24 Dcniicc P. Bishop Muscuiii — Bulletin 



the parts they play in the pattern as a whole, such as the ka^ava (PI. x, B, 

 I, g) ; beam supporting the timbers of a house, which performs just this 

 function in the hand pattern; or the iti'iti'i (PI. xxvi, B, h) which encircles 

 the leg, binding together the side motives. 



Many of the design names * then, are names given by artists in terms 

 of their particular medium ; but motives are also named for objects in 

 nature or in the material culture, of which they were probably originally 

 naturalistic copies. Prominent among these are the eiiata (PI. xxni, B, h) 

 or man; the nihoniho pcata (PI. in, 6, c) or shark's teeth; the hikuhiku 

 atu (PI. XXXIV, k) or bonito tails; the pakiei (PI. xx, B, f) or crab; the 

 fa'amana (PI. xvi, h) or pandanus branches; the makamaka (PI. xx. A, c), 

 branches; the kaka'a (PI. xx, B, c), hzard; the poka'a (PI. ix, B at base 

 of fingers ) or shoulder rest for a carrying pole, which is sometimes repre- 

 sented with the carrying pole in the socket as in the finger motives of 

 PI. IX, C I. 



A third department of names seems to relate to legends and beliefs ; 

 such being the vai o Kena (PI. xxvi. A, g, center) water of Kena; the 

 vai ta keetu (PI. xvi, c), sacred bathing place of chiefs; the vai me'ama 

 (PI. XX, A, d), water moon; the Pohu (PI. xxii, B, g, center), a legendary 

 hero; the peke'oumei and the fanaua (PI. xv, c), or evil spirits. 



Whether these and the naturalistic motives had magical significance is 

 not known today, though there is reason to believe that the fanaua were 

 put upon the back of this one woman to protect her from these evil 

 spirits. The only positive statement regarding the significance of tattooing 

 design in the Marquesas that can be made upon the basis of the data 

 available today is that it was considered purely decorative at the time of 

 the cessation of the practice of the art. And it is as pure design that it 

 should be studied and appreciated. 



* In the explanation of the plates the names of the motives are those given by the 

 persons on whose bodies they are found. It is impossible to secure accurate transla- 

 tions of the majority of design names from natives today, since these have become 

 simply names to them. The names given here are only those which a knowledge of 

 the language and information from natives and from Dordillon seem to make reliable. 



