122 Gunnar Landtman. 



associated with gardening, and many agricultural rites bear référence to them. They are also 

 invoked sometimes by harpooners of dugong. A man will tie a woman's grass petticoat to one 

 of the posts of a harpooning platform to symbolize Pékai, and he calls out to the dugong as 

 representing Söido, 



„Pékai Sodo Pekat mmo divioriiti rorogido. — Söido, you come, Pékai he wait for you 

 here, leg he out." 

 In saying so the hunter will slowly band dov\n his head, theieby beckoning to the dugong to come. 



The magical methods for ensuring success in spearing dugong as in other matters vary 

 enormously, „One man he got one yarn belong catch him dugong," said the narrator, ,.one (other) 

 man he got one (other) yarn, all same what father been give him." A great many of these dif- 

 férent methods have a common source in the magical properties of women (particularly their 

 sexual organs), „just as the fmgers branch out in various directions from the hand," said my in- 

 formant. (Nämai, Mawäta). 



A. Soido came from Kiwai and made a garden at Biidji. His wife whom he sent to fetch 

 fira was oiitraged as in the first version. He eut up the body and Ihrew it into the garden, and dif- 

 férent plants grew up from it. In the night the woman's spirit told him to go the garden, and he saw 

 what had happened there. Soido tried in vain to fly to Möre on a u<ario (hawk) and then on an azvaia 

 (pélican) but an avnnia (trigate-bird) finally carried him över there. He married Pékai and caused all kinds 

 of plants to grow up IVom his semen, and Maninogére was greatly delighted. When Soido and Pékai 

 died, they turned into two stonas which are still in More. Morévanogére died there too. (Amiira, 

 Mawåta). 



w 



B. Soido, a Möre man who had very large genitals, came to Daväre in Diidi where Pékai 

 lived, and took her with him to Möre. While they were raaking a garden, he sent her to three men 

 in the neighhourhood to fetch fire, and they outraged her. On hearing of this the enraged Söido 

 prepared a long, sharp stick; one day he made Pékai sleep with him, and then thrust the stick through 

 her body lengthwise so that the end penetrated through her mouth. He eut up the dead body and threw 

 it into the garden, where it turned inio yams. Her spirit visited Söido in a dream and told him what 

 had happened. Another night she taught him how to attach some sweet-smelling herbs to his head-dress 

 and arm-bands and perform a certain dance in the garden. As he did so, the différent kinds of yam called 

 out, of themselves, the names by which they are known ever since, biidano, erdvo, piuri, etc, 20 names 

 in all. (Käku, Ipisfa). 



C. One night when the Kiwai men were holding a secret dance in a garden, in order to promote 

 the growth of bananas, a woman whose name was Pékai went to sec what they were doing. She 

 was found out and killed. The men eut up her body and threw it into the garden, and sweet pota- 

 toes and other roots sprang up there, the first spécimens of their kind. The people were at tirst afraid 

 to eat the new food. The woman's head grew into a large round kind of yam called ki'iracvc, her bones 

 became another kind called äsunw, and her hands a third kind called wiiioJio. The sinews turned into 

 the winding stems of yams and sweet potatoes. 



When planting yams the people say, „Pékai, you come out, you lift him up head belong you, 

 bone belong you. Me fellow want him yam, big one." And on digging up yams they say, „I take 

 bone belong Pékai." (Gabia, Ipisia). 



D. Soido belonged to Gâima on the Fly. His penis was very large and contained all sorts 

 of vegetable food which he had swallowed. He was „hungry for woman" and tried to find one. One 



Tom. XLVII. 



