Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-30
Written for The Evening STAR
MYTHS OF THE SOUTH SEAS.
Curious Folk Lore of the Natives Of Pacific
Islands.


Islands.
THE WORLD HOLLOW cocoANUr SHELL
ORIGIN OF The CocoAyUr-A SOUTH PACIFIC
GIANT xILLER-How THE Sun WAS REGULATED
FATE OF THE pyAp IN TIE LAND OF GHOSTS.
The savage islanders Of the South Pacific be-
lieve tina: the world 10 cocoanut shell of en-
ormous dimensions, at the top of which is
single aperture communicating with the upper
air. where human beings dwell. At the very
bottom of this imaginary shell is q stem grad
ually tapering to point which represents the
beginning of all things. This point is a spirit
or demon without human form, whose name
is Root ofAll Existence" BY him the entire
fabric OF creation is sustained.
In the interior OF the cocoanut shell, at its
very bottom. lives female demon. So marrow
is the space into which she is crowded that she
is obliged to sit forever with knees and chin
touching. Her name il 1.-The Very Beginning"
and from her are sprung numerous spirits.
They inhabit five different floors. into which
the great cocoanut is divided Erom certain
OF these spirits mankind is descended. The
Islanders regarding themselves as the only real
men and women, were formerly accustomed to
regard strangers evil spirits in the guise of
humanity, whom they killed when they could,
Offering them as sacrifices.
HOLES IN THE SLY.
According to their belief the sky was blue
vault of solid stone, around the bottom of
which were number of holes. Through
these the wind spirits blew. The gods first
spoke to man through certain small birds but.
because of their indistinct voices. an order OF
priests had to be set apart, the gods taxing up
their abode in these sacred persons. Priests
oil ,n1 I'D hn~
the gluttonous habits i'll which they INDUCED
the phrase Ito gormandize like god is de-
rived. Their power was well nigh unlimited.
Anybody whom they disliked they could desig-
nate Tor sacrifice. Human sacrifices were very
common. some families being devoted for gen.
Grafton after generation to furnishing such Of
feriugs.
One popular myth expresses the very poetical
belief that the Island of Tongareva was fished
out OF the bottom of the by a god, who
used for the purpose the tail of the constella-
ton ''Scorpio.' batting this remarkable hook
with star Another divinity accomplished "a
work OF great beneficence by regulating the
sun. The orb of day used to have a trick of
setting almost as soon as it had risen 50 that
IT was impossible TO get through any work.
Even an oven of food could not be prepared
and cooked before darkness came on. 80 the
deity Maui Carefully plated six great ropes of
strong cocoanut fiber. making nooses IN them,
and with these he sought tine hole at the edge
OF the sky through which the sun climbs up
from the neither world each morning. At this
point OF exit from the land of ghosts into the
heavens the six nooses were placed. They en-
trapped the sun and that luminary was glad TO
agree to be in future more deliberate III his
movements, SO as to enable the inhabitants OF
earth to get through their employnents.
Originally the heavens almost touched the
earth, but Maui and another god named Eu
pushed them up to their present lofty position.
, however, the work was not complete for the
surface of the sky was very irregular. So they
each took big stone adze and with them
clipped of the rongh parts of the sky, thus
giving it perfectly oval appearance. Then
they procured finer AIDES, chipping away with
them at the vault OF blue stone until 1t became
fautlessly smooth and beautiful. as 1t is
now. There are ten heavens, one above
another, which are the abode of warriors who
have persisted in battle
ORIGIN OF THE CoCoANUr.
To these natives of the South Pacific the
cocoanut is a vegetable product of the utmost
importance. Its origin was divine. There was
"a young woman, daughter of goddess. who
lived IN a cave. close by which ran stream
that was filed with cells. One day while bath.
ing she was surprised by a huge eel. which
presently assumed the form of a handsome
youth. He informed her that he was the god
| OF the eels. They became lovers. but finally
| he was compelled to bid her farewell. Before
doing SO. however, he appeared in his eel shape
| and directed her to cut off his head and bury
it. She did SO. and it sprouted into tree
From this tree all the cocoanuts in the world
were derived, aud on each nut are invariably
| found the two eyes and mouth of the young
| man. The white kernel Is commonly referred
| to as his brains.
Giant killers and destroyers of monsters are
found in the folk lore OF these islanders as wei
| as in that OF other peoples. In the fairylant
| OF kupolu lived the renowned chief, Rata. who
started op an exploring expedition in a grea
double canoe. He took with him a youth
| named Nganaoa, who n famous hand a
| staying monsters, and this was very fortunate
because on the third day of their voyage al
| enormous clam rose out OF the deep, its shell
| wide open to grab them. One shell was ahead
the other astern-the canoe and all on boart
| lying between. In another moment they woul,
have been crushed between the two fearful
| valves, but Ngsnaoa quickly drove his spea
down into the ANIMAL SO that it sank TO tn,
| bottom. Soon at;erward an octopus Of extra
ordinary dimensions encircled the boat will
ita tentacles, but Nganaoa thrust his spea
| through Its head and killed it. Next might,
whale attempted to gulp down the canoe. bu
| Nganaoa broke his long spear in two, and a
| the moment when the monster was about Il
crush them he inserted both sticks inside tn,
gaping mouth SO that the enemy could no
| close its jaws.
Having accomplished this feat Nganaoa MIN
bly, jumped into the mouth of the whale an,
| looked down INTO its stomach. Loi there sa
| his long lost .ather and mother, who had BEEF
| swallowed alive while fishing by the monster
The old lady and gentleman were busily en-
gagged in plating palm leaves. and great wa
their joy a: seeing their son. Nganaoa re
solved while rescuing his parents to be re
! venged upon tho whale. Accordingly lie tool
, out one OF tine sticks, the other sufficing (,
hold the whales mouth open. and broke
into two pieces. These he rubbed togethe
and thus obtained lame. with which he Sc
fire 10 the fatty part of the stomach of tn
| monster. The latter, i'll agony. swan to tn
| nearest land, where, on reaching the sand
beach, father, mother and son quietly Wake,
out.
| THE LAND OF GHOSTS.
Hades, or the land of ghosts, is supposed I,
be inside the mighty cocoanu: shell, beneath tn
surface of the earth, which Is merely a thiu
crust over a vast hollow Some of the islands
being of volcanic origin, are honeycombe,
with caves aud frightiul chasms. down tn,
deepest OF which the corpses of the dead ar,
| thrown. SO that the survivors not unnatural,
| imagine the entrance to the neither world 10 b,
down one or more of these pits Existence il
this strange spirit land is pursued by the i'm
| mortals very much as people live on earth
| They very numerous and their ways ar,
! mostly far from engaging. Some tribes o
them are cannibals, whose delight is to entra,
| aid feed upon the souls of mortals Other,
have only one eye apiece.
| Each human soul, upon leaving tho BODY ii
, compelled to climb upon branch of tree D