Ranongga Oral History, Tape 1: Stories from Gigiri Keza, Keti Mamu, and Vaibei (Buri, Pidaka village)

Description:

ROHP1-861-A: 1) Gigiri Keza. How a man of Nulu came to be called 'paqala patu' (stone splitter)--he went to a feast and, after being insulted as lazy, he passed gas with such force that it split the stone he was sitting on. 0-2.12. ghn 2) Gigiri Keza. A man, called Ganikizu, went to catch small fish at a river and saw that there were already footprints there. He followed the prints and met a woman who said she was born of an eel fish. He married her, and this is the origin of Ovana clan. 2.25-3.30. ghn 3) Gigiri Keza. A women married into 'nulu'--a word which is the name of a clan, but also means 'above' 'sky' or 'heaven.' This woman always told her child not to make a fuss because they weren't from the place they were living and pointed down toward the ground. Eventually the child slid down a mango tree onto the ground and this is the origin of Nulu clan. 3.39-5.30. ghn 4) Gigiri Keza. A humorous story of two gods ('tamaza'), Zazao and Sadabangara. Zazao thought that his wife's genitals were a wound and paid Sadabangara to heal her. They ended up in an argument that shaped the landscape around the Western Solomons. 5.40-7.40. ghn 5) Gigiri Keza. The story of two siblings who paddled along the coast and came to an old woman. The younger sibling was obedient, and he magically received two beautiful women in his canoe to be his wives. The elder sibling was not obedient, and did not receive beautiful wives. The older brother killed the younger sibling, and the beautiful women killed themselves in sorrow at the death of their husband. 7:40-12.22. ghn 6) Gigiri Keza. The story of four siblings whose parents had died. They went fishing but returned to eat their fish without any root crops. Their mother's 'kile' (a shell tool used for scraping tubers) turned into a woman; she went to the garden, brought back food, and baked it for them upon their return before turning back into the shell tool. Eventually they youngest brother spoke to this girl/kile; they adopted her as their younger sister. A man came and talked them into allowing the marriage. Eventually the couple argued, and she turned back into the kile. 12.25-17.05. ghn 7) Vai of Pidaka village. When hunting for pigs, a man met a young woman who said her mother was a snake. He insisted on marrying her and taking her to the shore. When they had a child, the woman followed him to their garden and her mother, the snake, secretly came to watch their child. The father was suspicious and hid to see who was looking after the child. When he saw the snake he killed it by cutting it into multiple pieces. That is the origins of the Kubongava clan. 18.00-24.55. ghn 8) Vai of Pidaka village. The story of four brothers and their younger sister who had a young parrot as a pet. One day while the four brothers were fishing, the youngest brother heard a cry from the shore. The elder siblings doubt him, he eventually convinces them it is the sister. They return and learn that the parrot has been taken up to heaven by an angel ('mateana'). Each tries to shoot an arrow to shoot up to heaven. The cassette ends before the story is finished. 25.00-30.10. ghn ROHP1-861-B: 1) Gigiri Keza. Four girls went to the shore to fill their bamboo containers with salt water. An old woman asked each of them to carry hers with them, but only the youngest agreed to her request. The three elder girls couldn't stop water drumming (luba) in the sea and eventually turned to stone. 0-2.05. ghn 2) Gigiri Keza. A giant, Zego, killed the child of Munikolo, who put a bounty on his head. When the giant came to the shore to fill his bamboo container with salt, the children tricked him into putting his genitals in a giant clam shell. He was drowned by high tide and turned to stone. 2.15-6.00. ghn 3) Gigiri Keza. A woman who was left alone during her labour gave birth to a baby who flew away. 6.05-8.00. ghn 4) Gigiri Keza. Once it was night all the time without a hint of daylight. People did not go to their gardens and ate their children, until a man climbed a breadfruit tree and saw the light coming over the horizon and told people to stop eating their children. 8.00-9.15. ghn 5) Gigiri Keza. The story of Maluku clan. They jumped from the top of breadfruit trees to float down like the leaves fell to their deaths. They tied nets to their legs to catch fish and drown when dolphins came. 9.15-10.12. ghn 6) Gigiri Keza. Genealogy. 10.12-11.50. ghn 7) Gigiri Keza. Two brothers made war canoes; the elder brother used shoddy materials and soil to hold it together; the younger brother made it properly. The elder brother's canoe disintegrated and he drowned at sea. 11.52-13.45. ghn 8) Keti Mamu. The chiefs at Ganoqa took a clan from Marovo. They lived well at Ganoqa until two chief died, and they were accused of sorcery. The story tells of a fight between mercenaries from Ulusage hired by Ganoqans. 13.46-17.30. ghn 9) Keti Mamu. People of Simbo attempted to attack Ganoqa, known for its impenetrable defences, with a cannon acquired from Europeans. They were unsuccessful and left behind the cannon at Modo. 17.40-19.00. ghn. 10) Keti Mamu. Warriors from Choiseul wanted to attach Ganoqa. They sought advice from someone who had lived there. When they realised it could not be successfully attacked, they killed the man instead. 19.00-21.15. ghn 11) Keti Mamu. A long, complex story about a series of battles, originated by a female chief Alopaqo seeking revenge on a chief of Baga (Vella). It involves war magic, mercenaries from Choiseul and the relationship between Vitu and Lajei clans. 21.15-28.30. ghn The audio is mostly transcribed and translated in Elan files by Debra McDougall **** Original description on cassette cover (Sides A & B are reversed): (A) 1. Three sisters at Piropiro; 2. A Giant that changed to stone; 3. A baby who flew after birth; 4. Darkness; 5. Maluku tribe; 6. Two brothers. (B) 1. Ulusaghe tribe; 2. Empty gun from Simbo; 3. Na Paka at Mondo. Note: Tape deteriorated toward end of Side A. There is more on cassette than was indexed. Recorded in Buri Village, Ranongga Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands. | workingLanguages: eng | location: Buri village, Pidaka village | access: O | accessDescription: The material is licensed under Creative Commons Licences with the licence CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike). This means that others may download the materials, build on them and share derived materials with others as long as they credit the original creators and as long as they share their derived materials under the same terms. Others must not use the materials commercially | description: ROHP1-861-A: 1) Gigiri Keza. How a man of Nulu came to be called 'paqala patu' (stone splitter)--he went to a feast and, after being insulted as lazy, he passed gas with such force that it split the stone he was sitting on. 0-2.12. ghn 2) Gigiri Keza. A man, called Ganikizu, went to catch small fish at a river and saw that there were already footprints there. He followed the prints and met a woman who said she was born of an eel fish. He married her, and this is the origin of Ovana clan. 2.25-3.30. ghn 3) Gigiri Keza. A women married into 'nulu'--a word which is the name of a clan, but also means 'above' 'sky' or 'heaven.' This woman always told her child not to make a fuss because they weren't from the place they were living and pointed down toward the ground. Eventually the child slid down a mango tree onto the ground and this is the origin of Nulu clan. 3.39-5.30. ghn 4) Gigiri Keza. A humorous story of two gods ('tamaza'), Zazao and Sadabangara. Zazao thought that his wife's genitals were a wound and paid Sadabangara to heal her. They ended up in an argument that shaped the landscape around the Western Solomons. 5.40-7.40. ghn 5) Gigiri Keza. The story of two siblings who paddled along the coast and came to an old woman. The younger sibling was obedient, and he magically received two beautiful women in his canoe to be his wives. The elder sibling was not obedient, and did not receive beautiful wives. The older brother killed the younger sibling, and the beautiful women killed themselves in sorrow at the death of their husband. 7:40-12.22. ghn 6) Gigiri Keza. The story of four siblings whose parents had died. They went fishing but returned to eat their fish without any root crops. Their mother's 'kile' (a shell tool used for scraping tubers) turned into a woman; she went to the garden, brought back food, and baked it for them upon their return before turning back into the shell tool. Eventually they youngest brother spoke to this girl/kile; they adopted her as their younger sister. A man came and talked them into allowing the marriage. Eventually the couple argued, and she turned back into the kile. 12.25-17.05. ghn 7) Vai of Pidaka village. When hunting for pigs, a man met a young woman who said her mother was a snake. He insisted on marrying her and taking her to the shore. When they had a child, the woman followed him to their garden and her mother, the snake, secretly came to watch their child. The father was suspicious and hid to see who was looking after the child. When he saw the snake he killed it by cutting it into multiple pieces. That is the origins of the Kubongava clan. 18.00-24.55. ghn 8) Vai of Pidaka village. The story of four brothers and their younger sister who had a young parrot as a pet. One day while the four brothers were fishing, the youngest brother heard a cry from the shore. The elder siblings doubt him, he eventually convinces them it is the sister. They return and learn that the parrot has been taken up to heaven by an angel ('mateana'). Each tries to shoot an arrow to shoot up to heaven. The cassette ends before the story is finished. 25.00-30.10. ghn ROHP1-861-B: 1) Gigiri Keza. Four girls went to the shore to fill their bamboo containers with salt water. An old woman asked each of them to carry hers with them, but only the youngest agreed to her request. The three elder girls couldn't stop water drumming (luba) in the sea and eventually turned to stone. 0-2.05. ghn 2) Gigiri Keza. A giant, Zego, killed the child of Munikolo, who put a bounty on his head. When the giant came to the shore to fill his bamboo container with salt, the children tricked him into putting his genitals in a giant clam shell. He was drowned by high tide and turned to stone. 2.15-6.00. ghn 3) Gigiri Keza. A woman who was left alone during her labour gave birth to a baby who flew away. 6.05-8.00. ghn 4) Gigiri Keza. Once it was night all the time without a hint of daylight. People did not go to their gardens and ate their children, until a man climbed a breadfruit tree and saw the light coming over the horizon and told people to stop eating their children. 8.00-9.15. ghn 5) Gigiri Keza. The story of Maluku clan. They jumped from the top of breadfruit trees to float down like the leaves fell to their deaths. They tied nets to their legs to catch fish and drown when dolphins came. 9.15-10.12. ghn 6) Gigiri Keza. Genealogy. 10.12-11.50. ghn 7) Gigiri Keza. Two brothers made war canoes; the elder brother used shoddy materials and soil to hold it together; the younger brother made it properly. The elder brother's canoe disintegrated and he drowned at sea. 11.52-13.45. ghn 8) Keti Mamu. The chiefs at Ganoqa took a clan from Marovo. They lived well at Ganoqa until two chief died, and they were accused of sorcery. The story tells of a fight between mercenaries from Ulusage hired by Ganoqans. 13.46-17.30. ghn 9) Keti Mamu. People of Simbo attempted to attack Ganoqa, known for its impenetrable defences, with a cannon acquired from Europeans. They were unsuccessful and left behind the cannon at Modo. 17.40-19.00. ghn. 10) Keti Mamu. Warriors from Choiseul wanted to attach Ganoqa. They sought advice from someone who had lived there. When they realised it could not be successfully attacked, they killed the man instead. 19.00-21.15. ghn 11) Keti Mamu. A long, complex story about a series of battles, originated by a female chief Alopaqo seeking revenge on a chief of Baga (Vella). It involves war magic, mercenaries from Choiseul and the relationship between Vitu and Lajei clans. 21.15-28.30. ghn The audio is mostly transcribed and translated in Elan files by Debra McDougall **** Original description on cassette cover (Sides A & B are reversed): (A) 1. Three sisters at Piropiro; 2. A Giant that changed to stone; 3. A baby who flew after birth; 4. Darkness; 5. Maluku tribe; 6. Two brothers. (B) 1. Ulusaghe tribe; 2. Empty gun from Simbo; 3. Na Paka at Mondo. Note: Tape deteriorated toward end of Side A. There is more on cassette than was indexed. Recorded in Buri Village, Ranongga Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands. | status: Incoming | involvement: unspecified | locationRegion: Ranongga Island, Western Province | locationCountry: Solomon Islands | locationContinent: Oceania | planningType: unspecified | socialContext: unspecified | keyword: clan origins, giant story, sibling story, warfare, genealogy | topic: Ranongga Oral History. Language as given: . You can access this item at the PARADISEC website. You will need to sign up or sign in first.

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Sound

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PARADISEC Catalog

Contributors:

Debra McDougall

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PARADISEC

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