88 Foniaiidcr Collection of Ilaivaiian Folk-lore. 



priests, massage priests, ancestral god priests and priests of wandering spirits. All these 

 priests had different callings ; some were appropriate, while the callings of others were 

 not so, although the priests of this class were learned in their professions. 



.SKKVICES OF A MEDICAL PRIEST. 



Before a medical ])riest commenced to perform his duties, he did not operate on 

 the sick without first seeing a sign. Again, if he did not cast lots hefore he was called 

 upon hy the friends of the sick, it was because he was already aware of it, and afterwards 

 was apprised by the ])ersons who called upon him, because there were exceptional signs 

 through which the medical man would be apprised, whether the patient would live or die, 

 providing the special signs were applicable to the complaint ; thus : When a medical man 

 is called u])on to visit a patient, one who might then be in a precarious condition; if the 

 caller came to the house of the medical man and said : " 1 have called ui^on you to come and 

 administer unto Punikauamoku, who is in a very critical state; the day may not close 

 before death occurs." During the time that the caller was talking of the condition of 

 the ])atient, if the medical man hap])ened to be eating his meal he would say: "He will 

 not die, [though] he is really sick. Had you arrived while I was not eating, then death 

 would happen. But no! Vou came while I was eating, with the calabash open, there- 

 fore the calabash disavows the illness of Punikauamoku. Go back; T will come later." 

 Such would be the re])ly of the medical man. 



When the medical man arrived at the patient's place, through his being called up- 

 on, he would not offer medicine at the outset, but in order that his operations on the pa- 

 tient might be strengthened and fully understood he would draw lots in such manner 

 as he thought was proper, and if it agreed with boldness to administer unto the sick, then 

 he would do so. And if the drawing indicated the inappropriateness of his administering 

 unto the patient, the medical man would tell him, saying: "I cannot cure you; seek another 

 healer; had it been according to ni}- drawing I would \'enture to operate on you." 



On the other hand, if a medical man had been called upon to visit a patient, 

 and the caller arrived while the medical man or other person was cooking food; or if the 

 medical man was present at the time the oven was being prepared, or heating; then the 

 medical man would remark, after he had been apprised of the nature of the complaint by 

 the caller: "Yes, sick indeed! I cannot cure him, I'm afraid. If vou had not spoken 

 until after the oven was covered there would be no danger; while you were talking of the 

 ])atient I was firing the oven, therefore he will surely die." This was the second of the 

 special disclosures given to medical men. 



Should these special signs be had at home, other signs would be met with on the 

 way. As the danger was seen at home through special signs, so would the danger on 

 road be conveyed through exceptional signs. 



JO. CUSTOMARY SIGNS OF THE PRIESTHOOD RELATI.XC. TO MEDICAL MEN. 



In the foregoing section special omens were shown, but not all. in this section 

 customary signs will be given in full. Man\- and numerous were the customary signs 

 relating to the ])riesthood, and in those signs were indicated right and wrong, danger, 

 fortune and need. 



