CHAPTER XVIII
.
THE ISLANDS OF THE SEAS.
I believe that the ignorance which has prevailed regarding the mythological systems of barbarous or semi-barbarous races has too generally led to their being considered far grander and more reasonable than they really were.--W. VON HUMBOLDT.
Oceanica is one of the five great divisions of the globe. It embraces all the islands lying in the Pacific Ocean between the south-eastern shores of Asia and the western shores of America.
The people may be divided into two classes; the one called the Papuans, the other the Malayo-Polynesians. The first resemble the African Negroes, having a black skin, and crisp (Papua means “crisp”) and woolly hair, broad noses, receding chins and foreheads and thick, protruding lips. These Oceanica Negroes live mainly in New Guinea. They are also found in the woods and mountain fastnesses of some other islands. They seemed destined to be utterly destroyed in the struggle with new-coming races. The second, the Malayo-Polynesians, are the brown or copper-colored race of Oceanica. They greatly resemble the Arabs in character, customs and appearance. They are half-civilized, while the Papuans are barbarous. They overspread almost the whole of the southern Pacific Islands. They readily responded to the religious teachings and civilizing influences of Asia. In Java especially they became almost a reproduction of the people of India, in their religion, language and habits.
THE DEPRAVED CONDITION OF THE PAPUANS.
[Illustration: A PAPUAN FETICH HOUSE.
Various charms and fetiches are here brought together, and persons afflicted in all imaginable ways assemble to secure the benefits supposed to emanate from such a collection. Fetiches may also be purchased here in sizes and styles to suit the necessities and the means of purchasers.]
The religious condition of the Papuans is very low. They resemble somewhat the American Indians and the lower African peoples in their faith and worship. The idea of God has almost vanished from their minds. They recognize, indeed, not a moral Ruler, but a great awe-inspiring and mysterious power. Their whole worship is a mere attempt at propitiating the angry and malignant gods and evil spirits. There are no shrines or temples, no priests, no sacred books. They make _fetiches_ of pieces of sculpture, a snake, a lizard, a bit of bone or sometimes an image of a man. This last is called a _karwar_ and is found in almost every hut, and answers the purpose of an oracle and idol. In consulting it, they squat before it, clasp their hands over the forehead, bow repeatedly, at the same time stating their intentions. If they are seized with any nervous feeling, it is considered a bad sign. If they feel hopeful, the idol is supposed to approve. It is deemed necessary that a _karwar_ should be present on all important occasions.
[Illustration: TATTOOED GIRL OF OCEANICA.]
THE PAGAN POLYNESIANS.
We see in the Malayo-Polynesians a reproduction of the worship of the Aztecs of Mexico. Together with some knowledge of arts and civilization, the most savage atrocities exist--infanticide, human sacrifices, the choking to death of whole families in honor of some fallen chief, brutish feasts upon the bodies of their foes and even of their fellow-subjects.
The chief god is called _Ndengei_. Besides him there is a host of good and evil gods, who are always warring in the attempt to help or to hurt mankind. One of these gods of the infernal regions is said to sit upon the brink of a huge fiery cave, into which he casts the spirits of the dead. Another, the one-toothed Lord, is described as living in the figure of a man, with wings instead of arms, and claws instead of fingers, to snatch his victims. His tooth is so large that it reaches above his head, and he throws out sparks of fire as he flies through the air.
[Illustration: POLYNESIAN IDOL AND ITS DEVOTEES.]
Among this people there is a priesthood, and their temples, or “spirit-houses,” are called _Mbure_. They are exceedingly devout in their way and superstitious. Their religious ideas enter into their every-day life. They have some interesting traditions, from which a few selections may be used as illustrative of the whole.
TRADITIONARY ORIGIN OF HUMAN PRIESTHOOD.
The gods first spake to man through the small land-birds; but their utterances were too indistinct to guide the actions of mankind. To meet this emergency, an order of priests was set apart, the gods actually taking up their abode, for the time being, in their sacred persons. Priests were significantly named “god-boxes” (pia-atna), generally abbreviated to “gods,” _i. e._, living embodiments of these divinities. Temples were naturally conjoined with priesthood, but they were usually of the rudest and simplest sort.
[Illustration: A FIJIAN BURE TEMPLE.]
Whenever consulted, a present of the best food, accompanied with a bowl of intoxicating “piper mythisticum,” was indispensible. The priest, throwing himself into a frenzy, delivered a response in language intelligible only to the initiated. A favorite subject of inquiry was “the sin why so-and-so was ill;” no one being supposed to die a natural death unless decrepit with extreme old age. If a priest cherished a spite against anybody, he had only to declare it to be the will of the divinity that the victim should be put to death, or be laid on the altar for some offense against the gods. The best kinds of food were sacred to the priests and chiefs and they were never slow to make use of it.
Although unsuited for the delivery of oracles, birds were ever regarded as the special messengers of the gods to warn individuals of impending danger, each tribe having its own feathered guardians.
POLYNESIAN NOTION OF THE SUN AND MOON.
A curious myth obtained in the now almost extinct Tongan tribe relative to the origin of the sun and moon. Vátea and Tonga-ita quarreled respecting the parentage of the first born of Papa, each claiming the child as his own. At last the child was cut in two. Vátea, the husband of Papa, took the upper part as his share, and forthwith squeezed it into a ball and tossed it into the heavens, where it became the sun.
[Illustration: IDOL OF SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.]
Tonga-ita sullenly allowed his share, the lower half, to remain a day or two on the ground. Seeing the brightness of Vátea’s half, he resolved to imitate his example by compressing his share into a ball, and tossing it into the dark sky during the absence of the sun in Avaiki, or nether-world. Thus originated the moon, whose paleness is attributed to the blood having all drained out of the body as it lay so long on the ground and to decomposition having commenced.
They believed that men could become gods. Māni, by his mighty prowess, entered the rank of the gods, and his example could be followed by others.
TRADITION OF MĀNI’S SECURING THE FIRE-GOD’s SECRET.
One of the most peculiar traditions of Oceanica is this: To Ru and Buataranga was born a famous son, Māni. At an early age, Māni was appointed one of the guardians of this upper world where mortals live. Like the rest of the inhabitants of the world, he subsisted on uncooked food. The mother, Buataranga, occasionally visited her son, but always ate her food apart, out of a basket brought with her from nether-land. One day, when she was asleep, Māni peeped into her basket, and discovered cooked food. Upon tasting it, he was decidedly of opinion that it was a great improvement upon the raw diet to which he was accustomed. This food came from nether-world; it was evident that the secret of fire was there. To nether-world, the home of his parents, he would descend to gain this knowledge, so that ever after he might enjoy the luxury of cooked food.
[Illustration: GREAT IDOL OF OCEANICA,
Six feet in Height.]
On the following day Buataranga was about to descend to Avaiki (nether-world), when Māni followed her through the bush without her knowing it. This was no difficult task, as she always came and returned by the same road. Peering through the tall reeds, he saw his mother standing within easy hearing distance of him and directly opposite a black rock, which she addressed as follows:
“Buataranga, descend thou boldly through this chasm, The rainbow-like must be obeyed; As two dark clouds parting at dawn, Open, open up my road to nether-world, ye fierce ones.”
[Illustration: HAWAIIAN IDOL, KNOWN AS THE POISON GOD.]
At these words, the rock divided, and Buataranga descended. Māni carefully treasured up these magic words, and without delay started off to see the god Tane, the owner of some wonderful pigeons. He earnestly begged Tane to lend him one; but the proffered pigeon not pleasing Māni, was at once returned to its owner. A better pigeon was offered to the fastidious borrower, but was rejected. Nothing would content Māni but the possession of Akaotu, or _Fearless_, a red pigeon, specially prized by Tane. It was so tame that it knew its name; and, wander wherever it might, it was sure to return to its master. Tane, who was loth to part with his pet, extracted a promise from Māni that the pigeon should be restored to him uninjured. Māni now set off in high spirits, carrying with him his red pigeon, to the place where his mother had descended. Upon pronouncing the magic words which he had overheard, to his great delight, the rock opened, and Māni, entering the pigeon, descended. Some assert that Māni transformed himself into a small dragon-fly, and, perched upon the back of the pigeon, made his descent. The two fierce guardian demons of the chasm, enraged at finding themselves imposed upon by a stranger, made a grab at the pigeon, intending to devour it. Fortunately, however, for the borrower, they only succeeded in getting possession of the _tail_, whilst the pigeon, minus its beautiful tail, pursued its flight to the shades. Māni was grieved at the mishap which had overtaken the pet bird of his friend Tane.
Arrived at nether-land, Māni sought for the home of his mother. It was the first house he saw; he was guided to it by the sound of her clothflail. The red pigeon alighted on an ovenhouse opposite to the shed where Buataranga was beating out cloth. She stopped her work to gaze at the red pigeon, which she guessed to be a visitor from the upper world, as none of the pigeons in the shades were red. Buataranga said to the bird, “Are you not come from daylight?” The pigeon nodded assent. “Are you not my son, Māni?” inquired the old woman. Again the pigeon nodded. At this Buataranga entered her dwelling and the bird flew to a bread-fruit tree. Māni resumed his proper human form, and went to embrace his mother, who inquired how he had descended to nether-world, and the object of his visit. Māni avowed that he had come to learn the secret of fire. Buataranga said, “This secret rests with the fire-god, Manike. When I wish to cook an oven, I ask your father Ru to beg a lighted stick from Manike.” Māni inquired where the fire-god lived. His mother pointed out the direction, and said it was called Are-aoa--_house-of-banyan-sticks_. She entreated Māni to be careful, “for the fire-god is a terrible fellow, of a very irritable temper.”
[Illustration: IDOL FROM POLYNESIA.]
Māni now walked up boldly toward the house of the fire-god, guided by the curling column of smoke. Manike, who happened at the moment to be cooking an oven of food, stopped his work and demanded what the stranger wanted. Māni replied, “A fire-brand.” The fire-brand was given. Māni carried it to a stream running past the bread-fruit tree and there extinguished it. He now returned to Manike and obtained a second fire-brand, which he also extinguished in the stream. A third time a lighted stick was demanded of the fire-god. He was beside himself with rage. Raking the ashes of his oven, he gave the daring Māni some of them on a piece of dry wood. These live coals were thrown into the stream as the former lighted sticks had been.
Māni correctly thought that a fire-brand would be of little use, unless he could obtain the secret of fire. The brand would eventually go out; but _how to reproduce the fire_? His object, therefore, was to pick a quarrel with the fire-god, and compel him, by sheer violence, to yield up the invaluable secret, as yet known to none but himself. On the other hand, the fire-god, confident in his own prodigious strength, resolved to destroy this insolent intruder into his secret. Māni, for the fourth time, demanded fire of the enraged god. Manike ordered him away, under pain of being tossed into the air; for Māni was small of stature. But the visitor said he should enjoy nothing better than a trial of strength with the fire-god. Manike entered his dwelling to put on his war-girdle (ume-i-tono maro); but on returning, found that Māni had swelled himself to an enormous size. Nothing daunted at this, Manike boldly seized him with both hands and hurled him to the height of a cocoanut tree. Māni contrived, in falling, to make himself so light that he was in no degree hurt by his adventure. Manike, maddened that his adversary should yet breathe, exerted his full strength, and next time hurled him far higher than the highest cocoanut tree that ever grew. Yet Māni was unhurt by his fall, whilst the fire-god lay panting for breathe.
It was now Māni’s turn. Seizing the fire-god, he threw him up to a dizzy height, and caught him again like a ball with his hands. Without allowing Manike to touch the ground, he threw him a second time into the air, and caught him in his hands. Assured that this was but a preparation for a final toss, which should seal his fate, the panting and thoroughly exhausted Manike entreated Māni to stop and spare his life. Whatever Māni desired Manike promised should be his.
[Illustration: NEW ZEALAND MOON-GOD.]
The fire-god, now in a miserable plight, was allowed to breathe awhile. Māni said: “Only on one condition will I spare you--tell me the secret of fire. Where is it hidden? How is it produced?” Manike gladly promised to tell him all he knew, and led him inside his wonderful dwelling. In one corner there was a quantity of fine cocoanut-fibre; in another, bundles of fire-yielding sticks--the “_au_,” the “oronga,” the “_tauinu_,” and particularly the “_aoa_,” or banyan tree. These sticks were all dry and ready for use. In the middle of the room were two smaller sticks by themselves. One of these the fire-god gave to Māni, desiring him to hold it firmly, while he himself plied the other most vigorously, uttering as he did it the following song:
THE FIRE-GOD’S SONG.
Grant, oh, grant me thy hidden fire, Thou banyan tree! Perform an incantation; Utter a prayer to (the spirit of) The banyan tree!
Kindle a fire for Manike Of the dust of the banyan tree!
By the time this song was completed Māni, to his great joy, perceived a faint smoke arising out of the fine dust produced by the friction of one stick upon another. As they persevered in their work the smoke increased, and, favored with the fire-god’s breath, a slight flame arose, when the fine cocoanut fibre was called into requisition, to catch and increase the flame. Manike now called to his aid the different bundles of sticks, and speedily got up a blazing fire, to the astonishment and great delight of Māni.
The grand secret of fire was thus secured. But the victor resolved to be revenged for his trouble and his tossing in the air, by setting fire to his fallen adversary’s abode. In a short time all nether-world was in flames, which consumed the fire-god and all he possessed. Even the rocks cracked and split with the heat; hence the ancient saying in that land, “The rocks of Orovaru (in the shades) are burning.”
Ere leaving the land of ghosts, Māni carefully picked up the two fire-sticks, once the property of Manike, and hastened to the bread-fruit tree, where the red pigeon, “Fearless,” quietly awaited his return. His first care was to restore the tail of the bird, so as to avoid the anger of Tane. There was no time to be lost, for the flames were rapidly spreading. He re-entered the pigeon, which carried his fire-sticks one in each claw, and flew to the lower entrance of the chasm. Once more pronouncing the words he learnt from Buataranga, the rocks parted, and he safely got back to this upper world. Through the good offices of his mother, the pigeon met with no opposition from the fierce guardians of the road to the shades. On again entering into light the red pigeon took a long sweep, alighting, eventually, in a lovely, secluded valley, which was thenceforth named Rupe-tau, or _the pigeon’s resting-place_. Māni now resumed his original human form, and hastened to carry back the pet bird to his friend, Tane.
Passing through the main valley of Keia, he found that the flames had preceded him, and had found an aperture at Teava, since closed up. The kings Rangi and Mokoiro trembled for their land; for it seemed as if everything would be destroyed by the devouring flames. To save Mangaia from utter destruction, they exerted themselves to the utmost, and finally succeeded in putting out the fire. Rangi thenceforth adopted the new name of Matamea, or _Watery-eyes_, to commemorate his sufferings; and Mokoiro was ever after called Anai, or _Smoke_.
[Illustration: HAWAIIAN WAR-GOD, Covered with red feathers, having seal’s teeth and eyes of pearl.]
The inhabitants of Mangaia availed themselves of the conflagration to get fire and to cook food. But after a little time their fire went out, and as they were not in possession of the secret, they could not get new fire. But Māni was never without fire in his dwelling; a circumstance that excited the surprise and the envy of all. Many were the inquiries as to the cause. At length he took compassion on the inhabitants of the world, and told them the wonderful secret--that fire lies hidden in the hibiscus, the urtica argentra, the “tauniu,” and the “banyan.” This hidden fire might be elicited by the use of fire-sticks, which he produced. Finally, he desired them to chant the fire-god’s song, to give efficacy to the use of the sticks, and from that memorable day all the dwellers in this upper world used fire-sticks with success, and enjoyed the luxuries of light and cooked food. By such wonderful deeds Māni succeeded in introducing himself among the gods. He is to-day much reverenced throughout the Pacific Isles.
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