669 



pandanus leaves, (^o) The dance begins, as is always the case 

 at a small feast, in the afternoon (Valavitsa) and is continued 

 till daybreak, and at daybreak several pigs, to the number 

 of twenty or thirty, are killed. If there is a big Maduna in 

 preparation they are carved on the verandah of the house 

 of the Maduna master (Maduna gubinaj, and the meat distri- 

 buted amongst those present, each Duhu or subclan of the 

 villages which had been invited receiving its share. After 

 this distribution the men of the clan giving the feast bring 

 some stones and pile them in front of the master's house. This 

 is one of the preliminary signs that a Govi feast is about to 

 be held, and the erection of the heap of stones seems to be 

 the main ceremonial function of the Mauru amdta in the series 

 of preparatory feasts. But as I have not witnessed this feast 

 my information may be defective, though I observed the heap 

 of stones in front of the Maduna giibina's house, close to 

 Moto gora. 



This latter sign (Moto gora); comp. chap, iii., sec. 5) is 

 erected at another small feast, called Moto bddi, held at the 

 end of the Aurdri — in the Viniu season. At this feast the 

 men come dancing into the village from the bush. They 

 perform a dance identical with that danced during the feast 

 coming next in the series. As it was in this latter connection 

 that I saw it I shall describe it presently. They also sing the 

 same song and, as the whole proceedings are identical, they 

 very probably bring something — some leaves used in the con- 

 struction of the Moto gora — to the village ; but, unfortunately, 

 I did not press that point, and my informants might very 

 probably have omitted one of the details of the feast. At any 

 rate, the most important ceremonial role, of this feast is the 

 erection of the small gallows, ornamented with the large white 

 shell called by the natives Moto (Ovulum ovum). This is a 

 sign that the Govi dance will be performed at the Maduna. 

 As previously stated (chap, iii., sec. 5), this Moto gora is also 

 a token that as many pigs are already pledged for the feast 

 as there are shells on the Gora, each shell representing one pig 

 promised by a man to the Maduna guhina (master of the feast). 



Whilst they erect the Moto gora they sing the following 

 incantation : — , 



Ddri ajmaH 

 dog bite 



Bord^a apua'i 

 pig bite 



(90) In Mailu district women do not use the ceremonial stone 

 axes, which are an essential accessory of the Damorca further 

 east, among the Massim of the southern coast. 



