72 Gunnar LandtmaN. 



off, the bodies being left to decay. The women wailed when they heard of their death. (Duäba, 

 Oromosapiia). 



B. An läsa boy stole arrows from all the empty houses by pushing them out through an 

 opening in the floor. He was detected by a cripple, who had remained at home while all the others 

 were away. On the return of the rightfiil owners of the stolen arrows the thief was killed, and his 

 tather began a fight in which everybody joined, forming two parties. When it was över they came to 

 ferms, but no payment was given for the boy, ber.ause he was a thief. (Manu, Ipisia). 



C. Two thieves stole many things in the empty house, and the people accused each oiher of 

 the theft and fought among themselves. At last the culprits were detected by a cripple, and after they 

 had been killed their relativas went to live at Sumai (Paära). (Epére, Ipisi'a). 



D. Formerly the Auti and Paära people lived at kisa ; they moved to their present villages in 

 conséquence of a fight ensuing from a theft like that of the previous versions. (Bàira, Paära). 



E. The différent parties of people who after the fight left läsamiiba in the bush founded the 

 villages of Wiörubi, Dorépo, Kubira, Siimai, Auti, Samäri, Sagudne, and Gibu in Kiwai. (Ndtai, Ipisia). 



F. The names of the thieves were Nivia and Age, and many Kiwai villages were founded as 

 a result of the fight. (Käku, Ipisia). 



HOW THE KIWAI (lASA) PEOPLE WERE TAUGHT BY THE KUBIRA PEOPLE TO CUT 



OFF THE HEADS OF THEIR ENEMIES. 



6. Formerly the Kfwai (läsa) warriors used not to eut off the heads of their enemies 

 slain in a battle, whereas the Kubira warriors followed that practice. 



One day during their mutual fights a Kubira party came and killed many Kiwai men, 

 women, and children, securing their heads. A certain heautiful Kîwai girl alone was saved, for 

 a Kubfra man captured her alive and carried her off to his home and married her. After a time 

 the woman bore him two boys. 



The woman's elder brother was one of the leading men of Kiwai, and her younger 

 brother too lived there. 



The two boys of the Kiwai woman grew up at Kubira. One day while the Kîwai people 

 were catching fish and crabs they were discovered by some Kubîra men who exclaimed on seeing 

 them, „Oh, Kfwai man he come now, we make fight!" The Kubfra warriors prepared for battle 

 and launched their canoës, and when the Kfwais returned from fishing they were overtaken and 

 attacked by the enemy. In the fight the two Kubfra boys, who behaved very bravely, killed 

 their mother's younger brother without knowing who he was. Thej- eut off his head, and when 

 the fight was över the vietorious Kubfra party returned home and prepared the captured heads. 

 Some men said to the boy's mother, „That two boy been kill one man." „All right," the mother 

 answered, „two good boy belong me, he strong boy." 



Long before, while the woman was still with her parents at Kfwai, it had once happened 

 that her younger brother annoyed her by repeatedly asking her for a coconut which she was just 

 eating. At last she became angry and threw the coconut at him, hitting his forehead so that 

 blood flowed. .Since then her brother had a scar on his forehead. '^ 



Tom. XL VII. 



