ABSTRACT

Two terms are used for feasts, ngäuhe and houlaa : the meaning of the first is ‘ eating ’, of the second ‘ fame’. These two words give an accurate summary of the whole idea of feasts to the mind of the Sa’a and Ulawa man. The feasts are of two kinds, sea feasts and land feasts. The former is the name given to the feast which is connected with the malaohu boys and has been described under Bonito. (See p. 142.) It was the most lavish of all the feasts and brought the greatest honour to the place. The occasions for holding the land feasts are : (1) the building of a chief’s lodge or of a lodge for his son ; (2) the ennobling of his son or daughter ; (3) the housing of a new set of gongs ; (4) the desire on the part of the people to increase the prestige of their chief and village.