The Folk-Talcs of thc Kiwoi Pnpuarts. 187 



threatening his clients and even sent out the spirit to kill people on their behalf. He protected 

 the people by sending the spirit to chase away any enemies or sorcerers from other tribes, who 

 vvanted to corne and do harm. Only on rare occasions could the spirit be seen in the day, as 

 for instance vvhen Mi'ruu was going to another place and she followed him in the shape of a 

 woman carrying baskets and mats; otherwise nobody except Mi'ruu himself saw her in the day- 

 time. Sometimes when she was tired Mfruu put her in the basket where her grass skirt 

 was kept. 



The same Mi'ruu had at his disposai two other spirits of dead people which he could use 

 in exactly the same way as the first one. He had come into possession of them by eating a 

 small pièce of the two dead bodies. FoUowing the smell of the méat, the spirits had passed into 

 him, and when they came out again he had them at his command. 



Many bushmen are said to associate with spirits in a similar way, and some Mawâta 

 men hâve been taught by them how to obtain the services of such spirits. This was the case 

 for instance with a man named Mi'here. Some bushmen once gave him a certain „medicine" 

 which made him „cranky", so that his eyes began to roll and he was able to walk in the air. 

 VVhile he was in that state they made him swallow a small pièce of human flesh, and this gave 

 him power över his particular spirit. This spirit of his never moved about but was kept by 

 him in a basket. It had the power of neutralizing the bad influence of any sorcerer. The spirit 

 looked like a stone, and Mihere first found it in a place indicated to him by an ctengcna (mythical 

 being, cf. Introduction to no. 102) in a dream. (Sâre, Mawâta). 



91. A certain man named .Sâvi of Yam Island was once bailing his canoë, but although 

 he kept on ail night he could not empty it, for there was a hole in the bottom. The next night 

 he started again, and went on bailing till the morning but to no purpose. The third night when 

 he resumed the same vvork an öboro (spirit of a dead person) came to him and killed him. He 

 removed 51II the bones from Sàvi's body and put in those of an oboro instead. Then he restored 

 him to life and he was now akin to a spirit. The oboro had given him a bone by means of 

 which he could summon the spirits at will. 



Sâvi wanted to go with his wife to Tüdu Island, hut she said that the canoe was no 

 good. „Oh, suppose 'you me (we) go inside, he come good," said Sâvi. Then they got into the 

 canoe, and he called out, „Go on, öboro, you chuck away that water !" and the water all disappeared 

 of its ovvn accord. The two arrived in Tüdu just when the people there were engaged in the 

 tàera ceremony (ef. Introduction to no. 287). One of the men was dancing very badly, and on 

 seeing him Sâvi's son burst out laughing. The dancer was angry and induced a man to kill the 

 boy by means of sorcery. Sâvi suspected that his son had been murdered and summoned the 

 spirits. „What name (what) you want him?" they asked him, and among them Snvi saw the 

 spirit of his boy. „Whafs the matter that boy? what name (why) he dead?" he asked them. 

 „He been laugh along man," said they, „that man been kill him, give him 'puripuri'." „Go on, 

 you fellow go kill that man," said Såvi to the spirits, „Pay back my boy." The spirits went 

 and killed him. 



One day Sâvi saw the spirit of a living man who was ill, and he went and said to the 



N:o 1. 



