THE "MAFAI" 301 



somewhat sacred. He is a man who, recovering from a serious 

 illness, decides to do no work for some time to come ; in fact, 

 he continues to be an invalid, and henceforth neither obtains 

 nor cooks food, but is supported by the community. 



The word niaJi means " sir," and is used to indicate one who 

 is a superior, and is employed as a term of respect towards men 

 and women of some age : the chief of a village, the head of a 

 family, or parents, are styled viah. Fat means " inspired." Mafai 

 therefore means " an inspired man," i.e., a seer. 



A person may at the first stage of his recovery from a severe 

 and long-standing illness, or an attack of delirium, inform his 

 relatives that he has received a revelation, and therefore desires 

 to become a mafai. This is communicated to the tamiliianas, 

 and they, as well as other elderly people of the village, assemble 

 in his house, and after making a formal examination, pronounce 

 the verdict, tafuknu cJmat — " sunken eyes." 



A preliminary ceremony is then performed, called Hanata — 

 "adorning the invalid." They spread round his couch "devil- 

 expelling" leaves from Mai,*" and decorate the cane wall of the 

 house, at his side, with festoons, tassels, beads, wire, garlands, etc., 

 placing near him spoons, forks, and other electro-plated ware, with 

 a few bottles of toddy. 



They twist silver wire about his neck, arms, and legs, and 

 adorn him with necklaces, tassels, breastplate, and armlets, made 

 of silver coins, and then place him in a large decorated chair with 

 a Chinese straw hat on his head. A silver-handled stick (sceptre 

 of the tai?iiiua7ia) and a small dagger to kill the devil are given 

 him, together with a bottle of toddy, furnished with a hollow reed 

 to suck the liquid through. 



He is now proclaimed a mafai, and information is sent to his 

 friends and relatives in other villages, who all come with presents 

 to see the holy man. 



From this time forward, until he is thoroughly recovered, the 

 people of his village, with other friends and relatives, provide his 

 food and other necessaries by turns. This they do on a liberal scale. 



* Vide p. 303, 



