Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1892-12-16
MYTHS OF THF SOUTH SEAS.
curio.. Ss,h lsr. Of he Natives 80 r.sla-
tsiA ia

i.ls ia
The savage slaulers 81 the south Pa
eifii be icVc that the world Il y cocoa
nut shell IL .norlnous diInsasions. at
the top Of which 10 single aperture
communicating with the upper air.
where human bsinss dwcll A. tho
very bot om ~ thi. ina mary she'll Is .
stem gradually taperiug To a point,
which represents the b.ginning of all
things. This point Il = spirit, or de-
mon. without haiusn form, whose name
Is Root Of all Existence by him tho
entire fabric OF creation Is sustsinsi.
Ia the interior of the eocoauut shell,
at its very bottom, lives female de-
mon SO narrow Is the space iato
which she Ia crowded. that shs Is OBJ
liged To sit forever with kaees snd chin
touching Her name Ia '''rho Very BE.
ginning" aud from her .ro sprung nu-
merous spiritA They inhabit Ave dit.
fsrens floors. into which the great 90
cosnut is divided. From certain Of
these spirits mankind is descended
The islanders. regarding themselves As
the only real men and wonsn, were
formerly accustomed 10 regard strSng-
ers as evil spirits In the guiss of ha-
inanity, whom they killed when they
could. Offering shsm as saeriheeA
According 10 their bslief. the sky was
a blue vault OF solid stone, around the
bottom OF which were o number OF
holes. Through these the wind spirit
blew The Rods first spoke to man
through certaia small birds, but, bs-
cause OF their indistinct voices. An order
OF priests had IN be set apart, tho gods
taking up thsir abode Ia these sacred
persons Priests were Accordingly
named god boxes" From the gut
tonous habits in which they INDUCED
the phrsse TO gormandiEe like a god"
Is derived. Their power was wel-nigh
unlimited Anybody whom they dis
Liked they could dssignst. Tor sacrifice
Human SACRIFICES were very coumpu.
some families beiug devoted for genera
tion after generation 10 furnishing such
offerings
One popular myth expresses the very
political belief that the Island Of Tom
gareva WAS flushed out Of the bottom Of
the sea by god, who used for the pur-
poe the tall OF tns constellation "Scor-
pln," batting thisremArkable hook with
n star. Another divinity accomplished
q work OF great boaeaesnee by rcgulst-
Ing the sun The orb OF day used 10
have trick OF setting almost a. soon
as II had Risen, No shat II was impos-
sibls TO get through any work Even
an oven OF hod could not be prepared
and eso.ed bsfors darkaess eanas on.
So the deity Mani carefully plated sir
great ropes OF strsng cocoasut aber,
makiag no.,ses In the hole ut the edge |
OF the shy through which the sun
clin b. up fran the nsther world each |
uiorning. Al this point Of exit from
tho land OF GHOSTS iato the heavens the
ak nea~e@ were placed 'fhsy sa-
trapped tbs sua and that lurniaary was /
glad To agree 10 be In future more do
liisrzte la his moveinenta, 90 rs u on.
able the Inhabitants of the earth Tn get |
through their eiDployments
Original = tho hoavsns almost tnnuhsd |
the earth. buzz Msut and anolher .-od
named Ru pushesl them up "A thru
prcsent lofty -pdsinou. II,w s,sNa
WORK was not copplets, for ia.
OF tho slsy was worry irregular. So ,hey
saoh took oik stSus sdhs ana Win
them Clipped OF the rough parts OF tho
sky, thus giving 1t u perfectly oval APP
pearanue Thsn they Procured Amer
Adz.s. chipping away with ,hem at the
vault Of blue stone until II beeaias
faultlessly sinooth aud boautiful a. II
Ia aow. There airs tsa heavens. one
above another, which are the abode of
warriors who have persisted 10 bsstle
Giant Killers aud destroyers Of mon
sters are fouud In the fpIk lore Of these
Islands ~ well as Ia that of otlicr peo-
Pile In the fairyland u Kdpoiu lived
the renowned chief. Rata, who xsArted
on an exploring expedition Ia Z great
double eanee- IIs took NTH him. a
youth. nAifIad Nxafnoa, who IVES
lsmous baud 1t slsytng monslsfA and
4. L. A.. |