[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

632 MALEKULA
In time Mwelnggil Veo and Ravaai procreated a number ojf
‘stones called taghafl which were named in order as follows;
Windeinalavii, Tagh Tarnate, Kabat oghou, Litamate, Wometa,
Banggatuoi, Wokhobono, Malaveguo, Ukoirneta, Wokho Baghap,
and Bagaugo.’ They still stand in the logha at Melpmes to-day,
and until the clan magicians of this village became extinct, they
were prominent in the annual ceremony of “ making man â€ù.
There seems to be some doubt as to the number of these
stones. Irrtlie list given above eleven are named and another,
which should come third, is referred to; but in the logho of
Melprnes only ten stones were pointed out as tagha stones.
Furthermore the myth runs that after a while every stone gave
birth to ‘or procreated a child, that each one of these children
had a name preï¬Åxed by the title Kabat, and that each was the
founder of one of‘ the amu/1' or " houses " into which the people
of Melpmes are divided. There are, however, only ten of these
amwi. In view oi the fact that Mewun like Seniang has a quinary
system of numeration, it seems very probable that there are
indeed supposed to be only ten and not eleven or twelve tugha
stones, and it is possible that one of the names given above is
but an alternative. But another possibility must also be kept
in mind. As we have seen, Deacon believed that /lmbal of
Seniang and Qat of the Banks Islands are the same. Since it is
recognized by the nativesthat the Ambat are identical with
the Kabul of Mewun, we should expect to ï¬Ånd similarities between
the Kdbat and QM. Now in Mota, Qat is represented as one of
twelve brothers, the other eleven all having Tangaro as their
ï¬Årst name.’ It does not seem impossible, therefore, that according
to Mewun mythology there were indeed supposed to he twelve
Iagha stones, and that the existence of only ten amu/1' in Melpmes
is due to the dominating influence of the quinary system of
I Tngha .= ~ they who Work, act, do, perform/'—-A, 1:. 1:
= The meaning of some of these names has been recorded: Tag]! lamak -s
“ that which (or he who) makes peace "; mm mun = cm second Kabat:
Lnmm = " peace " (OI possibly ' Xlyflf "); Zia/nggllluoi ii a composite word
Ivnned ï¬Å‘7m bnngga which WM hamlhted into pidgin in “great fellow muster
and moi (or ml? meaning a very long time ago, an ngn. rnn WM not the nnme
01 any men or abat, but only as it were a descriptive title ; nothing is recorded
o! tho person to whom it refers. Wokha bane = " grows in one place mginiu "
as niigiii be said ni two trees ; Wokha bngrw; = “grows tall Since the word
wnkllo has no greï¬Åxes or inflections it is impmsible to know tho person or tense
intended in tn context. Uhoimata = " inn: iwi '- or " uni leaf that is ieated
Bagaugo is a Small mull ma humorously w be 3 giant. '
= Cfldringtou, 1891, p. lss. . - ~ -
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