Giyorokaywa No. 1 (Leyya kayga’u)
„I will befog Muyuwa!” (repeated). „I will befog Misima!” (repeated). „The mist springs up; the mist makes them tremble. I befog the front, I shut off the rear; I befog the rear, I shut off the front. I fill with mist, mist springs up; I fill with mist, the mist which makes them tremble”.
This is the opening part of the formula, very clear, and easy to be translated. The mist is magically invoked, the word for mist being repeated with several verbal com-binations, in a rhythmic and alliterative manner. The expression tremble, maysisi, refers to a peculiar belief, that when a sorcerer or sorceress approaches the victim, and this man paralyses them with a counter spell, they lose their bearings, and stand there trembling.
The main part of this spell opens up with the word „aga’u”, „I befog”, which, like all such leading words of a spell is first of all intoned in a long, drawn-out chant, and then quickly repeated with a series of words. Then the word „aga’u” is replaced by „aga’u sulu”, „I befog, lead astray”, which in its turn makes way for, „aga’u boda”, „I befog, shut off”. The list of words repeated in succession with each of these three expressions is a long one. It is headed by the words „the eyes of the witches”. Then, „the eyes of the sea-crab”. Then, always with the word „eyes” the animals, worms and insects which threaten drowning men in the sea, are enumerated. After they are exhausted, the various parts of the body are repeated; then finally, a long list of villages is recited, preceded by the word aga’u, forming phrases such as: „I befog the eyes of the women of Wawela”, etc.
Let us reconstruct a piece of this middle part in a consecutive manner. „I befog ...! I befog, I befog, the eyes of the witches! I befog the eyes of the little crabs! I befog the eyes of the hermit crab! I befog the eyes of the insects on the beach!”... etc.
„I befog the hand, I befog the foot, I befog the head. I befog the shoulders...” etc.
„I befog the eyes of the women of Wawela; I befog the eyes of the women of Kaulasi; I befog the eyes of the women of Kumilabwaga, I befog the eyes of the women of Vakuta...” etc., etc.
„I befog, lead astray, the eyes of the witches; I befog, lead astray the eyes of the little crab!...” etc.
„I befog, shut off the eyes of the witches, I befog, shut off the eyes of the little crab...” etc., etc.
It can easily be seen how long drawn such a spell is, especially as in this middle part, the magician will often come back to where he has started, and repeat the leading word over and over again with the others. Indeed, this can be taken as a typical tapwana, or middle part, of a long spell, where the leading words are, so to speak, well rubbed into the various other expressions. One feature of this middle part is remarkable, namely, that the beings from below, the crabs, the sea insects and worms are invoked, although the spell is one of the giyorokaywa type, the magic of the Above. This is an inconsistency frequently met with; a contradiction between the ideas embodied in the spell, and the theory of the magic, as explicitly formulated by the informants. The parts of the body enumerated in the tapwana refer to the magician’s own person, and to his companions in the canoe. By this part of the spell, he surrounds himself and all his companions with mist, which makes them invisible to all the evil influences.