Tlic Folk-Tales of the Kiwai Papuans. 



155 



the flesh was gone. He ornamented the skulls, marking out those of men and those of women. 

 On the former he painted a red streak from the forehead right to the chin, and on the latter a 

 similar streak across the face just above the eyes, and the skulls of „big men" had their jaws 

 painted red in addition. He ornamented himself too and danced, singing, 



„En kntibii waiméé e/i kulibti ivaiméc. — I start now, sing out along shell (trumpet shell), 

 every time I make all same, I learn (teach) him people now take head." 



When Küiamo got up next morning he felt sorry for his mother and said, „Poor fellow 

 mother! What I do?" He made ready a „half canoe" (ef. p. 9) and blocked the ends with mud 

 to keep out the water; he also put a quantity of edible fruit, bio, in it for food. Taking his 

 mother's skull he provided it with eye-balls of beeswax, covering them with small pièces of a 

 certain shell to make them look like real eyes, and formed a nose of the same material with a 

 nose-stick inserted. He tied the lower jaw on, in its proper place. When the skull had been care- 

 tuUy ornamented he put it on a mat 

 in the canoe. Then Küiamo said, „Oh, 

 poor fellow mother, I sorry you this 

 time. I go kill him people, pay belong 

 you. No fault belong me. People he 

 swear me, that's why wild he corne 

 up." He ascended a hill and looked 

 towards New Guinea saying, „I go kill 

 him all people, I pay you now." Küiamo 

 had spared one Mâbuiag boy only, the 

 son of his sister, and put him in the 

 stem of the canoe to steer. 



Küiamo and the boy arrived 

 at Davâne. Leaving the canoe on the 

 beach Küiamo climbed one of the peaks 

 and looked round: „Oh, fuU up hush- 

 man place, some man he make fire 

 along house, some he make him garden. To-morrow you no more. I been kill mother, people 

 belong me spoil him too." They sailed on to Böigu, and when they came near, Küiamo lay down 

 in the canoe and said to the boy, „You no get up, no lift him head on top, head he altogether 

 down. Brjigu man he think, wood he float." The Böigu people were eating dugong and playing 

 on the beach ignorant of the approaching danger. Küiamo lay in wait („all same pigeon sit 

 down, he want go shoot him"), and peeping över the side of the canoe: „Oh, big man he stop 

 middle, I go along him first before small man." When the canoe was close by, Küiamo rushed 

 up and speared the big man in the midst of the people. He leapt and fought with his hands and 

 feet kuling the people, who feil dead över each other. Küiamo sang his war-song, 



„Kéda bdua kéda bdua ngdi Kiiiamo, Adtkdiamo.''^ 

 When all were dead he called the boy and taught him how to eut off the heads: „What name (why) 

 you eut him like that? You eut him quick! What way I eut him you eut him behind (after 

 me)." The boy was frightened and shrank back from all the blood („eye belong dead man he 

 N:o 1. 



A deep eut in a stone on Davâue Island knocked by 

 the bow of Küiamo's canoe. 



