674 



Taukuripokapoka, who have claims to the first introduction of 

 betelnut. They lived in JIaivdra (a community in Milne Bay, 

 at the eastern end of New Guinea). At that time there was 

 no betelnut in the country. Then Kumakarakedakeda and 

 Taukuripokapoka made a big feast, for which all the villages 

 assembled. They gave betelnut to every village, and are the 

 patrons of this article. 



The song is intended to please these two legendary per- 

 sons, and at the same time to make the nut plentiful. It is 

 essential that it should be eaten during the performance. The 

 natives were, as is usually the case, somewhat vacillating in 

 giving the luhy of the custom. But the song is obviously a 

 betelnut incantation, and all my informants were agreed that, 

 should the ceremony be omitted, the nuts would suffer. 



After the betelnut ceremony is finished tliere comes the 

 ceremonial cutting of the mango saplings, called Boroa gdhi- 

 gcihi, in which they sing a song referring to the cutting of the 

 mango. During this performance two men take the two young 

 mango trees in one hand, and small axes (iron ones in the 

 performance I saw) in the other, and at each phase of the 

 song they mark the sapling with an axe cut. As the singing 

 goes on — the same phrases being repeated over and over again, 

 as is usual in native songs — -the performers increase the energy 

 of the blows. After the song is finished they cut the mango 

 stakes into pieces about 30 cm. long. These, together with 

 the O'au creepers, are wrapped in the mats on which the 

 performance took place, and in this way form the pig charm, 

 the use of which will be described directly. The song, as well 

 as the cutting of the mangoes and the wrapping of the pieces 

 in the mats, is called Oilobo, which name is equally applied 

 to the whole feast. 



The song, of which I unfortunately failed to obtain the 

 translation, runs as follows : — 



1. Oiauguro haiwa eicaiogodo ha'iwa 



2. Ewaoi gera gerai a-a-a... (long drawn) 



3. Ewaoi dagohe a-a-a... (long drawn) 



4. Oiau gisoa hoi guri 



5. Oiau modiriva modiri auea 



6. Eoigiiri a-a-a... (long drav>ni) 



The numbers indicate the single phrases, which form dis- 

 tinct musical units in the singing. The song contains allusions 

 to the mango ( Gisoa, Modiri) . 



During the singing of this song, as of all those previously 

 quoted, one old man took the lead. He was not one of the 

 masters of the feast, and I was told afterwards that he was 

 the greatest authority on the subject in the village. In the 



