This dance illustrated the “war-path,” the band of pretended warriors sometimes marching, more often skipping or stealthily stealing along, suddenly coming upon the foe with a “Wahu!” Then they skipped two or three times, usually raising the right leg, brandishing their weapons at the same time. Again and again the dread “Wahu!” resounded. This really effective manœuvre showed to yet greater advantage when, instead of being in rank, the men deployed in a semicircle facing the flaring fires, then, with their glittering eyes and gleaming teeth, and the waving of bows, arrows, and stone clubs, one realised how terrible to the lonely and surprised enemy must have been the “Wahu!” of such a foe.
The series of war-dances concluded with an evolution in lively measure, evidently indicative of military success, as, with exultant cries, the performers swayed their right hands. The dire significance of this last movement was not difficult to discover. It represented what formerly occurred after a successful foray, for, after beheading the slain with their bamboo knives, the victorious warriors threaded the heads on the ratan slings which always hung on their backs when they went on the war-path, and as they returned joyously home they swung their ghastly burdens backward and forward with jubilant cries.
This dance finished, the old men begged off. They had walked thirteen miles that day to dance to me, and now they were tired and left further dancing to the younger men, who forthwith disappeared into the bush.
In due time they re-emerged, and treated us to an ordinary secular or festive dance or “kap.” The dance, like all semi-realistic dances, is composed of “figures,” which are, in fact, so many separate dances.
I gather that there is no set order for them. There is certainly considerable variety in the “movements,” but, so far as my experience goes, one special “figure” always terminates the proceedings.
In one “movement” the whole company circles round and round, two deep, with all sorts of gestures. They might even be termed “antics”—cringing, swaying, leaping, tripping. It is noteworthy that the circling may be from left to right or from right to left. Thus there is no reminiscence of sun worship or other symbolism in their gyrations.
In the processions round the platform of turtle trophies, the men of Mabuiag, I was informed, marched invariably sun-wise, with whirling bull-roarers. Should one inadvertently march in the counter-direction the turtle would swim away from the island.
In one dance a man advanced singly and danced with stamping feet, illustrating the putting out of a fire; in another the men continually stood on one leg and rapidly moved the other up and down, or, it may be, jumped with both legs.
In the “crab dance” a man danced in a crouching attitude, with the upper-arms horizontal and the fore-arms vertical; the “iguana dance” represented the large local lizard (Varanus) whilst swimming. Some of the “figures” illustrated an action in real life, such as agricultural, nautical, or fishing employments; for example, a man would crouch and move his hands about as if he were planting yams or seeking for pearl-shell at the bottom of the sea.
The “pelican dance” concluded the evening’s entertainment. The general body of the dancers stood together in the background, and from among these two men (or occasionally a single man) stepped forward and danced on the tips of their toes on the same spot. As the drum-beats became more rapid the jumping was accelerated, their legs keeping time, till with the quickened music their feet became almost invisible from the rapidity of their movements, and they seemed as if boring a hole in the ground, whilst the dust rose in clouds about them.