716 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [BTH, ANN. 38 
108) for Surinam.| More than this, each such star is the permanent 
home of, in fact actually is, the spirit of that same flesh, fowl, tree, 
or plant which is then in ‘season, and into which it changes or passes. 
This spirit is called tukuyuha, or -kuyuha (in composition) by the 
Arawak, and yumu by the Carib. It travels from its star to a par- 
ticular spot on earth, to a breeding place, where it congregates 
with others of its kind ready to take up its temporary residence in the 
newly born or fruiting organism which it thus endows with life and 
activity and only leaves at death, when it returns to its heavenly 
home. The ordinary Arawak term for star in general is wiwa, 1. e., 
what shines, glistens, etc., but certain ones, on account of their al- 
ways assuming a fixed position in the sky when the animal or plant 
whose spirits or kuyuhas they provide a temporary home for are in 
season, are particularized as kamma(tapir)-kuyuha, waremedo 
(sloth)-kuyuha, buruwe(bullet tree)-kuyuha, ete. The breeding 
places on earth where the kuyuhas specially assemble, ready to 
breathe the breath of life over animal or plant, receive names identi- 
cal with those of their spirit-derived star. Thus, we have just 
spoken of the kamma-kuyuha star, which is the home of the body 
spirit of the tapir. Now, there is a creek on the left bank of the 
Demerara River called the Kammakwear (a corruption of kamma- 
kuyuha), which points to the fact that at some previous period, or 
possibly even now, at a certain season of the year when its name- 
sake star reached a definite point in the heavens, the female tapir 
and its young were very plentiful in that area, i. e., it was a recog- 
nized breeding ground of that creature. There are several such 
spots still retained in the local place names. Thus there are the 
Kassa (porpoise)-Kwia (a branch of the Kamuni), the Oma (pirai 
fish)-Kwia, the Baremo (giant anteater)-Kuia, the Tibikuri (species 
of fresh-water edible fish)-Kuyuha, etc., creeks on the Demerara 
River; the Vacca(Spanish, cow)-Kuyuha Falls, on the Corentyn. 
This correlation of star with animal or plant was, of course, more 
or less known to the laity, but it was the piaimen who were most 
intimately acquainted with it, and ran their knowledge for all it 
was worth in the way of prophecying when and where game might be 
hunted with success. With the disappearance, however, of these 
comparatively enlightened individuals and the influence of the non- 
pagan missionary, the stellar lore has been gradually lost. Indians 
of the present day know but a few of the economically important 
stars and constellations, while only here and there is to be met an 
individual acquainted with some of the legends and tales connected 
with the most conspicuous and striking ones. The Carib of the 
upper reaches of the Pomeroon and Moruca Rivers, living, to my 
own personal knowledge, practically isolated lives from year’s end to 
