________________
MAY 1926)
REMARKS ON THE ANDAMAN ISLANDERS AND THEIR COUNTRY
83
value of that alternation of night and day with which the Cicada is so intimately associated. The Legend of the Akar-Bale (Balawa] Tribe is simply an elaboration of this theme."
The Invention of Singing and Dancing. Mr. Brown proceeds to examine other aspects of the Legend (p. 334): "the Akar-Bale story, besides giving an account of the origin of night, relates the invention of singing and dancing," which to the Andamanese " are merely two aspects of one and the same activity
• Dancing, except on a few special ceremonial occasions, always takes place at night." This is because of the belief that "dancing and singing are means by which the evil influence of darkness can be overcome, . . . . as they pos9ess magical efficacy against the dangers prevalent at night." On this he says (p. 335): "this relation between the (negative) social value of night and the positive) social value of dancing and singing is simply and clearly expressed in the Legend." It was the " singing" of the Cicada that produced the darkness, and it was the singing and dancing afterwards that produced the day, "BO effectual was the means adopted of neutralising the evils of darkness that finally resulted in the return of the daylight in which ordinary social life is possible.”
To this Mr. Brown adds (p. 335) : "the reference to the resin in the Legend can be easily understood. The Andamanese use resin to provide the light by which they dance, as well as for torches for fishing on dark nights ....Thus the social value of resin is that it affords a means of neutralising to a certain extent the effects of darkness."
Then he remarks (p. 335):" one of the ancestors, under the influence of an anti-social passion, killed a Cicada, which uttered its cry, and thereupon the world was covered with darkness.... but men have learnt how to use resin for artificial light, and how to remedy the effects of darkness by dancing and singing."
Lastly, Mr. Brown comes to the conclusion (p. 335) that the Legend of the Night, the Day and the Cicada' is this
"Simply the expression in a particular form of the relation between the Society and & certain natural phenomenon in terms of what have been called social values. We find expressed the social values of night and of resin and dancing. It may be noted that the Legend also gives a special social value to the ancestors, different from and greater than that of men or women at the present day. The Ancestors were able to do many things that men cannot do now :'they were able to affect the processes of nature in a way that is no longer possible."
The Discovery of the Yam. Mr. Brown passes on (p. 336) to discuss the discovery of the yam, & minor point in the Legend, which Mr. Man relates, (see p. 211 of Brown), as being the result of a chance shot with an arrow. Mr. Brown thinks it likely to be really a separate story brought into the present tale, as there is the shooting of an arrow in both. In this story, by chance shots with three arrows Da Tengat discovered 'new objects of three different kinds, animal (cicada), vegetable (yam), mineral (resin, which to the Andamanese is a stone'). On this fact, Mr. Brown observes (p. 337): " in common with other primitive peoples, the Andaman Islanders regard what we call luck or chance as due to the action of the magical powers possessed by objects and by human beings."
The Killing of the Cloada. And then. although he feels the points not to be plain in the Legend, Mr. Brown says (p. 337): "I think we must take it that Da Tengat was disgusted at his lack of succes in fishing .... His shooting of the arrows must be regarded, I think, as the result of his anger." In his irritation "he crushed the Cicada, thus bringing darkness on the world." Then Mr. Brown remarks: "it is a principle of the Legends that evil results follow from evil action :,.. (p. 338). It was the wickedness of the ancestor in giving way to hig
