466 Gunnar Landtman. 



THE SNAKES WHO COILED THEMSELVES ROUND PEOPLE AND CRUSHED THEM 



(no. 423—427). 



423. A certain Kiwai man named Madavi once went tf) Mibu with his wife and children 

 to fetch coconuts. They intended to spend the night thero and built a small hut, not knowing- 

 that right underneath them was a large snake in the ground. During the night the snake wanted 

 to come up but only managed to do so with great difficulty because of the heavy weight on the 

 top. It attacked the man, bit him in the throat and coiled itself round his body. The wife got 

 up and lighted a torch. At the sight of the snake she cried out to her children, „My god! father 

 belong you I think he finish ! One snake been roll him up. What's way you me (we) go back 

 home, who go steer?" She seized a sharp shell, and the man said, „You catch him head first, 

 eut him close to head," but the snake's skin was too härd, and the shell did not eut. Then the 

 man said, „You go back along Kfvvai, go take some man, say, 'Man belong me, one snake been 

 roll him up.'" The womah then paddled över to Kiwai with her children and told the people 

 what had happened (abbrev.). Four men joined her on her way back to Mi'bu, and they found 

 that her husband had a little life still in him. They eut the snake in pièces with their stone axes 

 and brought man and snake with them över to Kiwai. The vvoman bled her husband, and he 

 recovered. The people cooked and ate the snake, and the vertebrae were threaded on a string 

 and hung up in the house. When the men went to fight they burnt some of the bones and 

 painted themselves black with the ashes. (Gibüma, Mawåta). 



424. Once when hunting in the bush a certain Ôwosudâi man named Gemåvi saw a 

 large snake in a tree. He tied up his bow and arrows to his Shoulder and climbed up the tree. 

 When he came near he shot an arrow at the snake and hit it, but the reptile did not move. 

 Then he shot two more arrows at it, and the snake raised its head and came crawling towards 

 him. Gemåvi tried to hit the snake's head but it dodged the blows and eaught him by the 

 throat, coiling itself round his body. The man could not move, and the two feil to the ground 

 together. The snake did not release its hold, and in the night the man staggered up thinking, 

 „No good I lie down," and still held in the snake's grip he went on his way home and finally 

 came into one of the houses. There was a man who at the sight of him started to run away, 

 but Gemåvi called out, „You no run away, that me, Gemåvi. Snake he fast along me tight." 

 The people lighted their torches, and the „strong men" all came and eaught hold of the snake 

 cutting off its head with a large shell. Then they uncoiled the snake and pulled out its tail which 

 it had passed into his anus, and a mäss of excréments flowed out. The man died, and the 

 people began to wail. As the snake was very fat they did not throw it away but ate it. The 

 next day the dead man was buried, for the snake had crushed his bones. (Duäne, Mawåta). 



425. Once long ago when the Wiörubi people were fishing in a swamp a certain vvoman 

 was eaught by a large snake. None of her companions dared to go and fight the snake, so they 

 sent for the „big men", but they too were frightened, although the woman's husband tried to 

 encourage them. Thinking to himself, „That proper woman belong me, no good I fright," the 



•Pom. \1A1I. 



