The Folk-Tales of tlie Kiwai Papuans. 



65 



The sandbank which was the first beginning of Kiwai 

 can be seen still in a large svvamp on the Island, and Méuri 

 lives there underneath. (Käku, Ipisia). 



A. Two brothers named Sogio and Gumdru lived in 

 Kiwai at Lisamviba before there were any other people on the 

 Island. They fed on fish which they dried in the sun on a 

 stranded nipa-palm. When one side of the fish was done, they 

 turned it över to let the other side dry. Some of the fish 

 began to decay and gave rise to worms which in the course of 

 time deveioped into people, some into men and others into 

 women. The names of the two last men to be produced thus 

 were Wia and Bårane (ef. Index). When these two men came 

 into existence they found themselves from the beginning in 

 possession of a flre-stick with which they lighted a fire for 

 the people. 



Sogio and Gumäru did not know what had befallen 

 with the worms until they suddenly discovered that there were 

 fresh people on the Island. They were afraid and went and asked 

 them, „Where you come from?" „Me no savy," they answered, 

 „me come up this place where fish he stop." „Oh," said Sogio 

 and Gumäru, „you belong worm." Wia and Bärane taught 

 Sogio, Gumäru, and all the others to cook their food. They 

 built a house and occupied one end of it themselves, while 

 Sogio and Gumäru lived at the other end and the rest of the 

 people in the centre. The Kiwai people have arisen thus from 

 the worms bred in the decaying fish. (Gaméa, Mawäta). 



A mau carn,-ing a bow and arrows. 

 Drawn by Bi'rida of Ipisia. 



THE ORIGIN OF THE KUBIRA PEOPLE IN KIWAI. 



Woiiian cuttiiig leaves into strips for a basket. 



N:o 1. 



2. While Kiwai Island was 

 still a sandbank a large tree once 

 came floating from Manàvete and 

 stranded at Kubira, and an élerari 

 (Mawäta pronunciation, in Kiwai 

 atcraro, ferocious mythical gay- 

 coloured lizard) crouching in the tree, 

 was carried över there. 



The common name of all 

 the people living in Dfbiri (east of the 

 Fly) near the two mountains Sivare 

 and Nåkare is Di'biri-dârimo. One 

 morning a certain woman wanted to 

 go to her garden and said to her 

 elder sister, who was to remain at 

 home, „You look out (after) my boy, 



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