"DEVIL-DEVIL”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 916, 8 March 1930, Page 4

"DEVIL-DEVIL”

BANEFUL PRACTICE BY FIJI NATIVES INQUIRY INTO CHILD’S DEATH From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, February 24. Another case occurred here recently of the all-too-frequent practice by natives of “luve-ni-wai.” or the “devildevil” ceremony. It has a demoralising effect on all who come within the influence of the practitioners. There was trouble of this sort at the flagstaff when a Vutia native named Verimoa gave an exhibition of the ceremony. It appears that Verimoa had been attending a child who was In the habit of crying every afternoon. Verimoa said the cause was that the child’s grandfather, who had been dead some time, was always trying to take the child away, and prescribed medicines for it. But later on the child contracted dysentery, and another native named Mau was sent for, and he prescribed for the child, hut several days afterward it died. Verimoa then gave out that the child had been “drau-ni-kau-ed” by the native who had treated It for dysentery, and when the feast of the fourth day was being held, many native women attended, and were sitting outside the house, while Verimoa took up a position some distance away. Suddenly he cried: “Run! Run! He is coming.” And the women ran away and hid in the hushes. Verimoa was supposed to be waiting to see Mau’s “spirit” enter tile house, when he intended capturing it, but he failed. Recently the relatives and friends of the parents of the child were assembled, as Verimoa told them that he was going to call Mau to the house and accuse him of the deed, and inquire into the matter generally. Incidentally there -were two native policemen present. Yaqona was made, and when Mau entered the house, Verimoa made him sit alongside him, and the yaqona was offered first to Mau. Verimoa then asked, “Can you drink that?” and Mau replied, “Yes, I can,” and then drank it off. EXPELLING A DEVIL Verimoa then had another bowl filled, and put his finger in the kava, then withdrew it, and, pointing the finger toward the door, blew upon it, presumably to blow the “devil” out of doors. Then he handed this howl of yaqona to a girl, and-told her to throw it outside. A third time the bowl was filled, and this time Verimoa took it, and looking at Mau, said, “I am going to drink this one.” He replied, “All right.” The yaqona was then handed round to those present. Verimoa then began asking Mau questions, insinuating that he had a spite on the parents of the child, and had used “drau-ni-kau” on their offspring. But Mau denied all allegations. Then witnesses were sent for, and their examination by Verimoa was begun, hut after some cross-examina-tion he gave it up, having failed to elicit anything detrimental to the honesty of purpose of Mau. This was fortunate, for had the assembly been convinced in the slightest degree that Mau had been responsible for the child’s death, he would have been “turkey-tramped.” However, the inquiry ended with Verimoa apologising to Mau. The former is said to have prophesied a tidal wave to have occurred in Australia yesterday.