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Joined: Jul 07, 2005
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(From the Reno Evening Gazette 8 October 1960)
Tahitian Tiki
Causes Clamor,
Then Calmed
The working staff of the Hotel
Tahiti just about took off for the
hills when Spencer Weaver
brought home a stone tiki and set
it up under the coco palms alongside
the sea.
A tiki is a carved Polynesian
god. There are wooden tikis in
front of the thatched bungalows.
But a wooden tiki is only an image.
A stone tiki is inhabited by the
God himself.
"I think this tiki no more live.
He dead," Mr. James Tehotu told
me This morning.
He was pretty relieved. A stone
tiki moved from its home can
cause all kinds of damage. Weaver
has $600,000 sunk in this luxury
tropical hotel. He could have
lost his aloha shirt.
Mr. Tehotu is in a fair way of
becoming a lahua. This is a
branch of Polynesian priesthood.
One thing a tahua must do is handle
live tikis.
The tiki was brought in during
the July fete. Nearly everybody
on the 112 islands comes to Papeete.
Jimmy started right out lo calm
the tiki down — it is a very ancient
tiki discovered in a remote
lush valley of Tahiti.
"If this is live tiki maybe he
walk at night," said Jimmy.
For one thing after they first
found the tiki, he walked.
"Next day people come back he
move 20 meters. He walk all
right," said Jimmy.
Jimmy's grandfather's brother
is 86. He knows about tikis. Every
night, Jimmy drove out and got
advice.
The grandfather's brother was
pretty busy. He is a firewalker.
He was walking on fire at the fete.
"If he say OK, anybody can
walk on fire." said Jimmy.
This has been proven many
times in South Pacific islands. Nobody
can explain it but it happens.
They build a great fire in a pit.
When the coals and rocks are
fiery red, the tahua walks on
them. Anybody can walk with
him.
There is one requirement: A
firewalker must stay away from
girls for two weeks before he
steps on the fire. This is very difficult
at any time in Tahiti. Women
steal a man's mana, his power.
During the fete, it is like trying
to get out of a blackberry
patch without getting scratched.
Consequently, the grandfathers'
brother was just about the only
person who dared walk on fire.
Jimmy worked several times on
the tiki. But just about the time
he got going, somebody would
come in full of Hinano beer und
ruin the ceremonies.
Jimmy thought the tiki ought
to be chained to keep him from
walking.
Instead they set him in concrete.
He was set in a certain
way.
"He don't like to look right at
sun," said Jimmy. "Also he must
look maua — toward mountains.
No miti, toward sen."
Live tikis die. just like peple.
And Jimmy says this one is dead.
"You put in shade and you feel
behind neck If he warm like person
then he live. If he cold, he
dead "
The tiki's neck was chill. But
even so—.
"Tiki spirit stay around 48 days.
But I think he happy here now.
He dead and 48 day pass by. We
fix him so he no look at sun
come up, no look at sun go down.
The end of the affair has improved
the morale of the barefoot
help. It has also set Jimmy
up pretty well in the tahua business.
Tahua work had been pretty
light. That is why Jimmy has
boon driving a hack and dosing
the tourists with Tahitian culture.
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