The Folk-Tales of t/w Khvai Papuans. 1 85 



at last they had to give it up and return home. The people began to wail when thej- heard of 

 Màiva's death: „Oh, altogether woman he cry, inside no good (they were feeling bitter)." 



For a long time after that accident nobody went to spear dugong. At last Gaméa, Duåne, 

 Tom, and some other men made up their minds to make an attempt. They built three platforms, 

 one of which Gaméa mounted, and waited for the arrivai of the dugong. During the night the 

 ghost of Mäiva, who had been drowned, was seen swimming towards them in the water. The 

 apparition svvam like a turtle, moving its four limbs now and again in one povverful stroke vvith 

 long intervais. The head was very large, the body was covered with sea-weed, and a long 

 harpoon-line trailed behind. Tom called out to the others, „You look out, another thing he come, 

 that (is) ghost belong man he been foul along rope, that no dugong." Gaméa put down his harpoon 

 in terror and addressed the apparition, saying, „Oh, brother, first time you good man, this time 

 you no all same before, I look you devil (ghost) now." The phantom came nearer and nearer, 

 swam round the platforms and disappeared on the other side of the reef. Immediately afterwards 

 a great shoal of dugong followed, but at first the men did not dåre to spear any of them. 

 Mustering up all their courage each of the men at last tried to spear one, but all failed, and Duäne 

 said, „I think me leave him, that's bad dugong, by and by (if we try) man he come foul. Me no 

 been make (fail) like that before." So they all returned home, and although they savv many 

 dugong on the way, the\' let them alone. 



After this adventure, whenever the people went to the reef and saw Mdiva, they threw 

 food for him into the water and said, „All right, you bring dugong, you no come along me 

 fellow, you go right up what place you belong. You no eut him rope, you no take out kiiior 

 (harpoon-head). Kaikai belong you here, you take him." The food was kept in the coil of 

 rope till they threw it into the water. Thanks to this method the people speared many dugong, 

 and then the reason of their failure on the first occasion became clear: the fault was their own, 

 for Måiva had brought them many dugong, but they had neglected to give him any food. 



Nowadaj's the offerings to Maiva have ceased, and the people do not see his spirit any 

 more. (Gaméa, Mawata). 



A. In another version by the same narrator the harpooners speared a few dugong when 

 Mâiva's ghost first appeared to them, although they had not given him any tood. Afterwards they 

 always brought with them some offering for Mäiva. The man on the platform, on seeing Mdiva, used 

 to signal to those waiting in the canoe to throw out the food. If they did not give Måiva any food 

 no dugong came. (Gaméa, Mawâta). 



B. Måiva was a TiiritiJri man who had been drowned when his fellow-villagers and the 

 Mawdta people once went to spear dugong. The appearance of his spirit is not mentioned. (Salbu, 

 Mawdta). 



SPIRITS OF THE DEAD WHO BECOME GUARDIAN SPIRITS (no. 90—91). 



90. At Magi, not far from Dirimo, there lived a man named Dögo and his wife named 

 Bäbou. Having no children of their own they adopted a motherless Mawâta boy named Miruu, 

 a Magi boy named Sai, and a Tiiritiiri girl named Gdiba. For some reason Säi got angry with 

 N:o 1. 24 



