SACRED PLAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 12, 5 October 1943, Page 7

SACRED PLAGE

rain-making site NEW GUINEA MAGIC A patrol officer in the New Guinea administration reports:— At Kaut,, on the west coast of New Ireland, I noticed a small en-t closure about 18ft by 4ft. On inquiry I found it was a sacred place and had previously been the rainmaking site for the whole, of the west coast. The rectangle was enclosed by red dracena Avhich is always associated with magic in this locality. The green shrubs and long grass were growing inside the enclosure. The grove was called Kabisalak. lit appears that many years ago the people of Kaut lived in the hills at a spot called Patakin. One night, they heard a noise, of crying and weeping coming from the beach. They lit torches and went to investigate. They found the stone, Dobit, drifting about in the water and. that the noises were, emanating from it.. They pulled it. ashore and an old man named Komben recognised it as being associated with rain magic. He took charge of it and set it up in the grove. lit is still there. The. stone is roughly cylindrical of a diameter of approximately five inches and about two feet in length. lit is stuck in the ground in the rain grove, and just opposite it is a Y-shaped piece of dry wood called ltol. The wood and the stone, have some magic affinity. Commencing with Komben there was established a real dynasty of rain-makers, but the last of them has now died. Fearing there might be a deluge this piece of ground is tabu. The natives believe that desecration would bring a deluge, and as none of the present generation knows how to prevent rain falling, avoidance of the spot is the wisest course.