484 Gunnar Landtman. 



stars, and he named the différent months afttir them. Kârongo was to cover part of the turtle-breeding 

 season, Nâramudûbu was given fine weather and clear water, Nfriradiibu „half clear water, half dirty 

 water". Goibäru marked the middle of the north-west season („night-time, daytime rain, dirty water 

 too, no man go look round kaikai"). Kéke was the beginning of the south-east season, and next came 

 Séngerai (Orion's three stars) representing Tâgai's three daughters whom he had run through with one 

 thrust of his spear. Utiamo (Pléiades) was made up of six other girls whom he had speared with a 

 many-pronged weapon. 



Finally Tågai destroyed his canoe and went himself up into the sky as a shooting star. He 

 became the Southern Cross, and his month (about October) is very dry. (Nåmai, Mawäta). 



B. Tågai and his two brothers Nâramudûbu and Niriradiibu were once spearing turtle and 

 became implicated in a quarrel among the people. He speared his brothers and threw them up into 

 the sky where they became two stars. The month of Nâramudûbu includes the beginning of the north- 

 west monsoon and part of the copulating time of the turtles, and is foUowed by Niriradubu (about 

 Christmas). Tågai too, became a constellation (Crux), and his month is very hot and dry. (Amûra, 

 Mawâta). 



C. In Rep. Cambr. Anthrop. E.\p. vol. vi. 3. Tdgai and /ris Crew. Tågai and his crew went 

 fishing, and the latter stole his drinking water. He killed them, and they form the constellations 

 Pléiades and Orion, while Tågai, his canoe, and one of the men form certain other constellations. 

 (Cf. also no. 60 G). 



452. Kârongo, a Sâibai man, spent his time catching turtle. There was also another 

 man named Javâgi, who moved about by rolling himself along the ground for he had no legs. 

 Javâgi was angry with Kârongo who did not give him any turtie méat, and he thresv him up 

 into the sky where he and his three-pronged spear became the constellation Antares. „You stop 

 there," Javâgi said, „month name belong Kârongo too. Close up you go down; sundown you 

 look (are visible), middle night no more stop: that time people start spear fast (copulating) turtle." 

 (Continued in no. 378 B; Gaméa, Mawâta). 



TALES OF THE MOON (GANUMI (no. 453-454). 



453. Ganiimi, the first-born son of a Bâramtiba woman named Wi'owi'o was still an 

 infant in arms when his mother became pregnant once more. This turned her milk so Ganûmi 

 did not like it. He could not move about at that time, and was much neglected by his mother 

 who let him become very dirty. Only now and again she gave him a small pièce of 

 sago to eat. 



When her delivery was close at hand she was secluded in an enclosure of mats, and 

 there she bore her child. She did not throw away her mat which was stained with blood, but 

 gave it to GantJmi to lie upon. He sprang up at once and cried out, „Oi! what name that, 

 altogether red !" The people had all gone to the bush. Ganiimi was no longer a boy but changed 

 into a piro (red parrot). His body was covered with feathers, and he had a beak and was red 

 all över from his mother's blood. The bird perched on: the roof of the house and then flew to 



Tom. XLVIL 



