The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-07-04
4 NATIVE FEAST

the most desirable of the virgins. The
gods have chosen-but as yet the chief
does not know their choice.
The dancing and the chanting have
ceased with the fall of the arrow. The
young chief opens his eyes, but he
cannot see the arrow.
"Pua Ne! Pua Me-" he calls, and
straightway the hiding arrow, from it's
place at the virgins feet. answers, in
a clear voice:
NE! Me-"
With this, the other maidens step
back and-her young beauty all SHIN
mering in the sun-the heaven chosen
stands revealed to him who has come
seeking his bride
In the background a soft voice
speaks of the glories of the chosen
one. Another takes up the theme and
from lip to lip the song is carried till
all the voices blend in one sweet ca
dence that swings softly up and down,
up and down. with the softly swaying
: bodies of the chanters. OF her beauty
they sing, of her grace in dancing the
hula and her wonderful skill In the
lomilomi (massaging) Presently, keep
ing time to the rattle of her own hula
gourd, the bride-to-be, begins to dance
! With slim, brown body lightly poised
and dainty feet quiescent, she dances
the marriage dance, the muscles under
her glowing skin ripping like tiny
waves in a sunlit pool. That is the
young mans signal. With a cry Of
forth thou shalt dance for me alone
in my hut--for me and none other!"
he seizes the maiden in his arms and
bears her away with him through the
forest
Then begin the preparations for the
wedding A great luau, or feast, must
be made-called the luau or ohaaina-
male (wedding feast. Some go to
sea to bring back fish that are of fine
flavor and good omen. Others bring
fatted pigs, fatted pups, kalo already
made into the delicious poi, and sugar
cane Ava, too, must be procured,
! and we'll born men and maidens with
clean, strong teeth must be found, for
be it known that the ava root must
be chewed in the mouth until it is soft
and pulplike, placed then in a kao
bowl. water poured over it, and then
strained to make the liquor for the
ohaaina-male
Then the drum man with his two
drums appears. The drums. small
one and larger one. are made. OF the
followed sections OF cocoanut trees.
with the followed end covered with
shark skin drawn taut and fastened
with thongs. With drum on either
side of him, the drummer beats with
his fingers, so that those hearing him
catch the drummed-out words: "Hoao
ma Iii e! (The chiefs are MARKEDLY
With a shout the words are taken up
by all who are near, and in from their
sports-surfboard riding, racing. arrow
shooting, dancing, swimming. discus
! throwing, westinghouse the we'd
ding guests, and out from his hut
comes the young chief. with his slim
his lady touch noses. All the high
chiefs among the guests tOucn noses.
! Then an old chief. bearing a wonderful
piece OF tapa cloth, comes forward.
The wedding pair face each other, and
the old chief throws the tapa over
them both.
Four times four prayers the kahuna
utters-being four to the gods of the
air, four to the gods of the sea, four to
the gods of marriage and four to the
gods of birth All the high chiefs and
the people again join noses. From
every throat present swel]s forth four
times, in triumphant chant: "Hoao
| ma Iii e: Hoao ma Iii e! Hoao ma iii
e! Hoao ma Iii e.
The chiefs are married." and the
guests sit down with them to the
wedding feast.