Ritualistic and Explanatory Myths 187 



to hunt. When they reached the forest, they caught two deer and they 

 went to the place where they singed and divided those deer which they 

 had caught. While they were sitting there, the komau came to them 

 and said, "How many have you?" They answered, "Two." The 

 komau said, "I have two also. Sayen is here." The people said, "We 

 do not know about Sayen, where he is." Then Sayen came out and 

 killed the komau. 



Kabonlyan 1 went to Sayen in BEnbEn and said, "Are you a brave 

 man, Sayen? You are brave, because you killed the komau." Sayen 

 said, "Yes, I am a brave man." Kabonlyan said, "If you are a brave 

 man, I will meet you in that place at a distance." Sayen said, "Yes." 

 Kabonlyan told him the day when he would meet him, and Sayen was 

 to stay in the lower place and Kabonlyan in the higher place. Sayen 

 went there on that day. When he reached there and was waiting he 

 heard a sound like a storm and said to himself, "Here is Kabonlyan." 

 Kabonlyan called to him, "Are you there, Sayen?" "I am here," 

 said Sayen. "Are you a brave man?" said Kabonlyan to Sayen. 

 Sayen said, "Yes." Kabonlyan said to him, "Catch this," and he 

 threw his spear. Sayen caught the spear. It was as big as a large 

 tree. Kabonlyan asked, "Did you catch it?" "Yes," said Sayen. 

 "Here is again," said Kabonlyan, and threw his headaxe. Sayen 

 caught it. "Did you catch it, Sayen?" said Kabonlyan. Sayen said, 

 "Yes." The axe was as large as the end roof of a house. Kabonlyan 

 said, "Here is again," and threw his shield. Sayen caught it again. 

 "Did you catch it, Sayen?" Sayen said, "Yes." Kabonlyan said, 

 " Here is again," and threw a very big stone. Sayen caught it. "Did 

 you catch it, Sayen?" said Kabonlyan. Sayen said, "Yes," and 

 Kabonlyan said to him, "Wait for me, I come down to you." When 

 Kabonlyan got there, he and Sayen fought face to face and they got 

 tired, because Kabonlyan could not beat Sayen, and Sayen could not 

 beat Kabonlyan. Sayen said, "I take my headaxe, because I am very 

 tired." Kabonlyan said, "Do not take your headaxe; you are a brave 

 man; I will be your friend and we will go to fight anywhere." Sayen 

 said, "Yes." Then they were friends and went to fight in many towns. 

 If the people in the town caught them in the way when they went home 

 from fighting, or when they were in the river, Sayen could be a fish and 

 hide. They fought in one town. Sayen became a chicken after fight- 

 ing. He went under the house where the chickens roost. He did that 

 many times and the people in the town noticed that Sayen could be a 

 chicken or a fish. When he came with Kabonlyan to the town to fight 



1 A powerful spirit. 



