THE STORY OF RAGA: A MAN'S ETHNOGRAPHY ON HIS OWN SOCIETY
(II)KIN RELATIONS

TEXT

VEVHURIN RAGA

Tavaluna 6

1)Sinobu ram mwemwearu bulbulu. Take vavine ran gita atatun Tagaro１） ran matagu, ram rovo, vavinen Tagaro ran gita atatun Bwatmahanga ram matagu ram rovo. Gaha tam gita boe sa toa ram dabovi tam beve be boe mwa lala sa toa mwa lala２）. Vavine nu lala sa lalagi３）. Gaha lalagi nu nogo lol taulu 1930. Aroaro Qwatnapni４） lalagi nu wasi maragai, vavine lagi nu gita dum tavalui atatu gaituvwa ngan kekea mai ahoana sa nituna nu bavae la gatiguna kea nu rov mai naturigi la gatiguna kun gabe atatu ram maloinia. Kea mwa hav vinihi te ahoana ta kea mwa du５） lol ute vono６）, ahoana mwa bevhuri lalai tuana７） gabe havana８）.

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notes

1)In the origin myth(Chapters 1 to 5), Tagaro found a giant clam which is believed to be the ancestral creature of one of the moieties called Bule, while Bwatmahanga found a button shell, the ancestor of the other moiety called Tabi. A man of Tagaro has the same meaning as a man of Bule, while a man of Bwatmahanga, as a man of Tabi.
2)Lala contains the meaning of ‘avoidance'.
3)If lalagi is interpreted as lala-gi, its meaning is ‘a scare'. If it is interpreted as la-lagi, its meaning is ‘a relation of marriage-to-be'.
4)Qwatnapni is a village situated on the west coast of the Central Raga.
5)The literal meaning of du is ‘to keep staying'.
6)Ute vono means ‘uncultivated land'.
7)In this situation, those two men belong to the same moiety. If the exact kin relationship between such persons is not known or need not be stated, people use tua to express their relationship. Tua is used as a representative relationship between men(or women) in the same moiety.
8)In this context hava, which I translate as ‘a kin', indicates persons in the same moiety.
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2)Tabi mai tasalana, Tabi vwate mai tasalana, kera raru vi tu ba bevhuri la hala, ta vavine gairua ira tasalara raru vi tu lol ute vono. Tabi i Tabi raru vi av dulei ba linglingira９）, tasarara raru men mai ba helheloinira ba si mom bevhuri tiri nggalia, ramuru av dulei vwate. Hangge kunia ngan aben ira Bule. Ta lol taulu 1958 nu tavuha lol uloilua１０） ata Melanesia ta Rome sigai radu１１）. Binihira lol iha gairua keki Bule sa Tabi be bulenana i mabina１２）, Bule atalun Tagaro, Tabi atalun Bwatmahanga, vavinera ramuru lala, sa matagu garigi１３）, boe i toa sa ginau rahu ngan ram lala sa ram matagu ngan garigi.

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notes

9)Each word in the sentence Raru vi av dulei ba lingilingira is literally translated as follows: raru is ‘they two', vi is a future tense particle of the third person singular, av is‘to say', dulei is‘to separete', ba is‘in order to' and lingilingira is ‘to let them go'. Av dulei which is an idiomatic phrase is used when men who have finished talking say good-bye and turn their heads.
10)Uloilua means ‘a religion'.
11)In North Raga almost all of the villages are under the influence of the Melanesian Mission, that is the Anglican Church. David Tevumule himself was an Anglican Priest. Only Latano village and its surroundings are under the influence of Roman Catholicism. But the custom of lalagi is not alive in this area like the other parts of North Raga. David Tevimule wants to say here that in Central Raga,which is under the influence of Catholicism, the custom of lalagi is strong yet .In the Central district there are still a few heathen people and people of North Raga, all of whom are Christian, are conscious that the traditional custom is able to survive better in a Catholic area than in an Anglican one.
12)In this context, Father David may want to say that the name Bule originated from bulenana(one's bulena) and Tabi from mabina(one's mabi). I stated in the Introduction that when male ego marries his female mabi, her brothers become his bulena.
13)Recall the fact that in North Raga the custom of lalagi is extinct today.
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3)Hangge silon lalagi (1) vavine si hav uloi te ihan lalagina１４）, (2) si hav hae te amare aben lalagina１５）, (3) vavine si hav man te lalavua aben lalagina sa la vanuan lalagina, (4) vavine si hav sibweri te gete１６） sa tanga１７） lalagina nu to mare ta mwa holoe gin bwatuna. Silo huri gida atamani. Sibimwa gabe taman ratahimwa, atamani duluai aloan sibimwa, tihin sibimwa,tuan sibimwa ira hogosimwa vavine ram lalagi atalun１８） sibimwa１９）.Ta ginggo atamani gov lalagi ira atalun sibimwa kun keki (1) gosav sibweri tehe bwatun ira sibimwa,(2) gosav nggao te la gatiguna sosoria, (3) nu sabuga be gov sivu aben ira sibimwa. Be gom haranggo gin sivumwa gov lai gari２０） sa bari２１） hano te kunia. Be sibimwa ratahigi２２） gov lai bwana２３） sa nitu boe.

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notes

14)Lalagina is the same as sibina. As for sibi, see‘Relationship Terminology' in Section I in the Introduction.
15)This sentence means that a woman can not climb up a tree in front of her sibi.
16)Gete is a basket woven of coconut leaf. It is mainly used for carrying food. It is usually hung on something.
17)Tanga is a shoulder-basket woven of pandanus leaf. It is often hung on something when not carried on the shoulder.
18)Atalun sibimwa here means ‘those male members in the same cluster as your sibi'.
19)A verbal difinition of the relationship term sibi is made here.
20)Gari is a small shell which is used as a scraper.
21)Bari is a small red mat woven of pandanus leaves. It was a traditional G- string for men and a loincloth for women. It is also used with bwana in the ceremonial exchange. Ten baris have the same value as one bwana(see footnote 23.
22)Ratahigi is a man who reached the highest grade in the rank-taking system.
23)Bwana is a big red mat woven of pandanus leaves.Bwana and pigs are a kind of traditional money in North Raga and the exchange rate between bwana and pig is decided. .
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4)Hangge silon lailai ginau lalai sibi, be kea atatu binihi marahi be gamalin２４） ratahimwa, imwan ratahimwa, lulun２５） ratahimwa. Bwatun sibimwa kea nu binbinihi huri gitanggoro didini ratahimwa la mahavana be kea tirigi. Gatigun sibimwa tanon meren ratahimwa２６）. Avoan garagara lol vigaigaiana sa hihiri gov vev masigi, gom beve be nam galau bwatun sibi kea atamani vi vev kunia. Ta vavine vi avgaragara kea vi veve gin bwatun sibi nam bev masigi. Hihiriana sa vigaigaiana vi nogo. Atatu ram binihi masigi be wani nu vev masigi.

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notes

24)Gamali is a men's house. It is a symbol of political integration.
25)The meaning of lulu is ‘a hole'. It is often used as a symbol of a place of refuge.
26)Recall that your sibi is the tama(father) of your ratahi(mother) in your cluster.
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Tavaluna 7２７）

1)Tata be tau２８） sa tatalo. Mua be muai２９）. Sibi be ibi. Sabuga３０） mabi be gaiibi３１）. Ahoaku be ahovwai３２）. Tasalaku be halaku. Nituku be huku３３）. (1) Tata :Tatangan ginau gon taua sa vusin ginau gon taua, kea tau. (2) Mua :Ginau ririgi ta gaituvwa gaivua alolora, kea tam bevea be muan ginau. (3) Sibi :Gaiibin ginau marahi. (4) Mabi :Gaiibin ginau marahi. Avgaragara bwatuna kea binihi marahi lol iha gairua keki, nu sabuga, nu gogona. Gavgogona gov gania gov mate, nggalato nu gagasi, bwatinovu３４） nu vovoroi３５）.

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notes

27)In this chapter, the meaning of relationship terms is described. Such terms are tata(tama or tamanggu if accompanied by the possessive particle in the first person singular),mua(ratahi or ratahiku),sibi or sibiku,mabi, or mabiku, ahoa or ahoaku, tasala or tasalaku, nitu or nituku, hogosi or hogosiku, tarabe or tarabeku, aloa or aloaku, tuga(tuaga or tuagaku), tihi or tihiku, bwaliga or bwaligaku, bulena or bulenanggu, vvwavwa or bilak vwavwa, and habwe or habweku. I do not translate such relationship terms into English. See ‘Relationship Terminology' in Section I in the Introduction.
28)The principle meaning of tau is ‘to put'.
29)Father David further explained to me as follows:The meaning of ratahi (mother) is ratahigi(a chief).
30)The meaning of sabuga is ‘a taboo' or ‘sacred'.
31)In my second field research in North Raga, Father David told me that the　meaning of sibi or mabi is mwa ibia(mwa = it, ibi = to put a weight, -a =it).
32)Ahovwai is used when one wants to express the idea that something is protected with some kind of cover which is above it but not touching it. The roof is an example of this kind of cover.
33)When a man pours water on himself, the water drops from his body. In this case, huku is used. But the metaphoric meaning of huku is ‘my semen'.
34)People say that a stone-fish moves in a similar way to an evil spirit. Here I translate vovoroi as ‘to make one sick'. Vovoro is a verb which is used for a sickness caused by an evil spirit, for example mwae.
35)Father David wants to say that if one tells a lie in spite of swearing by the head of sibi, he will be so punished as when he eats gavgogona, when he touches ngalato or he touches a stone-fish.
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2)Lagia. Tasalaku be halaku vai aben taman tasalaku i ratahin tasalaku３６）. Ahoaku be havwainiau, ginau nu eno gom bevea be havwai nggoroe sa honggoia. Atamani mwa honggoi vavine gin non avoana muramura tagaro. Hogosiku be hogoi３７）. Gairuan ginau be nitu vwalvwaliu３８）. Atamani mai tuana vavine ramuru uloinira kunia. Tarabeku be tarabehina３９） sa ginau mwa do vai ngava kun dam tarabe, ihi tarabe, malogu tarabe４０）.Taraben ira aloai４１） atamani. Damu hiv garana４２）, atamani hiv garana ira aloana gabe tuana vavine mwa hanggora. Raga sa Aroaro tarabe nu ririv bilan gai rivrivu niu lol tano lol ute loloara, boe, toa ginau mwa do la imwana, kea nu nggol ira aloana gabe ira nitun tuana vavine. Bwatuna kea mwa beve be aloaku４３）.

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notes

36)Some people said that the meaning of tasala(wife) is tausala(a stranger).
37)When a man says hogosiku, it means ‘my sister', while when a woman says hogosiku, it means ‘my brother'. It is said that the word hogosi originated in hogoi(to give) because my parent gives me a sibling.
38)Vwalvwaliu means ‘equally balanced'. Thus nitu vwalvwaliu indicates a situation in which the male children and female children are equally balanced.
39)See footnote 42.
40)My tarabe here indicates tarabe in my cluster. When Father David refers to the relationship terms, he usually does so from the viewpoint of the genealogical relation. Dam tarabe means ‘an old yam'.In North Raga it is usual that people plant yams in September or October and begin to harvest them next April. They eat them all by November or December except for some yams which are preserved for a special occasion such as Christmas. Such a yam is called dam tarabe. Ihi tarabe means ‘an old banana'. In North Raga unripe bananas are used for cooking. Some bananas are not harvested and become ripe; such a banana is called ihi tarabe. Malogu tarabe menas ‘an old kava'. The root of kava is usually cut to make kava-drink one or two years after planting. The kava which live for five years or so after planting are called malogu tarabe.
41)Tarabe in the expression of taraben ira aloai has the same meaning as that in dam tarabe, ihi tarabe, and malogu tarabe. Here tarabe is not used as a relationship term. It means ‘old' or ‘old one'. Therefore taraben ira aloai means‘The old part of those persons called aloa(sister' children)'.
42)Hiv means ‘to go down'. A new yam grows downwards from a planted yam.The latter yam becomes old and rotten but the former yam grows bigger. Such an old and rotten one is called tarabehina while a new one is called garana. The meaning of gara is‘new'.
43)Aloaku in this context has two meanings. One is ‘my aloa(sister's children)' and the other is ‘my surrounding'. If alo is used as a verb, it means ‘to go round'.
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3)Aloa sa aloaku. Binihiva be dalisi sa gadali be tano non tarabena sa ririvuana bilan tarabena rai vora non aloai duluai, ginau duluai nu dalisia mwa do lol gaitabena４４）. Tarabena nu dalis nggoroe sa nu gadal nggoroe. Be tarabera vi mate ta tanona non ira aloana,rav gitanggoro tasalana mai ira nituna４５）. Tuga sa tuagaku. Binihiva be tuamua４６） sa boega sa vuvungina sa gaivua sa lavoa, gai ririgi mwa du aten ramute gai gaivua kun mua ngano４７）. Tihi sa tihiku. Binihiva be tirigi４８）.

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notes

44)Gaitabe means ‘a present'. Gaitaben nituku means ‘a present to my child.' Then in this context, gaitabena means ‘a present to his aloa (sister's son)'. Gaitabena here also connotes‘preparing everything for his aloa(sister's son)'.
45)A widow often remarries a male member of her husband's cluster which is his tarabe, tuaga, tua, tihi or aloa. Such a man calls the child of the woman nitu(child) before as well as after her husband's death.
46)Some people said that the meaning of tuaga(elder brother or sister) is tuagai(first born).
47)Father David wants to say that tuaga(elder brother or sister) is like a banyan tree.
48)Father David also explained to me that the meaning of tihi (younger brother or sister) is nu tahihi(nu = it, tahihi = to split unevenly).
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4)Bwali sa bwaligaku. Binihiva be nggao, bwalgaona, raran gai dolua mwa wahainia la raran gai dolua ramuru du sosori atatu vi nggao dum vai la vwate. Bule４９） sa bulenanggu be bubulusi sa gaibulu sa gai malbihu sa ihi bulu５０）. Atamani mwa bulus hogosina. Sibi nu bulus hogosiku, sa sibi nu bulus ratahin mua gabe tuagaku vavine. Sibi nu laginia ramuru bav mua５１）. Atamani nu lagi vavine ta hogosin vavine kea atamani. Kea hangge bulenana. Vwavwa sa bilak vwavwa. Binihiva be vwavwan imwa gaituvwa, bilam vwavwa i tamamwa raru ririgi alolona gabe imwan tamara mai ratahira. Habwe sa habweku. Binihiva be vavine gairua ramuru siv habwehabwera alolon imwa gaituvwa gabe imwan ahoan hei ninira. Ta lalagiana amua.

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notes

49)In this context one should say not bule but bulena(wife's brother).
50)Gaibulu is used when the trunk of one tree sticks to the trunk of another tree and they look like one tree. Gaimalabihu is used of trees which stand so close that they emit a screaming sound when the wind blows. Ihi bulu is a banana composed of two bananas stuck to each other.
51)Bav means ‘to bear'. In the case of an animal bahuhu(to breed) is used.
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5)Hava sa havaku be bwatumwa, limamwa, bwalagemwa, sa vataha movuvumwa ngoto. Kunia lalangan varan５２） iha keki gabe ira atatu havamwa ngoto５３）. Atamani. Binihiva be wasi, muramura. Mani be manienie. Matavwen bwabwa nu manienie, niu tora alo mwa du aluna nu manienie５４）, ute tatagahari gov
hanggo gaisigo gov van dum aia. Manienie kea hanggea atamani５５）. Vavine. Binihiva gairua. Vwate wasi maragai, vwate mwadamwada kun vinun ginau, kea vinu. Gov gitae kea tirigi gulina nu mwademdema, kea daulato５６） rebehina nu manggemu, kea tabwalugu５７） rebehina mwa buge boega, kea mwa lagi rebehina mwa waswasi, kea mwa ros atatu rebehina mwa hungeri, kea mwa hanggo naturigi kea mwa mwademdema, kea vi hanggo atatu vatolu kea mwa lai rebehi wasi,nu muramura, kea men abena be men lai iha bwatmetuaga sa bwatbwatutu sa malangvatu５８）.

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notes

52)Vara means ‘a matrilineal group',‘a matrilineal descendant' or ‘a matrilineal relation'. See ‘Social Organization' in Section I in the Introduction.
53)It is said that my hava(kin) is a part of my vara(matrilineal relation) and that sibiku, mabiku, tarabeku and so on are as it were my parts.
54)Because it may fall down.
55)Atamani may be composed of atatu[a person] and manienie[dangerous].
56)See footnote 58.
57)See footnote 58.
58)When a woman is a baby, she is called naturimemea (a red child). When she is an infant, she is called naturigi(a child). When her breasts are about to swell, she may still be called naturigi but may be sometimes called huhugasbora (breasts becoming big). Some years later, she is called daulato(a juvenile). When she starts to menstruate, she is called tabwalugu(a youth). After marriage, she is usually referred to by the term vavine (a woman). When she becomes old and has white hair, she is called batavwe( an old one) or bwatmetuaga(a matured head) or bwatbwatutu (a stump) or malangvatu(a stone cave).When she becomes very old, she is called tamaragai(see next section).
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6)Tamaragai be togo maragai. Binihiva be wani kea nu lai taulu ivusi 80 sa 90 sa 100. Nu manggorenggore. Rebehin non mwalanggelo５９） nu virugurugu６０） vuvurininia kea mwa nggolo６１）. Ira ataluna６２） ram hanggo maia ngan gabe ira tihina maira aloana ram lai non tano, bilan ginau duluai huba gi nora. Sobe nituna nu tabea mwa dogo kea tabetabe non tamana６３）. Kea vi lol vuron tamana vi togo６４）. Sobe be non ginau sigai, ira aloana sa ira tuana ram lol vuron tamana, kea vi rahu nin tano non tamana.

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notes

59)When a man is a baby, he is called naturimemea (a red child). When he is an infant, he is called naturigi (a child). When his voice is about to break, he may be still called naturigi but may be sometimes called mwahiuboa(his voice being broken). Some years later, he is called mwalanggelo (a young fellow). When he begins to shave his face, he is called mwalanggelo or sometimes mwalannggeo tuturu(an energetic young fellow : tuturu = dripping). When he marries, he is usually referred to by the term atatu(a man). When he becomes old and has white hair, he is called bwatavwe (an old one).When he becomes very old ,he is called tamaragai.
60))Virugurugu has the meanings of ‘to disappear' or ‘to evaporate'.
61)Mwa nggolo in this context means ‘It fades away.' or ‘The fat in the body is reduced.'.
62)In this context ataluna indicates persons in his cluster.
63)Although I translate tabea as ‘to love him', it also means ‘to help him'. The noun form of tabe is tabeana and tabetabe. The former means‘a present' and the latter‘a favorite'.
64)In the traditional system, it was a rule that a man should leave the land of his father after the latter's death. But Father David seems to state that if a man payed his father's debt, he could continue to live there. I will discuss such a point in detail when I describe the land tenure system of North raga in ゛The Story of Raga IV".
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