Chapter IX
, is the privilege of a certain sub-clan in Sinaketa. I was discussing with a very good informant, Toybayoba of Sinaketa, the customs of launching the canoes, and I tried, as usually, to keep my interlocutor as much as possible to concrete details and to the stating of the full sequence of events. In his account he uttered this sentence:
"The Tolabwaga launch their canoe first; by this the face of the sea is cleared."
I thereupon perceived that a new subject had been brought within my notice, and I headed my informant on to it, and obtained the following text, sentence after sentence:--
THE TOLABWAGA SUB-CLAN AND THEIR SEA-FARING PRIVILEGES
1 Bikugwo, ikapusi siwaga 1 He might be first he fall down (it is launched) their canoe
Tolabwaga, boge bimilakatile bwarita. Tolabwaga, already he might be clear sea.
2 Igau kumaydona gweguya, tokay siwaga 2 Later on all chiefs, commoner their canoe
ikapusisi oluvyeki. they fall down (are launched) behind.
3 Kidama takapusi takugwo bitavilidasi 3 Supposing we fall down, we are first they might turn (on) us
baloma; bitana Dobu, gala tabani bunukwa soulava. spirits; we might go Dobu, no we find pig necklace.
4 Makawala yuwayoulo: bikugwo isipusi 4 Alike (lashing creeper) he (it) might be first they bind
siwayugo, iga'u yakidasi. their wayugo lashing, later on ourselves.
5 Takeulo Dobu, gala bikugwasi Tolabwaga; 5 We sail Dobu, no they might be first Tolabwaga;
okovalawa boge aywokwo. on sea front already he was over.
6 Obwarita tananamse kayne isakauli taytala 6 In sea we consider whether he run one (masculine)
lawaga, ikugwo. his canoe, he is first.
7 Gala bikaraywagasi patile. 7 No they might command canoe fleet.
8 Dobu, gweguya bikugwasi, biwayse 8 Dobu, chiefs they might be first, they might come there
kaypatile gweguya. canoe fleet chiefs.
9 M'tage Tolabwaga boge aywokwo sikaraywaga 9 Indeed Tolabwaga already he (it) was over their command
ovalu. in village.
The Tolabwaga sub-clan belong to the Lukwasisiga clan, and live at present in Kasi'etana. Only one man and two women are surviving.
10 Simwasila siwaga migavala, vivila boge 10 Their Kula magic their canoe magic his, woman already
iyousayse. they grasp.
11 "Datukwasi boge kasakaymi megwa kwaraywagasi 11 "Our magical property already we give you magic you command
agayle!" to-day!"
Thus would they say on handing their magic to their male descendants.
INFORMANT'S COMMENTARY.
Commenting on verse 3, the expression, 'bitalividasi baloma,' my informant said:
'Bitavilida': bilivalasi baloma "Avaka 'They might turn (on) us': they might say spirit "What
pela gala ikugwo Tolabwaga, kukugwasi gumgweguya; for no he is first Tolabwaga, you are first sub-chiefs;
kayuviyuvisa Tolabwaga!" sweepers of the sea Tolabwaga!"
13 Tavagi gaga igiburuwasi, ninasi igaga, pela 13 We do bad they angry mind theirs' he bad for
magisi balayamata tokunabogwo aygura. desire theirs we might watch long ago he has decreed.
The verbal translation renders word for word the individual meaning of every particle and root, according to a definite grammatical and lexicographical scheme which has been adopted for this text in common with a few hundred more. In this place, I cannot give the commentary and justification of the linguistic details, which will be fairly obvious to a Melanesian scholar, who might, however, find some new and even controversial features in my translation. To other readers, these details are of small interest. I have not included in this translation any distinction between the inclusive and exclusive first person, dual and plural. Of the two tenses which are to be found in this text, the narrative one is translated by the English verb in infinitive, the potential, by the addition of the word 'might.' In brackets underneath, the special meaning of a word in its context is indicated, or some comments are added.
The free translation of the text must now be given:--
FREE TRANSLATION.
1 The Tolabwaga canoe would be launched first; by this the face of the sea is cleared.
2 Afterwards, all the chiefs', the commoners' canoes are launched.
3 If we would launch our canoes first, the spirits (of ancestors) would be angry with us; we would go to Dobu and we would receive no pigs, no necklaces.
4 It is likewise with the lashing of the canoe: first, the Tolabwaga would bind the lashing creeper and afterwards ourselves.
5 On our journey to Dobu, the Tolabwaga would not sail ahead, for their priority ends on the beach of Sinaketa.
6 On the sea it is according to our wish, and if one man's canoe runs fast, he would be first.
7 They (the Tolabwaga) do not wield the command of the canoe fleet.
8 In Dobu, the chiefs would be first; the chiefs would arrive there at the head of the fleet.
9 But the supremacy of the Tolabwaga ends here already, in the village.
10 The Kula magic, the magic of the canoe, belonging to the Tolabwaga clan has passed already into the hands of their womenfolk.
11 (These would say speaking to their male children): -- "We shall give you the magic, the magical inheritance, you rule henceforward."
12 When the spirits become angry, they would tell us:-- "Why are the Tolabwaga not first and you minor chiefs are ahead? Are not the Tolabwaga cleaners of the sea?"
13 When we do wrong, they (the spirits) are angry, their minds are malevolent, for they desire that we should keep to the old customs.
XVI
Comparing the free translation with the literal one, it is easy to see that certain additions have been made, sentences have been subordinated and co-ordinated by various English conjunctions which are either completely absent from the native text, or else represented by such very vague particles as boge (already), and m'tage (indeed). On these linguistic questions I cannot enlarge here, but it will be good to go over each sentence in succession, and to show how much it was necessary to add from the general store of sociological and ethnographic knowledge, in order to make it intelligible.
1. The meaning of the word 'fall down' is specialised here by the context, and I translated it by 'launch.' The particle boge had to be translated here by 'by this.' The words about the 'clearing of the sea' suggested at once to me that there was a special ancient custom in question. Then there is the name of the sub-clan Tolabwaga. In order to understand the full meaning of this phrase, it is necessary to realise that this name stands for a sub-clan; and then one has to be well acquainted with native sociology, in order to grasp what such a privilege, vested in a sub-clan, might mean. Thus, a word like this can in the first place be understood only in the context of its phrase, and on the basis of a certain linguistic knowledge. But its fuller meaning becomes intelligible only in the context of the native life and of native sociology. Again the expression referring to the clearing of the sea required a further comment, for which I asked my informant, and was answered by Phrase 3.
2. In this phrase the expressions 'chiefs,' 'commoners' etc., are fully intelligible only to one, who has a definition of these words in terms of native sociology. Indeed, only the knowledge of the usual supremacy of the chiefs allows one to gauge their importance and the survival character of this custom, by which this importance is diminished for a time.
3. Here, we have the explanation of the obscure clause in phrase 1, 'A clear sea' means the good temper of the spirits which again means good luck. The question as to whether the spirits are to be imagined as actively interfering or helping still remained open. I asked for a further elucidation, which was given to me in the text of Phrases 12 and 13.
4. This contains a condensed reference to the stages of ship-building, previous to launching. This, of course, to be understood, pre-supposes a knowledge of these various activities.
5 to 9. The limitations of the powers of the Tolabwaga sub-clan are outlined, giving interesting side-lights on the rôle played by females as repositories of family (sub-clan) traditions. Needless to say, this statement would be entirely meaningless without the knowledge of the natives' matrilineal institutions, of their customs of inheritance and of property in magic. The correct knowledge of these facts can only be gathered by a collection of objective, ethnographic documents, such as concrete data about cases of actual inheritance, etc.
12 and 13. Here it is explained how far the baloma would become angry and how they would act if a custom were broken. It can be distinctly seen from it that the anger of the spirits is only a phrase, covering all these forces which keep the natives to the observance of old customs. The baloma would go no further than to reproach them for breaking the old rules, and there are no definite ideas among these natives about actual punishment being meted out by offended spirits.
These considerations show convincingly that no linguistic analysis can disclose the full meaning of a text without the help of an adequate knowledge of the sociology, of the customs and of the beliefs, current in a given society.
XVII
Another sample of a native text may be given here, as it is of especial interest, in that it throws light upon the previously given magical formula of the wayugo. It is the text I obtained trying to find the meaning of the word bosisi'ula, which figures at the beginning of the above-mentioned spell. According to two informants of Sinaketa, the word visisi'una refers to the belief already described, that the owner of a wayugo charm is liable to fits of trembling, during which he trembles as a bisila (pandanus) streamer trembles in the wind. He then should ritually eat some baked fish, and this is called visisi'una. Such a man would then ask somebody of his household:--
"Kugabu, kumaye, avisisi'una." "Thou bake, thou bring, I ritually eat."
Or someone else would urge his wife or daughter:--
"Kugabu, kumaye, ivisisi'una." "Thou bake, thou bring, he eats ritually."
Again, asked for a direct equation, my informant said:--
"Ivisisi'una -- bigabu, tomwaya ikam." "Ivisisi'una -- he bake, old man he eat."
The following text contains a more explicit definition of the term, which I was trying at that time to make clear and to translate by an appropriate English expression.
EXPLANATION OF WORD VISISI'UNA
A.--FIRST INFORMANT.
1 Pela isewo wayugo, itatatuva 1 For he learn wayugo, (the creeper magic) he (it) tremble
wowola matauna, isa'u (or isewo) wayugo. body his this (man), (who) he learn wayugo.
2 "Nanakwa, kugabu kusayki, tomwaya 2 "Quick, thou bake thou give old man (magician)
ivisisi'una boge itatatuva kana bisila, he ritually eats, already he tremble his pandanus streamer,
kana wayugo." his wayugo creeper."
B.--SECOND INFORMANT.
3 Tayta isewo bisila, gala bikam 3 (If) one (man) he learn bisila, not he might eat
yena, boge itatuva wowola. fish, already he tremble body his.
FREE TRANSLATION.
(A.) 1. The body of a man who has learned the wayuga spell, trembles, because he learned the spell. (Someone seeing him tremble, would tell someone of his household:)
2 "Quick, bake fish, give to the old man that he might ritually eat, his pandanus streamer trembles, his wayugo."
(B.) 3 A man who learns the bisila magic and does not eat fish will tremble.
This text, with its foregoing short comments and with its two versions will give an inkling of how I was able to obtain from my native informants the definition of unknown and sometimes very involved expressions and how, in the act of doing it, I was given additional enlightenment on obscure details of belief and custom.
It will also be interesting to give another text referring to the gwara custom. I have given in