A Mejenkwaad

A Mejenkwaad

(A Legend from the Marshall Islands)

On the small island of Ebon, a woman must never be left alone after having her first child. If a new mother is left alone, she might turn into a Mejenkwaad. A Mejenkwaad is a witch. A witch who eats people.

Ebon Atoll

One time on Ebon, a man and his wife were happily married. After a time, the woman became pregnant. Following the time of many tides a little son was born. This family of three was so happy!

The man fished and gathered food for his wife and son. The wife nursed their baby. The man was careful and never, not even once, left his wife alone. He knew about Mejenkwaad.

As their son approached his first birthday, his parents wished to have a celebration. Much food was needed. Everyone living on Ebon (which was not very big) was invited.

“My husband." the wife announced, “we need still more food. There is not enough taro or breadfruit on our whole island. Can you go to Bikini, and to Jaluit, and bring back more?"

The husband was uneasy at leaving, but he knew they needed more food. “I will go," he answered, “but you must stay with others to keep away the Mejenkwaad."

Do not worry," the young wife laughed. "It is already one year since our son's birth. I will be safe. You may take our son with you on his first canoe adventure!"

The boy and his father sailed for Jaluit. Of course, as soon as the boat was out of sight, the foolish wife turned into a Mejenkwaad. Soon she began to eat all the rest of the Islanders.

By the time the man and his son returned, all of the islanders had been devoured by the hungry Mejenkwaad. The man left his crew by the boat and walked with his son to the strangely quiet village. There he was met by the Mejenkwaad, disguised as his wife.

“Welcome home, husband,” the Mejenkwaad hissed. "I am so happy to see you and this nice fat son of ours." (The little boy looked very plump and tasty to the Mejenkwaad.)

“But where is everyone else?" asked the husband.

The Mejenkwaad gave a clever answer. “They are all down at the beach on the other side of the island. There has been a huge tuna catch. Let us hurry and join them before all the fish are gone! You go first, my husband. I will be right behind you.”

Let's go," answered the husband. “I will carry our son. You go first."

“No," insisted the Mejenkwaad. “You go first." She wanted to sneak up behind and eat them both!

The husband was puzzled at his wife's strange behaviour. He was also puzzled that the village was so very empty. It did not look as though anyone had been there for many days.

The little boy began to cry. “Quiet, my son," soothed the father. “Why," he wondered, “does my wife not come to comfort her son?"

To calm the crying boy, the father quickly made a small toy from the leaf of a coconut tree. This toy made a gentle whirring noise when the breeze blew. The little boy fell asleep in his father's arms.

“Now hurry," goaded the Mejenkwaad. “The fish will be all gone.” They hurried down the path, first the man and his son. Close behind them followed the Mejenkwaad. The path led into a dark forest, but a breeze from behind them kept the small toy whirring. The boy slept on.

As the path became darker, the Mejenkwaad crept Closer and closer. Soon she was right behind the man. She reached out her long arms. She was so close that her body blocked the forest breeze. The little toy stopped whirring.

“Waaa,” cried the boy. The man turned around to see why the wind had stopped. He was surprised to find his “wife" so close behind.

“You are too close, wife. You must give the breeze space to blow the toy." The Mejenkwaad moved back, and the toy whirred again. The little boy went back to sleep.

Now the path was even darker. This time the Meienkwaad decided to rush up quickly and grab the pair before the boy awoke. As she dashed forward her body again blocked the breeze and the toy became silent.

“What is the matter this time?" wondered the father. He turned around quickly and the Mejenkwaad almost ran right into him!

Now the father understood what was happening.

“Alas, my good wife is gone." he thought. “Now my son and l are in danger as well."

The father thought quickly. “I must relieve myself in the forest," he told the Mejenkwaad. “My son and I will be right back."

“All right, my dear," answered the Mejenkwaad. But hurry or the fish will be gone.”

Once hidden in the dark forest, the clever father found some palm leaves and made a new toy. This toy caught the breeze and made a sound, “rub-rub- rub." This sounded just like a person having gas. He put the toy high in a tree to catch the wind. Then he took his son and ran away into the forest.

“Rub~rub-rub," went the little toy. “My, that man has a lot of gas," thought the Mejenkwaad.

After quite a long wait, the “rub-rub-rub" sound was still loud. Mejenkwaad was tired of waiting. She held her nose and rushed into the forest. "I’ve got you now," she shouted as she grabbed at the sound. But all she grabbed was the little palm-leaf toy. She was so mad that she ate the toy!

A Mejenkwaad (by Ronnie Reimers)

Meanwhile, the man and his son ran to the far side of the island. A large pile of empty coconut shells lay there. The father picked up a shell and carved yet another toy. This one made a loud “whooo.” It sounded like a man calling for help.

He ran to the east shore of the island and put one of these toys high in the trees. Then he ran and put another on the west shore. He put yet another on the shore to the south.

Finally, he ran to his boat, on the north side of the island, and set off to sea with his son and his crew. "Hurry! I have a plan to get rid of this witch, but we must be far away before she finds us."

The Mejenkwaad was confused. She could hear the man calling “Whooo” from all over the little island. First, she ran to the east but found only the coconut-shell toy. The same thing happened when she rushed back to the west. It happened again when she ran to the south. She ate all of the shells and tried to think.

“The north!" she thought. “He must have run and hidden in the north.” She ran to the north. The Mejenkwaad searched all the huts in the village. All she found were bones, the bones of all the villagers she had eaten. They were dry and tasteless. There was not a bit of meat left. All the Mejenkwaad could think about was that plump and tasty little baby. Then she realized the canoe was gone. The man had escaped!

Because the Mejenkwaad was a witch, she had special powers. She stretched up her neck longer and longer until her head was taller than the tallest coconut palm. She no longer looked like a woman. Now she had a horrible head and a huge hungry mouth. From above the palms, she could see far out into the lagoon. She saw the little canoe sailing close to Jaluit.

I’ve got them now!" she cried. The Mejenkwaad stretched her neck out longer and longer. Then she flung out her horrible head to swallow the canoe.

The men in the canoe saw the giant head and were terrified. But the father had a plan. “Don’t be afraid. Follow my instructions exactly. When I cry out, ‘Turn to the left,’ you must instead turn the canoe sharply to the right."

The men were so frightened that they agreed at once. When the horrible head was almost upon them the father shouted, “Turn left!" The men, as instructed, turned the boat to the right. The Meienkwaad, hearing the cry “Turn left," turned at the last minute to the left. She missed the boat and bit down on a large mouthful of ocean water. She came up sputtering with rage.

The Mejenkwaad drew back for another try.

“This time,” the father instructed, "when I say, ‘Turn right,‘ you must instead turn the canoe to the left.”

Once again the Mejenkwaad struck out. When all appeared to be lost, the father cried out, “Turn right!" The boat, of course, turned to the left, but the Mejenkwaad, thinking the heat would go right, struck that way. Again, all she got was a mouthful of seawater.

By this time, the canoe had arrived in the region of Jaluit at a place called Anwar. Here there is a deep crevice in the reef. Many large fish hide in this place. The men quickly set anchor and waited.

Once again the father made a toy. This time it was a small glider made from the leaf of a pandanus tree. When the Meienkwaad struck this time, he threw the glider into the air. The Mejenkwaad could not resist this little tidbit. At the last minute, she veered off course to snatch the little toy. Her head crashed into the ocean, sending fountains of water into the air.

Beneath the surface of the lagoon, in the crevice at Anwar, lived a giant shark. “Who is disturbing my lagoon?” thought the shark. He looked up and saw the witch’s head still in his lagoon water chewing the toy glider. He was so mad! The shark swam right up to that Mejenkwaad, opened his giant mouth, and swallowed the whole Mejenkwaad in a single bite.

Jaluit Atoll

That was the end of that Mejenkwaad. Even to this day, in the ocean near Jaluit, at Anwar, there is a deep crevice in the reef. Sharks of great size and even greater appetites live there. They swim around, waiting. Perhaps they are waiting for another tasty meal of Mejenkwaad.

Source:

Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia.

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood

1991

Pages: 45-50