The Fijians: A Study of the Decay of CustomThomson, Basil
History
The Fijians: A Study of the Decay of Custom
Thomson, Basil
Ethnology -- Fiji; Fijians
Thence the Shades follow the Long Road to a spot called Uluitambundra,
which is on the junction of the road with Namata. At this spot there is
a god who announces the Shades with a shout. His name is Rokowewe, and
when a Shade reaches Uluitambundra he shouts "Ue, Ue, Ue!" And two
goddesses at Naulunisanka on the road shake out their nets in readiness,
for they are set to net the Shades as they pass. These goddesses are
called Tinaiulundungu and Muloathangi, and they make a sweep with their
net. If it be the Shade of a warrior it will overleap the net as does
the _kanathe_; but if it be the Shade of a coward it will be entangled
like the _sumusumu_, and the goddesses will disentangle it and bite its
head as if it were a fish, and will loop up their nets and throw the
fish into their baskets. These goddesses inhabit the "Long Road"
(Tualeita), and they loiter in the path listening for the sound of
wailing from the villages below them, for the sad sound is wafted to
the "Long Road." But the real dwelling of these goddesses is Ulunisanka,
a peak on the road. There is a saga about these goddesses, and how they
fish for the shades of the dead. It is well known in Namata among the
women there, and it is called "Shade of the Dead" (Yalo mate).
The goddesses are looping up their nets,
They are listening to the sound of weeping,
From what village does this weeper come?
Let us stand and dispute about it,
It is weeping from the village of ----?
They spread out their nets for a catch,
They spread their net across the belly of the road,
We hold the net and wait,
The shade of the dead is topping the ridge,
Let us lift up the head of the net cautiously,
The Shade leaps and clears the net at a bound,
One goddess claps, and clasps her hands, and the other bites her fingers
(in chagrin).
I look after the Shade, but it is far on its way,
Let us fold up the net and return.
The Shades that have escaped from the Fisherwomen at Uluisanka follow
the "Long Road" to Naikathikathi-ni-kaile[48] (the
Calling-place-for-kaile). In the valley below this spot are two
goddesses boiling _kaile_, and when the Shade reaches the spot it calls
to them for _kaile_. If it calls for a red _kaile_ it is known for the
Shade of a man slain in war, but if it calls for a white _kaile_ it is
the Shade of one who was strangled. Some, however, call for _kaile_ from
Mburotu; these are they who have died a natural death, and _kaile_ from
Mburotu are taken to them. Other things, too, are called from this
place.
When each Shade has received the _kaile_ for which he called, he passes
on to a place called Naikanakana (the Eating-place), and there he eats.
Thence he goes on to a place called Naililili (the Hanging-place). Here
there is a _vasa_ tree, and from the branches are hanging like bats the
Shades of the little children who are waiting for their fathers or their
mothers, and when one sees its mother it drops down, and goes on with
her to Kauvandra.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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