Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/404

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
96
Myths from the Gilbert Islands.

My seed shall spring from her, the breed of southern spirits; let them dwell in the south;
The breed of northern spirits; let them dwell in the north;
The breed of eastern spirits; let them dwell in the east;
The breed of western spirits; let them dwell in the west;
The breed of spirits of heaven and the under-world; let them dwell on earth.

And when Na Arean had done, he took the right eye of Na Atību and flung it to the Eastern sky. Behold, the sun! He took the left eye and flung it to the Western sky. Behold, the moon! He took the brain and crumbled it between his palms; he scattered it over the heavens. Behold the stars. He took the flesh and broke it in bits; he sowed it over the waters. Behold the rocks and stones. He took the bones and planted them on the first land, even the land of Samoa; and from the bones of Na Atību grew the Tree of Samoa, the Ancestor.

§2. This was the manner of the making of the land of Samoa. Na Arean said in his heart, "The heavens stand on high and the earth is under the water." So he called his brothers, the Wave and Na Kika, saying, "See how the children of Water and Sand are swimming in the sea." He said again, "Go, Octopus, drag together the sand and stones." He said again, "Go, Wave, wash the sand and stones; stick them together." They heard. So at last the sand and stones rose above the sea, a great land. It was called Samoa.[1] Thereon Na Arean planted the bones of Na Atību, and they grew into the Tree called Kai-n-tiku-aba, the Tree of Samoa. On the branches of Kai-n-tiku-aba grew many Ancestors, and at its roots also grew many others.

§ 3. When Samoa was finished, Na Arean went north and made the land of Tarawa[2] with its people. The first

  1. Tamoa in the Gilbertese dialect.
  2. Tarawa. An atoll of the N. Gilberts. Tarawa therefore, according to this text, was the first land created after Samoa.