accounts for why none of the mainland villages in Rakiraki make pottery. The painting shows Degei in his serpent form, with the villagers holding fast to their pottery as they move in the opposite direction.