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THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE EFATESE 
No. 2.—THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE EFATESE. 
By Rev. Dr. Macponatp, Efate, New Hebrides. 
(Read Friday, January 7, 1898.) 
In a paper read before the Australasian Association for the 
Advancement of Science, at Hobart, 8th January, 1892, on 
““ Efate, New Hebrides,” I made a few concluding remarks on 
“ Mythology,’ which I purpose now to expand. It will be of 
interest to Polynesian scholars to compare the Efatese mythology 
with that of other parts of Oceania, with a view to the solution 
of problems familiar to all such scholars. My object in this 
paper is simply to set forth what the mythology of the Efatese 
really is, and that without professing to deal exhaustively with 
the subject. 
I. MAUI-TIKITIKI AND TAMAKATIA, 
The Efatese say that these were the first men, the former being 
the grandfather (tobwna), the latter his grandchild (sw/ina). There 
seems to be a general notion that the story about them is best 
known among the Efatese of the islets to the north of Efate, 
called the Shipherd group, and a rock is shown to this day on one 
of these, Mai or Three Hills, to which the rope was attached by 
which they drew up the islands from the sea, and which bears the 
marks of the rope and of their feet. However, another version 
of the story has it that the rock to which that rope was attached 
is not on Mai, but on the top of a certain hill on the north side 
of Efate. Not only is the site of the rock various, but the story 
as told by different persons varies in particulars. Generally, 
however, it is to the effect that Maui-tikitiki and Tamakaia dis- 
puted as to which of them was the greater, and that Tamakaia 
proved his superiority. I shall, therefore, give the story, not as 
told to me by any individual, but as gathered from several 
separate accounts. It may be observed by way of preliminary 
that these names Maui-tikitiki and Tamakaia were obtained from 
the Efatese by the first missionaries who visited the island. 
Thus Mr. Gill, in his “Gems from the Coral Islands,” says :—‘‘ It 
was found that these ignorant and degraded people needed not a 
Divine revelation to teach them the existence of a God. In com- 
mon with all the Polynesian tribes yet visited they believe in the 
existence and dominion of a God, which they call Maui-tikitiki.” 
And my friend, the late Mr. Murray, in his ‘‘ Missions in Western 
