[278]
Or on similar stones on other islands (Kr¡mer & Nevermann 1938:97).
Although the atolls of the Marshall Islands are entirely made up of coralline material, there some reports of volcanic stones found on the surface. Small stones caught or entangled in the root area of driftwood trees are well known and have traditionally been used as a source of raw material in the Marshall Islands (Chamisso [1986:139] describes that large stones used for grinding shell adzes were commonly obtained from driftwood trees and mentions that any such stones found had to be given to the irooj at punishment of death [Chamisso 1910:168]; Finsch 1893:66; 154; Wells 1951:3).
Traditionally basalt blocks (columns?) are known from Namu and Aur. The basalt block on Namu, named LowŠtoonmour (Erdland 1914:345; 360: Luw¡tonmöur " the long life giver "), was originally located on the wato Bojar, next to a house (Erdland 1914:360: Manjenninean), and then moved. The stone is said to have been taken away by the vessel Morning Star, as the stone had considerable ritual importance and was said to be the origin of the early chiefs of the Ralik Chain and was regarded as the mother of all bwij. (Erdland 1914:345; Kr¡mer & Nevermann 1938:41).
According to Buckingham (1949), based on his Ebon informant Lokrap, a descendant of the irooj lineage of the Ralik Chain, Liwatoinmour means " Come from the east to live " had a sister named Lijjeleijet (" Woman of the sea ") whom she drove to live in the ocean. Liwatoinmour staid as a stone on Namu for a very long time. Dr. Rife, a missionary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions went to Namu, picked up the basalt rock Liwatoinmour and threw it into the sea.
Another basalt block, named Lidebrejo (Erdland: Lirebrebju) and said to be the " sister " of the one
on Namu, was known on Aur (Erdland 1914:345; Kr¡mer & Nevermann 1938:74). The name Lirebrebju is sometimes given as the mother of Lewøj and Lanij (Erdland).
Given the contacts the Marshallese had with Kosrae and Pohnpei, an import from there is quite possible. The location of the basalt columns seems to co-incide with the major tattooing centres, if one assumes that the basalt column on Namu had been moved to there from Ailinglaplap.
The record of a basalt boulder found on Bokak [Cameron 1923:397] seems to have been a faulty identification of blackened coral boulders [Sachet 1955:16; Fosberg 1955:3; 28]. [back]
[279]
Grösser: lokatok. [back]
[280]
Heine & Anderson 1971. [back]
[281]
The relatives of these people were then afforded a piece of land (wato). (Tobin 1952). [back]
[282]
Kr¡mer 1904:15-17; A similar, but not identical text is given in Kr¡mer 1906:371. [back]
[283]
The following text, with line numbers given in rectangular brackets for easy reference, is the modern transcription of this text using the Bender spelling of the Marshallese dictionary (Abo et al. 1976). This transcription was furnished by A.Capelle.
[1] Itu eañ in mwiin renaaj roñ ad añõtñõt, [2] kõn mariin, [3] itu rak in mwiin renaaj roñ ad añõtñõt, [4] kõn mariin, [5] kõn an wŠmuurur ni. [6] Bõktok eo emiej eoiki ilowaan em wõlep in, [7] En to an mõur, in ioon jahi in er an, [8] jet remõur, ak jet remej, [9] ak etam| renaaj nebare. [10] Enajj rˆttolok, [11] Epõd ia Šneo Šneed? [12] Namo, Majkõn, [13] Elap lok bõñbõñ in, [14] Bõñbõñin, bõñbõñin, bõñbõñin, [15] Etam Kabua enaaj ere laklok, [16] ioon aelõñ ko an.
[back]
[284]
Under the eves of the house where the person about to be tattooed would sit on a mat. [back]
[285]
Kr¡mer uses the word debbö which is to mean standing; authority. The standing in this context is the traditional reputation, recognition and societal standing of an individual, possibly very similar to the Polynesian concept of mana. [back]
[286]
Chamisso 1986:278-279. [back]
[287]
Choris 1822. [back]
[288]
Hernsheim (1880:41) mentions that men about to be tattooed who saw a woman had to cover their face (or to avert their eyes?).
[back]
[289]
If he/she had not been led there already. [back]
[290]
Kr¡mer & Nevermann 1938:97; Erdland 1914:21-22. [back]
[291]
A special term, jareo (Kr¡mer: djarr¡o) was used for the women assembled outside to accompany the ceremony by singing (Jar = to pray, hymn; eo = tattoo; Abo et al. 1976:85).
[back]
[292]
Women were not allowed to enter the tattooing house when a man (of rank?) was about to be tattooed. Likewise, the presence of men was not allowed when women were to be tattooed (Hernsheim 1880:41-42). [back]
[293]
As before, the following text is the modern transcription :[1] Rˆpikuˆˆ aje ro rej jab kõjañ aje ko neijen, [2] Bwe unokan, [3] en jab kõmann addiin peier. [4] Aje ko rej roñ, rej jab nõn, [5] Ke rej jei eoko, eo ko, eo ko, [6] kõmanmani, [7] eo ko, kom rieo. [back]
[294]
As before, the following text is the modern transcription: [1] Al in ej wanlõlok nŠn anij ran, [2] im ellowetok ej jeplook tok, [3] nŠn rieo, [4] Pikˆri aje ko, pikˆri ilo juon douloul, [5] Ak eo im, jekad eo, [6] rej kŠlõñ ak, [7] ejeplŠ peier, [8] ewõtlok alitõbier, [9] ioon eo in, [10] kõmanmani eo kein, [11] kom rieo. [back]
[295]
Jekad: black noddy, (Anous tenourostris, Laridae). KrŠmer: D¡ garreo (identified as Anous stolidus); Finsch: djeggar (identidied as Anous melanogenys). Another bird identified to have an exemplarily black plumage is the ¡g¡o
[back]
[296]
As before, the following text is the modern transcription [1] Door aje eo ituanmiiñem, [2] Pikuri nŠn imõñ eo in an, [3] Ej iññˆr, ej al, [4] elap an iññˆr, ej emmakˆtkˆt, [5] Lanulañ ej noe noe bwˆj eo,[6] Kwon je redjolubu, [7] kõmman jŠliiñiñ, [8] Eju eoon Šilikin, [9] rej alooji, [10] Elokjañ jañ lañ, [11] Epjak pipijin kein. [back]
[297]
A drum (aje) is commonly placed at the left side of a sitting drummer so that the tympanon is close to the left side of the stomach. (Kr¡mer 1906:380). [back]
[298]
In this case the tattooing ceremony consists only of three participants, the father, who tattoos, the mother who covers the wound with a mat and slaps her thighs to drown out sounds, and the son, the person to be tattooed.
[back]
[299]
Erdland 1914:258-259. [back]
[300]
Finsch 1893:430. The term kŠmaran has second meaning, namely " to light up, to make light. " Erdland 1906:30; 145.
[back]
[301]
Kr¡mer 1904:19. [back]
[302]
Kr¡mer: kadjime; according to Kr¡mer the terms means " evening out ". Kabwijeran is the customary reimbursement given by anyone in return or exchange for food, living, or payment for medicine and priestcraft (Abo et al. 1976:124). [back]
[303]
Hernsheim 1887. [back]
[304]
Hasebe 1932. [back]
[305]
Kr¡mer: eman, man, leo. [back]
[306]
Kr¡mer: kör¡; li.
[back]
[307]
Kr¡mer 1904; 1906:370-371. [back]
[308]
Kr¡mer: beoki; bögui; Erdland 1906:91: bögui. [back]
[309]
Kr¡mer: djomidj; jomij; Erdland: Jalak; Grösser: jomij = " age of the completed tattoo; " Senfft: djomidj; Erdland 1906:119: jo-mij (=age of the completed tattoo). [back]
[310]
Erdland 1914:258. [back]
[311]
Dipping the chisel: Erdland 1906:126.
[back]
[312]
Driving the tattooing chisel into the skin was called kare
(Erdland 1906:132; 1914:58). According to the same dictionary,
the term was also used for "to throw stones ", "to pierce open
an boil" and "to hit (for a lightening)"
(ibid. 132). In modern usage only the meaning of throwing a
stone (kade) is preserved
(Abo et al. 1976:125).
Another term for the application of tattoos seems to be itemamõj
(itak-to strike; mamõj-tattoo pigment
; Abo et al. 1976:79
).
Striking with the mallet was called eotoot
(Kr¡mer: ¡udood).
[back]
[313]
Kr¡mer 1904:19; Hernsheim 1884; 1887; Kurze 1887 [back]
.
[314]
Kotzebue 1821: II 113. [back]
[315]
Finsch 1893:429. [back]
[316]
Hernsheim 1880:41; Finsch 1893:429.
Some authors mention that tattooing could take months to complete on a regular
basis (Schneider 1891:60). [back]
[317]
Hernsheim 1880:41; Finsch 1893:429.
[back]
[318]
Executed by Kabua, at that time not a chief. Finsch 1893:429 [back]
.
[319]
In traditional medicine, the nen tree is a major source of
medicinal agents. The leaves are commonly heated over a fire, and when the
begin to turn brownish, are placed on the skin. This heat treatment, combined
with the aetheric oils emanating from the leaves are used to cure some skin
diseases, such as rashes and white fungus. The fruit of the tree is also very
important. It is squeezed and squashed up, mixed with freshly ground coconut
meat and left out in the sun for time between half and hour and two hours.
The mixture is then squeezed and the liquid applied to the cut, scratched or
rashed skin. It said to create stinging or burning sensation, but local medicinal
people swear on its effectiveness. (Spennemann 1992g).
[back]
[320]
A folk tale dealing with illegal intercourse of a leprose commoner with a
chiefly wife plays a line at the smelling of infected skin of a freshly tattooed
person (Erdland 1914:251; see also Chambers 1972:162). [back]
[321]
Kotzebue 1821: II 113.[back]
[322]
Kr¡mer (1904:19) uses the term Kokosnušhˆlle
, rather than Kokosnušschale,
which seems to indicate the husk rather than the shell.
[back]
[323]
Finsch 1893:429. [back]
[324]
I am indebted to Dan Thomè, Guam, for pointing out this relationship to me. To date traditional healing in the Marshall Islands has not been studied in any systematic and comprehensive manner. [back]
[322]
Kr¡mer (1904:19) uses the term Kokosnušh, rather than Kokosnušschale, which seems to indicate the husk rather than the shell. [back]
[323]
Finsch 1893:429. [back]
[324]
I am indebted to Dan Thomƒ, Guam, for pointing out this relationship to me. To date traditional healing in the Marshall Islands has not been studied in any systematic and comprehensive manner. [back]
