POKOP HIS TEN WIVES AND NAYSDAMUI - excerpt from Stories Of Pokop Of Pohoyomou Compiled & Edited by: Dr. Bernard Minol [with glossary]
Pokop His Ten Wives And Naysdamui
Pokop of Pohyomou was married to ten wives. However, every day he used to look at his reflection in the water with some degree of vanity. His aunt observing this behaviour jokingly said to him one day, "You will marry Nayahamui Naruwan who lives in Kaliu". (Some call her Naruwan and others call her Nayahamui). Of the family of thirty one Nayahamui was the only human being. Her thirty brothers were dogs. When they go to the bush to hunt pigs they always return home with thirty pigs. One day while her brothers were still in the bush hunting, Pokop of Pohyomou visited her who was alone in the house. When she heard Pokop at the door she asked from inside,
To put her at ease Pokop replied saying,
She dressed herself up in her dogs teeth, her new basket and other"nouyan" and they left. During their journey back to Pohyomou rain began to fall. While he was out cutting leaves for yopai (shelter) Nayahamui's grandmother, a sinai woman, took Nayahamui and put her in her pouch. When Pokop returned to the road and saw the old woman, his eyes were sick. He exclaimed in a chant like manner,
The old woman replied,
Much to Pokop's displeasure they continued walking. Not long afterwards Pokop turned around to her and once again pleaded that she went back. The old woman in turn replied in the same way as she had done before chanting,
This ritual was repeated many times until they arrived at Pohyomou. When his ten wives saw him arrive with the old woman they ridiculed and shamed him saying.
His wives wanted to beat the old woman up but the first wife dusted the "keyau" and put the old woman on it and gave her food to eat. Soon after the arrival of the old woman Pokop decided to prepare and host a big "yon" at Pohyomou. For this purpose Pokop selected a big piece of land for the garden. After selecting the piece of land Pokop allocated strips to different wives. At this point the old woman said to him,
She was given the hihisuu, the place of the fire as she requested. Having granted what she asked for she wasted no time in getting started. With the aid of a walking stick she left for the area earm arked for her. She then pulled her grand-daughter out of the pouch and they began clearing the undergrowth. At the end of each day the other wives were surprised to see that the old woman's section was closer to being finished than theirs. When the other wives saw this they exclaimed, "Yoi, she is an old woman but her work is like that of a young woman". Before long she said to Pokop,
The men could not come to fell the big trees until the other wives had completed their sections. As soon as the other wives finished their sections, they poured water over the garden and started felling trees. While the men were working in the garden the women prepared taro sticks for planting. As before the old woman wasted no time, she immediately went to the old garden to cut taros. Soon she was back i n the house cooking taro for the men who were felling trees. Actually when the old woman got to the garden she pulled out Nayahamui who quickly uprooted the taros, cleaned them, separated the edible part from the stickand then brought the taro to the road close to the house. From this point on the road, the old woman carried the taros to the house. This operation was carried out so fast and efficiently that while others were still in their gardens the old woman was already cooking. The other wives could not believe their eyes. They exclaimed: "Weh, this old woman does her work very well". Similarly in thedifferent phases of making the garden, the old woman was the first to complete her part of the work. Now Pokop himself was suspicious of the old woman and consequently he said to his wives one day, "All of you, one ten taros; one ten taros; one ten taros for me to go to the market". This was a trick. In the morning Pokop got up, carried the taros and left for the market. But he only went a short distance down the road, hid his taros in the bush and went to the old woman's garden and waited under a log. He had not waited long when he saw the old woman arrive supported by a walking stick and coughing periodically. She cameto a stop near where the Pokop was hiding, put down her basket and sat down. Slowly the old woman began to pull her grand-daughter out of her pouch. As soon as she came out of the pouch the grand-daughter began to up root the taros, clean them, and pile them in a heap. When all this was completed she rested on a log and began eating her banana and taros. Half way through her meal Pokop came out from his hiding place under the log and stood in front of her. Turning to the grandmother Pokop said,
In response to Pokop the old woman said,
The grand-daughter filled up her big basket with taro, put it on her head and they returned home. This time Nayahamui led the way followed by Pokop and the old woman followed some distance from behind him. Meanwhile the ten wives were in the women's house. When Pokop arrived with his young wife the other wives challenged her to a wrestle. And once again only the first wife objected to the idea. She said,
This was accepted and a challenge was issued to Nayahamui. According to tradition Nayahamui had to accept the challenge and defend herself. Being a young and strong woman Nayahamui found no difficul ty in defending herself. The same fate fell on all those who challenged her. When she (Nayahamui) had shown her supremacy, the first wife cleaned the Keyau and put Nayahumui on it. She also got her plates and gave them to Nayahamui. In return Nayahamui took off her ornaments, her baskets, her dogs teeth and her koyau and gave them to Pokop's first and senior wife. In receivingthese gifts the old woman (first wife) said,
In hearing this remark Pokop replied,
Nayahamui became the eleventh wife and lived at Pohyomou with Pokop and his other wives. In time Nahayamui gave birth to a son and he was given the name Puyahamui after his uncles who were dogs. Every time his uncles came to visit him and his mother, they would first go to the forest and each kill a pig and then come with the pigs to Pohyomou. When they reach Pohyomou they usually leave the pigs and then return to their own village. This is how things went for a long time. One day Puyahamui the child cried. In order to quieten him down Nayahamui got a long pole, and hooked down some nuts from the coconut tree close to the house. When Pokop learnt of this, a big argument broke out between himself and Nayahamui. Pokop: Eh, why did you get the coconuts for the child? You should leave the coconuts until there is more on the tree. Nayahamui: Who did you plant the coconut for? Is not this child the one to inherit the coconuts you have planted? Pokop: And you.....do you think you're a man? When your thirty brothers come I cannot talk and discuss things with them. They do not bring any taros and sago with the pigs, and what do I eat the pigs with? Then Nayahamui wept because she felt sorry for her brothers. She therefore carried her son and they prepared to leave. Pokop noticed what was happening and stopped them from leaving. He thought, if Nayahamui goes she will go forever. From that day on he kept a close watch over them. Some time later Nayahamui suggested that Pokop make a new garden. Nayahamui: Pokop you must go and make a new garden for us. Pokop: Yeh, while I am there you might run away. Nayahamui: Where will I go? You clear and prepare the garden and I will plant the taro sticks. When the garden is ready for planting you will mind the child and I will plant the taro sticks. Pokop believed her and went out to prepare for the garden. While he was still in the bush Nayahamui cooked a pot of taro, mashed it and then put coconut oil on it. Then she and her child ate the mashed taro. They put aside one plate of mashed taro for Pokop. When they had finished their share they both stuck their fingers into the mashed taro leaving prints. They put this away for Pokop. Nayahamui then took her child and left Pohyomou. When Pokop returned from the bush he noticed immediately that the house was empty. They had gone. Discovering he had been fooled and the fact that his favourite wife and child had gone, Pokop wept. While he was still sitting down feeling sorry for himself, Nayahamui's brothers arrived. The Brothers: Where is Nayahamui? Pokop: They have gone. They have gone to you. Though Pokop was still in the bush and did not know where they had gone, his guess was correct. Nayahamui and her child were heading for her brothers' place. Between Pwenet and Kaliu they came across Nakahaneu Pihipat collecting firewood. When she saw Nayahamui and her child she became very friendly. Nakahaneu: Weh, give my grand-child to me and you carry my firewood. Nayahamui: (scared) You carry your wood and go. Nakahaneu: Heh, you give me my grand-child and carry the firewood for me. Nayahamui: (still scared of the devil and talking to herself) I have damned my child and myself. Eventually Nayahamui gave the child to the old woman and she carried the firewood as requested by Nakahaneu. When they reached the mouth of the cave Nayahamui proceeded to put the firewood down but the old woman was quick to say, "My daughter take it into the house." She called the cave her house. The old woman opened the door and Nayahamui carried the firewood inside. Behind her the old woman and the child followed shutting the door and enclosing them inside the rock. Realizing that they were imprisoned Nayahamui said,
Meanwhile her brothers went to Pohyomou. On arrival Pokop told them, "They have gone to your place". The brothers quickly hurried after Nayahamui and her child. They found that Nakahaneu had taken them to the mouth of the cave. When they reached the cave tlley saw their sister's breast hanging from the cliff face. The brothers then began to scrape anddig and howl; and scrape and dig and howl; and scrape and dig and howl f uriously. Just when they were about to break through the rock face Nakahaneu said,
At this command the rock face returned to its original place. Each time her brothers tried to get to the cave the old woman would command the rock face to mend again. Frustrated and saddened by the loss of their sister, the brothers howled incessantly outside the cave and then returned to their home. They came and wept to the sun, the moon and the stars. After this they said "We must not stay here. We must leave this place". They picked up their belongings and moved from that place and settled at N'Dropwa Island. However, when they looked back and the mist covered their eyes, they left once again. This time they settled at Nauna island. The mist covered their eyes again and they left that place. This time they stopped at Konga. And there you will find plenty of dog's teeth. Nayahamui and her child were swallowed up by the old devil woman Nakahaneu. Therefore Pokop had no child and no descendants. This is why you can find a lot of dogs in Konga. Par payai e par tiyiy, sindrik. ********************
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