350 Gunnar Landtman. 



platform tor it which plays an important part in the turtle ceremony. He was also told to. spit a 

 certain „medicine" into the mouth of the first female turtle caught dui'ing the breeding season, 

 for this vvould cause all the turtle to become „cranky" so they could be easiiy speared. The 

 Shells of all the turtle harpooned should be placed in a rovv on the same platform as the ndi stone. 

 Many other observances were connected with the ceremony. 



hl the morning Wåugani found the stone, and vvhen Gabia returned he told him his 

 dream. The two introduced the ceremony in Mawäta. This happened after the village of Mawäta 

 had been moved to its present site from Old Mawäta. The people did not know of the Turtle 

 ceremony previously. (Säle, Mawåta). 



AN INCIDENT FROM THE PERFORMANCE OF A TURTLE CEREMONY. 



285. Once while the Turtle ceremony was in progress the Mawäta men speared many 

 turtle, and a great quantity of food was brought from the gardens and placed close to the turtle 

 on the ground allotted for the ceremony. When the turtle were being eut up, a certain man who 

 was a sorcerer handed a coconut bowl (nûku) to a boy and said to him, „You take that nûku, 

 go bring him some egg belong wöman-turtle. You no bring him straight along me, people he 

 look; j'ou go put him along one place I show you." The eggs of a turtle which has been used 

 in the ceremonj' are a strong and coveted „poison" which the man wanted for his wicked 

 practices. All unsuspecting the boy went and coUected some eggs in the coconut-shell, though 

 no boy is allowed to go' near the cérémonial ground. The men looked at him in surprise, „My 

 god, all same big man he pick him up that egg!" they exclaimed. „The bo\' was a fool," my 

 informant interpolated, „he should have said to the people, 'No belong me, one man been send 

 me.'" But that he did not say, and this is why he came to grief. 



On seeing the boy one of the great men who was versed in sorcery said, „That hand he 

 pick him up that egg, to-morrow he no move. That mouth he kaikai that egg, to-morrow he no 

 wake up. From (because of) that egg to-morrow he stink along burying ground." The man 

 was beside himself with anger. The same night he killed the boy by sorcery, and the next morning 

 when the people got up the youngster was found dead. Only then was it discovered that the 

 boy had not eaten the eggs himself but had fetched them for someone eise. The relatives of the 

 dead boy said, „Life belong him he lose novv. One man he been send him, that's why people 

 been give him poison. No fault belong boy." And they went and „poisoned" the man who 

 had killed the boy, they „clear him that boy". The contlict did not end with that, for tlie friends 

 of the man thus murdered took their revenge by killing the man who had sent the boy for the 

 eggs, since he was the real instigator. (Nåmai, Mawäta). 



THE INAUGURATION OF THE MIMIA CEREMONY. 



The inimia ceremony forms part of the initiation of the young men, during which they have lo 

 undergo a very severe bodily ordeal in order to become strong and fearless warriors. The most import- 

 ant of these rites takes place in the däiimo, and the participants burn each other with torches lighted 

 from a specially kindled flre and otherwise flght among themselves. At Mawdta a stone ligure, roughly 



Tom. XLVU. 



