164 BULLETIN 139, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



tered the snare. His head was soon within it, and he commenced to 

 struggle whilst the two men looked on. Before long he trod right on 

 the spring, when suddenly up sprung the tree, tightening the rope. 

 Then Matuku struggled! Struggled in vain!"^^ 



Another form given here in synthesis is from Hawaii. It is simple 

 and more like American Indian myths. 



Maui obtains the secret of fire, before only known to the mud 

 hen. Delays the rapid course of the sun by breaking off the rays, 

 which are spines like those on a sea urchin.®' 



The Tongatabu fire myth approaches closely the benefaction 

 myths of the American Indian. 



Kyskys obtained some fire from the earth and taught them to cook 

 their food, which they found was good, and from that day food has 

 been cooked, which before was eaten raw. In order to preserve the 

 fire Kyskys commanded it to go into certain trees, whence it is now 

 obtained by friction.®* 



The Aryan fire-origin myth states that Agni was son of the car- 

 penter who made the drill and Maya or magic. He took the name 

 of Aksa, anointed, and when nourished by libations of butter he at- 

 tained full development. 



There is here an example of extreme sophistication. It is prob- 

 ably not the real myth, but rather an explanation to be given to the 

 uninitiated. Its philosophy is based on the engendering of fire by 

 wood friction, and corresponds to the Finnic fire-origin myth in the 

 Kalevala. In contrast a Ceylonese fire-origin myth shows a delight- 

 ful return to nature, 



" The story cmrent about the blue-black swallow-tailed flycatcher, 

 Kwandu jpaniklcia, and its mortal enemy, the crow, is that the former, 

 like Prometheus of old, brought down fire from heaven for the bene- 

 fit of man. The crow, jealous of the honor, dipped his wings in 

 water and shook the drippings over the flame, quenching it. Since 

 that time there has been deadly enmity between the birds." ®^ 



Among the African myths there is a curious example from the 

 A-Kamba Tribe, East Africa: 



"There is a legend that the first human being of earth was half 

 man and half woman. He was called Mukuu and lived in Kjkum- 

 buliu district near a hill called I-Kuua. He brought fire with him to 

 this earth and was the father and mother of mankind. His progeny 

 found the various food plants growing wild in the valleys, and they 

 did not know at first how to plant or cultivate the soil.""® 



« Hare Hongi. Journ. Polyn. Soc, vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 155-156. 

 <'N. B. Emerson. Journ. Amer. Folk-Lore, vol. 12, July-September, 1899, p. 233. 

 *« Wilkes Explorations, vol 3, p. 23. See also for many interesting myths, Edward Tregear. The 

 Maori Race. Wanganui, N. Z., 1904. 

 » Nature, vol. 36, p. 87. 

 « C. W. Hobley. A-Kamba and Other East African Tribes, p.51, London, 1910. 



