Fiangari Harawarawari Waruhunen by Thomas Patris
The Story of Chasing a Ship Back Over the Horizon

To see Felicia Andrew reading this story in 2014, go to the Tobian deposit in the Endangered Languages Archive: Documenting Ramari Hatohobei. Once you click on the New User link and register, you will be able to search for and view all content in that deposit.  Felicia’s video is at https://elar.soas.ac.uk/Record/ .

The story of chasing a ship back over the horizon. Thomas Patris. August 10, 2004
Listen to Thomas telling this clever trick that people used to frighten away dangerous ships in the old days.

Fiangari Harawarawari Waruhunen Audio symbol
The story of chasing a ship back over the horizon.

Ifiri marawe mosuwe pahuh yahamat he hura ma wafaruh emoh hae etamau.Audio symbol
In the old days some people knew if a ship was good or bad.

Ifiri ma ebe tamau wafaruh hahangerih maka yahamat hebe iteiteta hirietautou hesa iteiteta chuh wor ma chimeh hesa feter weripie.Audio symbol
If it was bad, they told the people to put on their double thatch screens and to put a basket on their heads and walk on the beach.

Weifauhur maka choruwafaruh hebe hekeneih hakakamech sewa hesametah ba hakakamech sewa meiworuh hesa teheihiroh.Audio symbol
When the people on the ship saw them they were afraid of their height and sailed away.

Double thatch screens are coconut frond thatch between six and eight feet long.
Putting on the double thatch screen meant carrying them upright and walking behind them.
Once you had a basket on your head, you looked like a very scary giant to the ship's sailors.