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 Chapter XIV a native definition of this custom, and of the reception accorded to the Trobrianders in Dobu when there is a taboo on palms there. The statement was based on the following text, and on certain other additional notes.
Gwara in Dobu and the Ka’ubana’i Magic 1 1 Tama We come (to) Dobu Dobu, ikarigava’u— he die anew— gwara: gwara: bu’a areca bilalava he might ripen usi banana bimwanogu, he might ripen, nuya coco-nut bibabayse they might spike ka’i stick kayketoki. small stick. 2 2 Gala No ka’ubana’i, ka’ubana’i, takokola: we fright: ikawoyse they take (put on) bowa war paints kayyala, spear, kema; axe; isisuse they sit biginayda they might look at us. 3 3 Batana We go ovalu in village tasakaulo, we run, gala no tanouno we walk. batawa we might arrive tamwoyne we (i.d.) climb bu’a. areca. 4 4 Idou: He cries “E! “E! Gala No bukumwoyne thou mightst climb bu’a.” areca.” 5 5 Bogwe Already ika’u he take kayyala, spear, mwada mayhap biwoyda. he might hit us. 6 6 Tapula We ritually spit nayya wild ginger root ka’ubana’i: ka’ubana’i: ika’ita he return ima, he come igigila he laugh, iluwaymo he throw kayyala, spear, kema. axe. 7 7 Tapula We ritually spit Valu village kumaydona, all, boge already itamwa’u he vanish ninasi mind theirs’, ilukwaydasi: they tell us: 8 8 “Bweyna, “Good, kumwoynasi you climb kami your bu’a, areca, nuya, coco-nut (palms) kami your usi banana kuta’isi.” you cut.”
In comment added:
9 9 Gala No ikarige he die veyola kinsman his, ninasi mind their bweyna. well. 10 10 Vivila Woman kayyala spear her ikawo, she take pela for tokamsita’u. cannibals.
Free Translation
1 We come to Dobu, (there) someone has recently died—there is a gwala: the areca nut will ripen, the