668 



•consequently, in the opinion of the Rev, W. J. V. Saville, is 

 quite considerable. 



Again, the display of pigs during the feast corresponds 

 a,lso to the same psychological attitude of the natives. 



The quickening of life in the village is manifested also 

 by the increase in the intensity of sex life (cf. sec. 3 of chap. 

 iii.) and by the frequency of small feasts, of a more or less 

 private character, which are in preference held at that time 

 (comp. what has been said about small feasts preliminary to 

 marriage, chap, iii., sec. 3, and during the initiation cere- 

 mony, chap, iii., sec. 4). During the last few weeks before 

 the advent of the :^east one frequently sees men boiling sago 

 and preparing coconut cream, and groups of wom.en unusually 

 busy at cooking, etc. 



Series of Minor Feasts and Preparations for a Govi 

 Madiina. — These general remarks will furnish the broad back- 

 ground to the details which follow, and they will enable the 

 reader to sift from the account the features common to all 

 feasts from those peculiar to the Govi maduna. The latter 

 is by far the most important in the native's own eyes and in 

 that of the ethnologist. It has, therefore, been chosen as the 

 subject of the following description. The other forms of 

 Maduna can be easily realized by the reader by the suppression 

 of specific details. 



As mentioned in the paragraph on taboos (chap. iii. sec. 

 5), the coconut Goras, and especially the specific festive Gora, 

 the Tona gora, are erected a long time before the feast begins, 

 and, as far as I know, this is the first step in the series of 

 preparations for the feast. When the coconuts are tabooed 

 in virtue of death — i.e., when they are NehiUni — the state of 

 things is to be considered as preliminary to a feast. (88) 



The real preparations and the series of preliminary feasts 

 begin with the Kanare or Gdtsi (small feast), called Mauru 

 awAta. It is held at the beginning of the Anrdri season 

 (midwinter) ; that is, roughly, about six months before the 

 main feast will be given. (^9) 



At this the Damorea is danced, as, in fact, it is danced 

 at practically all the smaller feasts. Women only take part 

 in it, and they are decorated with strings of shell discs and 

 wave, as they would wave a fan, the FJdki, or folded mat of 



(88) Of the connection between the ordinary feast and the 

 mortuary feasts I failed to obtain a clear idea. The little I know 

 Avill be said in the next paragraph. 



(89) For the description of the native seasons see chap, iii., 

 sec. 2. 



