The Folk-Taks of (he Kiwai Papuans. 1 73 



he been go dovvn," but the people could not see anj' mark there, as it was very dark. Thej' 

 asked Dodo, „What language that devil (spirit) he been talk?" „You me one language (the same 

 language as we)." (Biii, Ipisia). 



71. Once when the Dàru people were holding the tàcra ceremony (cf. Introduction to 

 no. 287) two girls feil in love with two spirit-boys who took part in the dancing, and they gave 

 them food. When the dance was over, the two girls ran after the spirits and foUowed them into 

 the bush. The spirits chewed some „medicine" and spät it on the ground, and a large hole 

 opened there. The girls looked through the hole and saw many spirits underneath the ground. 

 One of the girls said, „Come on, you me go along (to) that two devil (spirits)," but the other 

 girl was afraid and said, „No, I no want go along that devil. You go first, 1 go by and by 

 (another time)." The first girl went into the ground, which closed above her, but her companion 

 ran avvay home. She told the people, „Oh, me two fellow been go along devil (the spirits), me 

 like two ôboro-ohio (spirit-boys). Another girl he go inside along ground, 1 run, I come, 1 fright." 

 The parents were angry: „I say, who been learn (teach) you go along devil, what name (why) 

 you two cranky go along devil.?" The first girl never returned from beneath the ground, and 

 her parents wailed over her and reproached the other who had deserted her, „No good you been 

 come alone," they said, „what name (why) you no go together?" 



Ever since then, said the narrator, the people believe that the spirits live underneath the 

 ground. Some people, at ail events, think that real ghosts of the dead take part in the dancing 

 at the hicra ceremony, and it seems that those two men who enticed the girls away were spirits 

 of a similar kind. (Amüra, Mawàta). 



A. A young maie spirit liked a Dàru girl, but she for her part was fond of a boy friend of 

 hers. Once she presented her friend with a helt. One night during the /àna ceremony the spirit 

 appeared to the girl, assuming the face of her lover^ and asked her to meet him and another spirit in 

 the bush and to bring another girl with her. The girls came and were received by the spirits. Sud- 

 denly the ground opened underneath theni, engulfing the two spirits and one of the girls. (Gaméa, Mawàta). 



C. OTHER MEETINGS WITH RETURNING SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (no 72-85). 



THE SPIRIT WHO HELPED A MAN FISH. 



72. Long ago the Mawàta people one night went fishing guided by the phosphorescence 

 in the water. Göboi, the grandfather of an elderly man now living at Mawäta, went by himself 

 in a canoe, which he was poling along in shallow water close to the shore. When he passed by 

 the burying ground, a spirit joined him, and Göboi thought at first that it was a living man. The 

 spirit sat down on the platform of the canoe, while Göboi was poling in the bow. After a while 

 Göboi found out that the stranger was a spirit, but being a strong man who had killed people he 

 did not feel afraid but went on spearing fish. At last he addressed the other man saying, 

 „Suppose you friend, you hear my talk. You me (we) go together what way 1 go; you take siirti 

 (pole), help me — bard work." The spirit without saying a word obeyed him and began to pole 

 N:o 1. 



